Maca is a hardy perennial plant cultivated high in the Andes Mountains, at altitudes from 8,000 to 14,500 feet. It has one of the highest frost tolerances among native cultivated species. Maca has a low-growing, mat-like stem system, which can go unnoticed in a farmer's field. Its scalloped leaves lie close to the ground and it produces small, self-fertile, off-white flowers typical of the mustard family to which it belongs. The part used is the tuberous root, which looks likes a large radish (up to 8 cm in diameter) which is usually off-white to yellow in color.
Rich in nutritional content (potassium, and higher levels of calcium than in milk), maca is a natural hormonal balancer which provides great health benefits for both, men and women.
Due to its high nutritional value, maca is not only popular as a sexual libido enhancer and menopause symptoms savior, but also greatly affects energy, stamina, depression, and memory.
In Peruvian herbal medicine today, maca is reported to be used as an immunostimulant; for anemia, tuberculosis, menstrual disorders, menopause symptoms, stomach cancer, sterility (and other reproductive and sexual disorders), to enhance memory, to increase energy, stamina, and endurance, to promote mental clarity, and to help with menstrual irregularities, female hormonal imbalances, menopause, and chronic fatigue syndrome.