5 Science-Backed Health Benefits of Consuming Maca, According to a RD ​

You may have stumbled across this caffeine-free, plant-based superfood in your local health food store and wondered what exactly is maca—and what does it do? Full disclosure: This root vegetable is packed with endurance-boosting adaptogens that help combat stress and fatigue and give you the much-needed dose of energy you may be in dire need of.

Learn the benefits of introducing maca into your daily routine and how best to consume it based on the recommendations of a registered dietitian.

Maca contains anticancer properties and vital nutrients

Originating from Peru, this superfood vegetable is not only packed with vitamins and minerals, it is also believed to help boost mood, stamina, and even memory. According to Roxana Ehsani, RDN, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, maca is a “cruciferous vegetable (related to broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage) that contains anticancer properties like glucosinolates and polyphenols." These important antioxidants help enhance the elimination of potential carcinogens from the body and may potentially reduce tumor growth. Also rich in vitamin C, copper, iron, potassium, vitamin B6, and manganese, maca is a great source of several important vitamins and minerals.  

It can potentially improve mood, memory, and energy levels

According to a recent study on the benefits of maca and its impact on mood, Ehsani notes that consuming this root can help “reduce anxiety and symptoms of depression in menopausal women.” She also notes that another study on the effects of maca and energy levels found that “cyclists improved the time it took to complete a bike ride after consuming maca extract for a period of 14 days.” Additionally, research on animals has shown potential improvements with learning and memory, however Ehsani notes that more research needs to be done on the subject.

It may help boost libido and fertility

If you’re looking for an extra boost of energy in your intimate life, this Peruvian herb has long been proclaimed for its libido-enhacing properties (and there is research to prove it). According to Ehsani, maca can also potentially have beneficial effects on reproduction, particularly for men. She notes that “one small study found that it can positively affect fertility in healthy adult men, specifically increasing sperm concentration, and motility.” However, she urges that individuals should first consult with a health care professional (like a registered dietitian nutritionist) before consuming for this specific benefits.

How to best consume maca

The edible root of maca is typically dried to consume in powder form, and it can also be consumed as a liquid extract. Ehsani recommends adding this earthy and nutty root to both savory and sweet dishes like smoothies, coffee, oatmeal, baked goods, or even into dips like guacamole. She also advises that pregnant or breast-feeding women check with their health care professional before consuming to err on the side of caution.

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Obesity can impair learning, memory

Obesity can break down our protective blood brain barrier resulting in problems with learning and memory, a study has found.

Chronic activation of the receptor, Adora2a on the endothelial cells that line this important barrier in our brain can let factors from the blood enter the brain and affect the function of our neurons, scientists said. The team has shown that when they block Adora2a in a model of diet-induced obesity, this important barrier function is maintained.

We know that obesity and insulin resistance break down the blood brain barrier in humans and animal models, but exactly how has remained a mystery, said a neuroscientist. In the brain, adenosine is a neurotransmitter that helps us sleep and helps regulate our blood pressure, in the body it's also a component of the cell fuel adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. Adenosine also activates receptors Adora1a and Adora2a on endothelial cells, which normally supports healthy relationships between brain activity and blood flow.

Problems arise with chronic activation, particularly in the brain, which is what happens with obesity, the author said. People who have obesity and diabetes have higher rates of cognitive impairment as they age and most of the related structural changes are in the hippocampus, a centre of learning and memory. Fat is a source of inflammation and there is evidence that reducing chronic inflammation in the brain helps prevent obesity-related memory loss.

For the study, young mice fed a high-fat diet got fat within 2 weeks, and by 16 weeks they had increases in fasting glucose and insulin concentrations, all signs that diabetes is in their future. In the minute vasculature of the hippocampus, the researchers saw the obesity first increased permeability of the blood brain barrier to tiny molecules like flurophore sodium fluorescein or NaFl. Diet-induced insulin resistance heightened that permeability so that a larger molecule, Evans Blue, which has a high affinity for serum albumin, the most abundant protein in blood, also could get through.

When they looked with electron microscopy, they saw a changed landscape. Resulting diabetes promoted shrinkage of the usually tight junctions between endothelial cells and actual holes in those cells. When they gave a drug to temporarily block Adora2a, it also blocked problems with barrier permeability. Whether that could work in humans and long term as a way to avoid cognitive decline in obese humans, remains to be seen, he said.

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Obesity can break down our protective blood brain barrier resulting in problems with learning and memory, a study has found. Chronic activation of the receptor Adora2a on the endothelial cells that line this important barrier in our brain can let factors from the blood enter the brain and affect the function of our neurons, scientists said. The team from Augusta University in the US have shown that when they block Adora2a in a model of diet-induced obesity, this important barrier function is maintained.

https://www.thehansindia.com/life-style/health/obesity-can-impair-learning-memory-study-523166

Obesity can break down our protective blood brain barrier resulting in problems with learning and memory, a study has found. Chronic activation of the receptor Adora2a on the endothelial cells that line this important barrier in our brain can let factors from the blood enter the brain and affect the function of our neurons, scientists said. The team from Augusta University in the US have shown that when they block Adora2a in a model of diet-induced obesity, this important barrier function is maintained.

https://www.thehansindia.com/life-style/health/obesity-can-impair-learning-memory-study-523166