Comment · Sat, March 23, 2019
Maca or Maca extract
Original post in this thread
notapersonaltrainer · 2 points
Does a good Maca extract exist? Sort of like Chocamine for cocao? I had this drink that contains "4:1 Maca Extract" and it had all the effects I typically see with regular gelatinized Maca. I think the dosage for Maca is usually a couple grams which would be a bit much for capsules but it'd be awesome to have a 4:1 extract that would give you a full dose in one capsule.
I'd be interested in a regular gelatinized Maca powder as well but particularly interested if ND could find a good Maca extract/concentrate to offer in capsule form.
Also, I think a Maca and Mushroom blend would be pretty cool. I found this blend which has Maca, Mushroom, Turmeric, and Cocao. The problem is it's proprietary and I would guess they are diluting the more expensive ingredients with the much cheaper cocao. Maca with some mushrooms, a curcumin extract, cocao, and maybe ashwaghanda or rhodiola would be a really good all natural adaptogenic powder blend. It might even be good tasting enough to be used as a kind of golden milk powder.
What they were answering
notapersonaltrainer · 2 points
Did you use raw maca or gelatinized maca? From what I've read the raw kind is the one that usually causes GI issues and is less absorbable so there's really no reason to ever use it over the gelatinized.
Raw vs. Gelatinized Maca
Maca exists in two forms, both raw and gelatinized. Due to the density of the root, consuming maca in its raw state has been associated with digestive discomfort and consequently, gelatinization has shown to offer more favourable outcomes. In Peru, maca is always cooked (gelatinized), removing unwanted starch and making the root easier to digest. Gelatinization assures that the final product bears the same unique properties of the maca consumed traditionally by the Incas, preserving the nutritional integrity of maca and producing a highly concentrated product as compared to raw maca.
Maca is definitely one of the most potent nootropics for me in terms of energy. Also has a pretty intense libido benefit as well.
I would assume the concentrates would also be free from GI issues as well. I found a couple vendors selling the 4:1 extract and one with a 10:1 extract
https://purebulk.com/products/maca-root-4-1?variant=14287419244593
https://www.amazon.com/Vitamin-Shoppe-Maca-Supplement-Wellbeing/dp/B00012NI4C
https://www.amazon.com/Maca-Root-Extract-10-Shipping/dp/B00GYNEKWG
u/MisterYouAreSoDumb
I used raw at first, but then used gelatinized at a later date and had the same issue. It could have just been a reaction because my body associated any maca with the bad GI issues the raw had caused, though. This was also a long time ago.
The effects were definitely great for me, though. The energy and libido increases were pretty strong. I'll work on an extract to offer.