Maca: its uses in menopause

Abstract

The Lepidium meyenii plant also known as Peruvian Maca originates from high altitudes in the Andes, and it has a high nutritional content and is extensively used as an herbal supplement for conditions such as sexual dysfunction, semen quality, and menopausal symptoms. This narrative review was conducted to assess the effects of Maca on a variety of conditions but doing emphasis on menopausal symptoms. Studies published in the English and Spanish languages were included in the review. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we identified published studies through an electronic review of the literature searches of PubMed, Medline, ISI, DOAJ, Springer, and Embase. Web of Knowledge, DOAJ, and Google Scholar for original articles written in the English language, and Scielo, Lantidex, Imbiomed-L, Redalyc, and Google Scholar for original articles written in the Spanish language. After reviewing the literature, the information available does not provide enough evidence about the effectiveness of Maca in improving menopausal symptoms.

Keywords

• Maca. Lepidium meyenii. Menopause. Menopausal symptom.