You’ve heard of Maca weight loss potential? Because my favorite root from Peru has been getting a bit of attention lately as a slimming herb. Now, don’t get me wrong, maca is not some magic pill that will melt away fat overnight. However, it has some very neat ways to help support you on your weight loss journey.
While direct evidence linking maca to weight loss is still emerging, there are some ways Maca root could help with weight loss.
In this article, we will explore:
- Maca’s ability to control blood glucose levels (which can be vital for weight management)
- How Maca Can Help Boost Energy Levels (hello, easier workouts!)
- Maca’s effect on hormone regulation, especially in menopause, which can contribute to weight loss in a holistic way
- Why stress affects your weight and maca’s potential for stress support
Let me shed some light on how maca could be a game changer in your weight loss journey.
Just to be clear…if you are on a strict diet of donuts and soda and start taking maca to lose weight and change nothing else in your lifestyle…it may not help you much in the weight loss department.
After all, a holistic approach to weight loss is usually best.
However, when it’s part of a weight loss plan that includes a healthier one diet and some excercisemaca stands out.
I have personally used maca root for weight loss — to lose over 70 pounds and keep it off, even through the second round of menopause.
And I have personally seen it thousands of my patients use maca with excellent results over the years.
Let’s discuss how Maca can help with weight loss and how it works.
At the top of the list of possibilities maca benefits for weight loss is blood sugar support.
Again, do we have thousands of double-blind, placebo-controlled studies showing a direct link in humans between maca and weight loss? No, no we don’t. But some studies show promise.
Some studies have shown that maca can improve glucose metabolism in animal models, even in those with diabetes. These studies also indicate maca’s antioxidant activity—suggesting that maca could not only help regulate glucose but also potentially provide cellular protection against oxidative stress. (1-4)
When your body’s normal blood sugar response is impaired (as seen in insulin resistance and diabetes), your cells cannot effectively remove glucose from your bloodstream.
Instead, your body stores this extra glucose in your tissues as fat. This leads to weight gain.
By supporting glucose metabolism, maca helps get glucose into the cells where it belongs – which in turn could reduce the amount of fat your body stores.
Another way maca could help you lose weight is because it can help you feel more energetic. (5-8) And it can even improve exercise performance. (9)
I just mentioned how when your blood sugar becomes dysregulated, your cells can’t use the glucose efficiently. Well, this leads to feelings of fatigue as extra fat storage. Think about it – of course you’ll feel tired if your food can’t activate your cells and give you energy!
Add blood sugar disruption to the menopause equation and you have a recipe for low energy. Plus, when you sit at a desk all day at work, then sit in the car on the way home… it leaves you with little desire to move.
Maca is useful here for several reasons. First, it’s so nutritionally dense. It’s packed with nutrients and vitamins your body needs for fuel. It is also potentially antioxidant and helpful for gut health. When you add all this together with the other benefits I discuss below, maca can be the extra helping hand you need to boost your energy so you can get through your workout.
Just imagine — instead of feeling exhausted and ready for a nap at 3 p.m., you could have the energy to go for a brisk walk. What could this do for your weight loss efforts?
It’s not a secret Maca can help balance sex hormones in menopause.
But maca has also been found to support the regulation of other hormones, including adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol. ACTH is a hormone that tells your adrenal glands to release cortisol.
Now, cortisol is fantastic if you’re in a real emergency situation. It’s the stress hormone that can keep you away from danger. But when there’s too much circulating in your body and there’s nothing to panic about, it becomes a fat-storing hormone that slams the weight right into your belly. (10,11)
Since maca appears to reduce both ACTH and cortisol, it is a great weight loss partner, especially for menopausal women.
In fact, a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study found that when postmenopausal women took maca for four months, their BMI and blood pressure significantly decreased, as did their menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes. In addition, the women in the study also saw increases in their bone mineral density markers. (12)
There’s also some evidence to suggest that maca could help regulate leptin, the hormone that helps you feel full. A recent animal study showed that leptin levels were increased in subjects given maca. (13) This is another possible way maca could help you lose weight.
My favorite Maca Powder Smoothie for Weight Loss
So how can you get more maca into your life? How do you harness its weight loss powers for yourself?
I personally use maca powder in my morning maca smoothie for weight loss
Here is one of my favorite recipes:
Final Thoughts: Maca Root Weight Loss
I hope you enjoyed this adventure exploring what maca has to offer when you’re looking to shed a few pounds, especially in menopause. I know I have personally used and loved it for years.
My favorite, of course, is my organic maca powder grown in Peru Mighty Maca® Plus Drink Mix and capsules. I believe this blend saved me from the depths of hormonal hell and has helped thousands of women around the world improve their menopause journey and keep their weight under control.
Of course, maca is most effective when it’s part of your holistic health plan, along with a good diet and regular exercise. And, of course, always talk to your doctor before starting any new supplement.
