[Charlie_girl]

Just started day three of Maca and it's not agreeing with me :-/ I'm feeling jittery and anxious! Anyone else feeling this side effect?

How many mg are you taking?
Maca may act as a stimulant, so if you're also drinking caffeinated drinks, that could exasperate the shakes, jittery and anxiousness.

And this is for you and Ellacraig: not that this makes your side effects any better now, but I've read numberous times on this site and others, that girls that had side effects, they would only last for the first few days to the first week. Then after that, the side effects would go away. Seems odd, but it makes sense. Your body has to get used to it, that's why they say to start with really low mg and work your way up.

Also, I've been reading all kinds of things about it today and found that there are 3 main varieties of maca; red, yellow and black. And according to many websites (not sites that sell this), the black maca is supposed to be the best for building muscles and buttocks. (Great. I have the yellow. Lol) The yellow is the one that's typically sold in health food stores. I wonder if you guys switched to black, if your symptoms would go away? Remember, the maca is only red, black or yellow on the outside. The inside is all the same color, so don't think just because the powder in your capsules in kind of yellow-ish, that you have yellow maca. You might have to jump on your brands website to find out which type you have. (Bonus! It's said that Black Maca is beneficial for learning & memory too!)

Ellacraig- do not do RAW maca. They don't even eat raw maca in Peru. It can cause all kinds of stomach/digestion issues and even goiters or thyroid problems. The things in maca that contribute to this (the high level of fiber & glucosinolate), and the possibility of the presence of mold in raw maca are all neutralized by cooking it (gelatinized). Also, cooked (gelatinized) maca becomes much more easily digestible, nutrient-dense and even more of an adaptogen.

I've also read contradictory things on HOW to take it. Some sites say to just take it with water, and some people swear by consuming it with food. So, if you guys are taking it on an empty stomach, try opening the capsules and sprinkling it on yogurt or put into a shake or some type of food. That might help