Lepidium meyenii (maca) is a herbal plant that grows at high altitudes in parts of South America. Thirteen varieties of maca have been described based on the colour of their hypocotyls. Evidence suggests that maca is able to alter physiological function in animals and humans in a positive way. One property of maca that has been noted in studies is its antidepressant effect. A number of studies have used animal models to assess the antidepressant effects of maca. For example, in one study, researchers administered yellow, red and black maca to experimental mice for 21 days, and then exposed to mice to stress that was designed to cause depressive behaviour. The results of the study showed that all three varieties of maca were significantly effective at preventing depressive behaviour in the mice. Interestingly, only the balck maca was able to improve the learning of the mice, suggesting that differences exist between the varieties of maca, perhaps because of phytochemical variation.
Eat Well, Stay Healthy, Protect Yourself
RdB
