d storage. Dried maca root and powder can be stored for several months.
Fresh roots eaten baked like other taproots like turnips. Dried roots soaked for few hours in lukewarm water to revive their texture.
Today, however, much of the maca crop is utilized by the pharmaceutical industries to process and market as food-supplement instead of vegetables.
Novelty maca products drinks, energy bars, or as additive in smoothie or chocolate drinks.
Maca root, being a member of broccoli family vegetables, does not cause many toxic problems if consumed in moderate quantities. (Medical disclaimer).
Conumption of maca root has not been established to treat thyroid dysfunctions. On the contrary, being a brassica family vegetable, maca contains goitrogens, and may, in fact, may worsen hypothyroidism and should be consulted with physicians before using maca supplements.
Maca root is a kind of underground, taproot (hypocotyl) of plant L. meyenii, native to highland mountain plateus of Peru.
In a way similar to the other taproots such as turnips, parsnips, etc, maca root nutrition consists of basic calorific (ex; carbohydrates) and phytochemical nutritional profile like some anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals. Fresh roots carry slightly more calories than turnips and potatoes. Once dried, its calorific value per 100 g is equal to cereal grains like wheat and rice.
Some pharmaceutical trial studies suggest that the consumption of maca root products would help improve sexual vigor in men and women. However, further research studies required to substantiate this claim.
Ancient indigenous and Inca people chiefly used maca as basic food source; dry as well as fresh roots often barterd in exchange for corn, potato, pulses and meat with lowland people. So, native Andeans treated it more as a food item than a "novel fitness root".
Although, maca carries number of anti-oxidant compounds, its value is no way closer to other antioxidant rich superfoods such as cinnamon, blueberries, etc as claimed by some companies, websites, and articles. The USFDA, on its part, not even bothered to publish its nutritional profile and ORAC value.
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