Maca root is a Peruvian plant used in men's and women's libido supplements. What the small studies suggest, what they don't, and who should be careful.
Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a Peruvian root vegetable used traditionally for energy, fertility and libido. A handful of small studies have looked at sexual desire and wellbeing, with some positive but inconsistent results, so the evidence is limited. Maca is not a hormone, and it isn't proven to raise testosterone or estrogen.
Maca is a root vegetable in the cabbage (Brassicaceae) family, grown at high altitude in the Andes and eaten as food in Peru. It has long been used traditionally for energy, fertility and libido, and it now appears in many men's and women's sexual health supplements, usually as a powder or extract.
Maca has small studies behind it for sexual desire and wellbeing in men and women. Reviews of these studies have described the evidence as limited: the trials are few, small and short, they use different maca preparations and doses, and some have methodological weaknesses. Some reported improvements in self-rated desire compared with placebo; others found no clear effect. That is enough to call maca "possibly helpful for some people", not proven.
Maca is often marketed as a hormone booster, but it isn't a source of testosterone or estrogen, and we found no good evidence that it raises either hormone. If low desire is persistent and bothers you, it's worth talking to a doctor, because common causes such as medications, menopause, thyroid problems, stress and relationship issues are often treatable; see our guide to causes of low libido in women.
Among the products we review, Semenax lists maca among its 16 ingredients, without stating the amount. HerSolution and Provestra, the women's libido supplements we cover, don't list maca in their current formulas.