Traditional use, growing research — still more limited than ashwagandha's evidence base.
Maca is a root vegetable grown in the Peruvian Andes, traditionally used for centuries to support energy and vitality.
Modern research on standardized maca extracts is growing but remains more limited than for ingredients like ashwagandha. Small human studies have looked at maca and libido with encouraging but not conclusive results.
We rate maca as traditional use with a growing research base — promising, but not yet as well-established as L-arginine or ashwagandha.