In recent years, a plant product called "Maca" has appeared around us and has quietly become popular. This cruciferous plant from Peru, South America, has been dubbed by merchants as an "aphrodisiac". When people talk about it at the dinner table, they are always accompanied by a knowing but mysterious smile. Unlike many health care products, maca takes "improving sexual performance" as its main selling point, claiming that "one packet a day, effective in 3 hours", "take it for 10 days, enhance physical strength, resist fatigue, and improve sleep quality", "take it for 30 days, your energy will be improved" Vigorous and improve fertility"...

What exactly is maca? Can it really improve sexual function? Many experts said that there is no basis for maca's claim of "improving sexual function".

Market chaos

Sales are booming with claims that it can enhance sexual function and beautify the skin

What is the sales situation of maca in the market? A few days ago, the reporter visited Jinan Duoduo It has been found in supermarkets, souvenir shops, and pharmacies that many stores put maca in a prominent position. Depending on the quality, the price ranges from 500 yuan to 3,000 yuan per catty. In addition, some maca derivatives such as maca wine and maca essence tablets also sell well. Pharmacy sales staff told reporters that since last year, more and more people have come to inquire about maca, and many of the buyers are "repeat customers." Because this thing is rumored to be a "plant Viagra" and has health effects such as improving immunity, it is favored by many men.

On the Internet, maca sales are even more popular. On Taobao, the reporter searched for the keyword "maca" and found 55,900 related products at various prices. There is a 60-piece package claiming to be "Peruvian raw material black maca essence tablets wholesale" with a price of only 3 yuan; there are also products marked "Imported from Peru" Authentic Maca Essence Tablets for Men, 60 tablets for 5,999 yuan. The best-selling online maca products are around 100 yuan, such as "Buy 2 Get 1 Free Peruvian Maca Extract Tablets" priced at 88 yuan, with monthly sales of nearly 20,000; "Concentrated Black Maca" priced at 89 yuan, sold monthly The sales volume also exceeds 10,000. Various merchants basically promote that maca is not only rich in vitamins and minerals, but also has the effects of improving sleep, improving memory, improving immunity, regulating endocrine, etc. In various publicity about the "miraculous effects" of maca, "improving sexual performance" "Ability" is what attracts the most attention.

The customer service of a maca store in Jinan told reporters, "The maca we sell has a very good effect on enhancing sexual function and improving sperm quality." The customer service said that maca is not only good for improving male sexual function. Ability is helpful, women taking maca can also detoxify and beautify their skin. Some merchants claim that it can "quickly increase male sexual desire, take one packet a day, take effect in 3 hours, and treat infertility" etc.

Past and Present Life

Just a new resource food cannot promote medicinal value

What exactly is Maca? It is understood that Maca, also known as Maca , it is a cruciferous plant native to the Andes Mountains of South America at an altitude of 3500-4500 meters. It belongs to the same family as radish and is mainly distributed in Peru. It was originally one of the foods of the Incas. The original shape of maca looks somewhat similar to that of a radish, with a large spherical head with dense leaves growing on it and a long root extending from the bottom. Through post-processing, merchants either dry it in the sun, slice it into slices to make tea, or grind it into powder to make capsules.

In 1961, biologist Gloria Chacon first announced the research results of maca and received great attention from the industry. In 1992, the Rome Declaration of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations recommended maca to the world as a rare nutritional supplement. . However, Maca has only entered Chinese history for more than 10 years. The Chinese Ministry of Health officially approved its entry into China in 2002, and in 2011 it was approved as a national “new resource food”. The so-called new resource foods refer to items that are newly developed, newly discovered, and newly introduced in my country that have no eating habits, meet basic food requirements, and are non-toxic and harmless to the human body, such as ginseng, aloe vera, etc.

Although pure maca is just a food, will the processed maca be an aphrodisiac health food? The answer is no.

Among the specific health food functions that are currently allowed to be registered in my country, *** include 27 functions such as enhancing immunity, assisting in lowering blood lipids, and losing weight, etc., and do not include tonifying kidneys and strengthening yang, activating blood circulation and dredging collaterals, replenishing qi and strengthening the foundation, nourishing yin and strengthening yang, etc. Nourishes kidney yang, strengthens yang and nourishes kidney and other related functions. The State Food and Drug Administration has also publicly reminded consumers not to buy health foods that claim to have aphrodisiac properties. In other words, if a merchant uses words such as "an aphrodisiac sexual health product" when promoting maca, it is exaggerated propaganda and is not allowed.

Industry opinion

There is no basis for the theory that maca is effective in a short time and may contain illegal substances

Does taking maca really have a magical "improving" effect? Shi Jun, a member of the Scientific Squirrel Society and a Ph.D. in botany, believes that the main component of maca is carbohydrate, which is similar to manjing. "There is currently no evidence that this product is related to improving sexual function, and the glucose isothiocyanate contained in it may also cause thyroid disease when iodine intake is insufficient."

National first-level nutritionist Wang Weiqing believes that the quality of maca health products is currently uneven, and some low-priced maca products may have other ingredients added. If consumers’ sexual function is significantly improved after taking maca health products, they need to be wary of whether the products they purchase contain prohibited substances. "Some merchants add inferior Viagra powder to maca powder, which will take effect soon after eating, and some add stimulants to maca."

This article comes from NetEase News and is published by Plant Network Organize and edit, please indicate the source when reprinting.