Maca Powder for Fertility Support

Research suggests that maca may influence reproductive hormone activity and sperm quality, though the available evidence is limited in scope and largely derived from animal studies. A rat study found that maca consumption amplified the natural luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone surges associated with ovulation, while a small randomized controlled trial in stallions reported that daily maca supplementation roughly doubled sperm concentration and total sperm count and improved motility and structural integrity, with benefits persisting after supplementation ended. However, a study using the nematode C. elegans found that maca extract reduced egg production and increased markers of reproductive cell death and oxidative stress, raising questions about blanket assumptions of safety and pointing to possible differences in effect depending on species, dose, or extract type. Taken together, the current body of evidence is preliminary, confined to non-human models, and mixed in its findings, meaning conclusions about maca's role in human fertility support cannot yet be drawn from this research alone.