Ready to get the ‘download’ on which maca is the best for you? Which is mold-free? Which actually makes you smarter and sexier? Yes! Thought so. Not only are there multiple colors (or phenotypes) of maca, but there are many preparations of maca too. Not all maca is created equal and some can be quite harmful (moldy maca = moldy body!)
The diversity of maca products out there is great enough that on the inferior side of the spectrum (most products) many maca powders barely provide any of the claimed effects and can lead to mold and candida issues.
On the superior side of the spectrum maca lives up to its endurance boosting, virility strengthening, cognition supporting and aphrodisiac properties while being perfectly compliant to any food or sugar sensitivities or fungal and immune issues.
50 Shades of Maca
High in the Andes in Peru in a field of maca, there are 3 primary colors of roots growing amongst each other. Yellow (a.k.a. white or creme) maca is the biggest and most abundant root, but is the least nutrient dense. It provides a lot of benefit because it is still maca, but in many studies it comes in a most definite 3rd place for effect and antioxidant levels. Since it is the cheapest to produce, most maca products are just milled yellow maca.
Red (a.k.a. purple) maca roots are in the middle in potency, size and abundance. Red is considered the best for men’s prostate, but for nearly all other effects, black maca is considered the best.
Black maca is the smallest and rarest (a harvest will be 5% to 30% black maca roots). However, it is only slightly more costly to produce (fewer, smaller, lighter roots). It has been shown to be the best at boosting cognitive function and in females, increasing fertility and in males, increasing sperm count and mobility. In my experience, black maca tastes way denser and less sweet than yellow, red or a tai-blend of colors. It has the force of jing in it.
The Understated Topic of Maca Preparation
Traditionally, maca isn’t eaten raw very often. It is usually cooked, fermented, or even extracted in some way and has been for hundred of years, which increases its potency and digestibility. Why are most maca products just raw milled maca? Because raw is inexpensive and because there is a market for ‘raw foods.’
Back when I used to fall for the ‘it should be raw’ short sightedness propaganda, I ate my share of raw maca. But today I would never ever recommend anybody eat raw maca. Okay, I might recommend it over eating a plate of gluten or a factory farmed fast food concoction, but because raw maca is sugary, starchy, fibrous, sometimes moldy, and always far less potent (the dosage of raw non-concentrated maca is about 3 tablespoons to receive maca’s full renowned effects – which tastes like 3 tablespoons of radish powder in my humble opinion – and often leads to the toots), I must say it is not great enough to be on your health protocol list.
Maca’s active constituents are not very heat sensitive – they remain intact at temperatures near 200*F, so raw cold processing is not necessary, and is in fact counter productive. Some of these constituents like the macamides and macaines are created when the maca roots are sun dried (not present in maca products made from fresh roots.) Raw food and herb powders (that haven’t gone through a heat process) from the tropics tend to have a higher microbe contamination and mold risk (don’t play roulette with your health!)
The second most popular preparation of maca is gelatinized maca. This is wet-cooked maca. There is also a similar dry roasted maca. The cooking breaks down some of the fiber and starch and makes the maca about twice as concentrated and easier to digest. It is definitely an upgrade from the raw swag (hehe), but for those on a lower carb regimen, or for those who need to kick candida, it is still quite a bit glycemic (blood sugar and insulin spiking) with its starch and sugar content. So I recommend skipping all the way to the best which is…
…Dual extracted maca powder! This is the heavy hitter, a full spectrum extract using warm water and alcohol to concentrate the most active compounds in maca while removing the starchy parts. Water-only extracted maca powder usually has flowing agents in it to keep it from clumping, so 100% pure dual (warm water + ethanol) extract is where it’s at! This is the lowest starch/sugar fraction of maca making it by far the most ketogenic-friendly compared to all the carb intensive maca flours.
Before I explain what this truly delicious yet extremely potent dual extract preparation is exactly, I’d like to share that ten years ago I began developing the prototypes for the WildBar – the organic superfood meal replacement bar I co-created many years ago. During that time is when I started sourcing superfoods from manufactures from all over the world. Some superfoods looked similar on paper but were a world of difference in taste, quality and freshness. Some arrived moldy or rancid. It took a year and a half to painstakingly decide on the sources of all the ingredients for the WildBar before we launched, although the sources we used were the clear winners because not only did we develop great connections with the manufactures, they consistently provided fresh product with no off batches.
But even after launch, I strived to upgrade the WildBar over the years whenever possible, and eventually dropped the original premium raw maca ingredient and replaced it with what is now called Maca Bliss.
Maca Bliss is all about being the best possible maca in every way imaginable. It is made from organically grown sun-dried black maca only (I considered making it from a mix of black (very best) and red roots (second best), but decided that it should be 100% black maca, only the best). Maca Bliss is not raw…. Not gelatinized… Not just a water extract… It is a 10X dual extract powder and nothing else. It is potency verified during the extraction process to be at least 0.6% (which is high) macamides and machines (the top active compounds that give maca its effects.)
The dual extraction, done in a USDA Certified Organic facility Lima, Peru, uses both hot water and non-GMO cane alcohol to extract a full spectrum of water-soluble and lipid-soluble active compounds from the maca. We micro-strain out the bulk of the starches, sugars and fibers while concentrating the most medicinal fractions of black maca. We dehydrate the dark brown liquid we have created during the straining process into a powder (which due to some very nifty properties becomes a more tan color, but will become more black in color when it is rehydrated).
I have taken every kind of maca for the past 16 years and Maca Bliss is in a league of its own and the only kind of maca I give to my friends, family and colleagues!
1 teaspoon of Maca Bliss is equal to over 3 tablespoons of raw black maca powder (minus the fiber, radish flavor and toots). It melts in your mouth and tastes like a malty, tangy, slightly smokey and ever so lightly nectarous caramel concentrate. It goes in your mouth, in pure water, in a smoothie, on a treat, on ice cream, in a chocolate or dessert recipe to skyrocket energy levels, turn glands, organs and brain into a robust experience of rewilding health. The energy is clean, very much felt, but not stimulating – the marks of a true adaptogen.
Adaptogens: Going way beyond what a ‘healthy diet’ can do. Maca Bliss is a balanced adaptogen in that it helps the body be resilient amidst stress and allows one’s biology to thrive even during modern stressors like pollution, previous toxic food choices, and sitting around too much. It may cause you to spontaneously do what your body, heart, sexuality and brilliant mind want to do most which is live an authentic life full of movement and engaging in habits of passion with which the soul feels in alignment. It bumps one closer to the status of sexy genius every time it is taken (oh, behave!) It has both immediate all day benefits and cumulative long term benefits that keep on giving (what a gift from nature!)
Maca Bliss is a warming yang herb/superfood, which makes it a great winter warmer. Pre-workout, pre-work, pre-sex suggested in a post-industrial revolution world. It is equally effective for both men and woman.
Grab yourself a jar of Maca Bliss HERE.
Yours in making your greatest health goals come true,
Results may vary from individual to individual, based on health conditions, diet, weight, physical exercise and lifestyle habits. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, and are for informational and educational use only. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Individuals taking medications and those with known medical conditions, as well as pregnant or breastfeeding women, should consult with their holistic physician before using these or any nutritional products.