[Charlie_girl]

Hi girl This information is mostly just for everyone to read, I know you already know some, or all, of this, I just wanted to share for all. 


I researched for a month, learning all about maca, before deciding which brand to buy. I know you're going to use raw since you already have it, and may switch to gelatinized if you get breakouts again from raw (I think that's smart. If you notice any unwanted side effects, I'd try gelatinized and see if they go away.) But remember, gelatinized maca seems to all be concentrated, so you'll need a lot less, just read the dosage on the bottle.


Main points when choosing a brand:

1) Is it actually cultivated in its natural area? Where did your maca come from?! This is SUPER important and makes the difference between maca that is effective and maca that isn't. (Which might be one of the reasons why we see on other sites that some people get results and some don't.)

2) Is it organic? This is important 

3) Which variety of maca is it? This isn't quite as important, as any variety is good for you & will give you results. But different varieties have their own strengths. 


****Okay, #1 and #2: Maca's natural environment is at an elevation of 12,400-14,400 feet above sea level, with high winds, loads of sunlight, and temperatures typically ranging from 28 degrees F to 55 degrees F (-2 celsius to 13 celsius). Although temps can drop to 14 degrees (-10 C) and experience frost. 

The natural/native environment of Maca consists of rather harsh climate conditions (Important!) and is located mainly in Peru and the high Andes of Bolivia. Harsh conditions force maca to adapt. Adapt = adaptogen For maca that is cultivated in its natural region, weeding & pesticide applications usually are not needed, as the climate is not suitable for most weeds and pests. Or any other crop for that matter! Some companies still apply these pesticides and chemicals, although not usually needed. That's why you need to make sure the brand you buy states that it's organic. 

The reason that where the maca comes from is so important is because many companies now are growing their own maca in different regions (thus the maca is exposed to different climate, altitude and soil). What this does is deplete much of the nutritional value and adaptogen benefits of the maca.  Basically, you get much less bad ass stuff. Lol. Where it is grown is HIGHLY important, and if the company doesn't inform customers of where their maca is grown, move on to another brand.

Just a few links if interested in reading more about this:

A study testing maca cultivated in different regions: 
"The results from both multivariate and univariate analysis indicated that the planting site was the major determining factor with regards to metabolite variations in maca hypocotyls" 
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/21858755/

Chinese maca: http://www.themacateam.com/peruvian-maca...inese-maca

****On to #3:
Maca comes in different varieties, yellow, pink, black, grey, etc. (Remember, they will typically look about the same in capsule or powder since they're all about the same color on the inside.) All of the types are incredibly beneficial to your overall health. However, each variety has it's strengths in certain  areas. Many supplement companies use only yellow maca. After reading about the varieties, it seems that red or black maca might be best for what we're trying to achieve (although any would work, red & black seem to be the most beneficial for us and black seems to produce faster results).  Find out which variety your brand uses.

http://althealthworks.com/1085/the-healt...lack-maca/

http://www.themacateam.com/maca-root-buttocks

I'll have to post more links later regarding the differences in the varieties. I bookmarked them while researching & I'm having a hard time finding them now :/