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3 things to know before you buy maca powder

3 things to know before you buy maca powder

Posted by The Maca Team on 24th Sep 2018

As one of the worldwide leaders in Maca products, we are often asked what is important to know before you buy Maca.  We've distilled the most relevant and important facts down to 3.   Here they are:

1.  Maca is a food that has been used in Peru and Bolivia for 1000s of years.   It's important to keep in mind that it is not a supplement or vitamin or even an herb.  Indeed it is a food - in fact the FDA classifies it as a "powder."   People in the high Andes eat Maca as part of their regular diet - up to 50 grams a day is not uncommon.

2.  Traditionally Maca is eaten in cooked form.  It is most often mixed into a porridge.   However, a lot of Maca is now also consumed in form.   There is a common misconception that raw Maca can be dangerous.   That's not been the case in our experience and the experience of our customers.  However, for about 10% of people raw Maca causes indigestion.  In that case it's important to cook the Maca before using it or purchase gelatinized Maca or a Maca extract.

3.   Maca is a protected heritage product of Peru.    That means that it can't be grown legally outside of Peru.  Recently the market has been flooded with Chinese grown Maca.  In addition to being illegal, this Maca is of much lower quality than Peruvian Maca.  See our article for more details on that.