[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?

Anxious is definitely how maca made me feel. I started adding it (raw powdered form) to my post-workout smoothies at the end of last year because I'd heard it could help build muscle. The first time I had it I ended up feeling so anxious that I was curled up on the bed in tears with an overwhelming sense of worry and panic. I didn't connect it to the maca at first, so added it to my smoothie the next time I worked out. Same thing happened again. I think I was maybe using too much; I understand it's very potent. But that experience was so scary and unpleasant that I didn't touch the stuff again. I've got loads of it left and maybe it'd be ok for me in tiny, tiny doses.

You shouldn't use the raw form. You should use the geletanized form. That, and the fact that you probably took way too much, is why you had that reaction. That's why everyone says to start with 1/2 the recommended dose (or even less), then work your way up very gradually (as in, slightly bump it up every week). Too much of anything too fast will give you some kind of unwanted side effects usually.

I'm sorry you had that reaction. If you try maca again, PLEASE get the geletanized kind (NOT raw), and read what the dosage says, then cut that in half and start there.

[Charlie_girl]

Ok, sort of an update Its only been a week since starting back on maca after a few weeks break (not that I WANTED to break that long, it just happened). I haven't measured again yet, I doubt there's much difference, ****BUT****, my jeans are definitely tighter around my butt & hips!! Last time I wore these jeans was about a month ago (and in that time, collectively, I've taken maca (and other NBE herbs & vitamins-fenugreek, blesse thistle, Goats Rue, Vitamin C, gelatin & rubbed flaxseed oil on my butt, hips & used for massage on my boobs & upped my calories to gain weight & have worked out/weight trained, ALL of these I did maybe only about 2 weeks or so out of the last month).

These jeans USED to feel tight at first after washing, then after a while of wearing them, they'd get looser and looser in the butt area as the day went on. Grrrr, problems with not having a booty! Anyway, I wore them Yesterday for about 5 hours, then again today (without washing them) for about 5 hours so far. And SO FAR, the butt & hip area is just as snug as when I first put them on! (and when first putting them on, I could tell I'm filling them out more.)

DEFINATELY still have a ways to go! But, something (or everything) is starting to pay off!! Hehe!! So excited

[AquaA]

I'm going to start taking maca next cycle. I've have 3 Bottles of raw maca so will try that again. Last time I started off with 1000mg first week then 1500mg, it gave me dry skin, break outs and made me gassy. Definitely took to much and didn't let my body adjust to it. Will stick to 500mg for a month and see what happens. It also gave me a lot of energy, my ass was jiggly and contributed to my boob growth so that's why I wanna start it again. If after a month I still experience the horrible breakouts, il switch to gelatinized maca. Which gelatinized maca brands do you guys suggest? I wanna start researching from now, I like to plan my programs ahead.

[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 :/

[Charlie_girl]

The brand I chose and take is Whole World Botanicals Royal Maca (gelatinized capsules). I bought it locally, but it can be ordered online. http://store.wholeworldbotanicals.com/Ro...-vc-90.htm

This is why I chose this brand (and there are other brands that have these same qualities, I'll have to go back and look a little later and post the names of the companies)

*Grown in its natural area of Peru
*Organic
*They use a blend of all varieties (so instead of just yellow or just black, I get a mix of all of them)
*They care about & support their farmers and their families and they give back to their community (http://www.wholeworldbotanicals.com/socialMission.html) Always a plus for me

Their website is packed full of information, scientific studies, a blog, etc etc.
Q&A: http://wholeworldbotanicals.com/best-maca-root-product

[Charlie_girl]

If you are taking maca & are experiencing unwanted side effects from the maca you are using, first lower the dose. If that doesn't make the side effects go away, switch it up. That's usually all it takes, and then you can continue to use it and reap the benefits. What I mean by switch it up is this: If you're using raw, switch to gelatinized. If you're using powder, switch to capsules. If you're using yellow maca, switch to red or black, or a blend. You don't have to do all of these switches at once, but I did prioritize them in that list, from most effective switch (lowered dose), to the least effective switch (variety of the maca) that would help with making your side effects go away.

[Lotus]

The brand I chose and take is Whole World Botanicals Royal Maca (gelatinized capsules). I bought it locally, but it can be ordered online. http://store.wholeworldbotanicals.com/Ro...-vc-90.htm

This is why I chose this brand (and there are other brands that have these same qualities, I'll have to go back and look a little later and post the names of the companies)

*Grown in its natural area of Peru
*Organic
*They use a blend of all varieties (so instead of just yellow or just black, I get a mix of all of them)
*They care about & support their farmers and their families and they give back to their community (http://www.wholeworldbotanicals.com/socialMission.html) Always a plus for me

Their website is packed full of information, scientific studies, a blog, etc etc.
Q&A: http://wholeworldbotanicals.com/best-maca-root-product

Good work on the research Charlie, have you ever had a salvia hormone test?.

Saliva Testing

Saliva Hormone Testing is an accurate and simple way for the ordinary man or women to assess the current levels of steroid hormones (e.g. estradiol, progesterone, testosterone)

Steroid Hormones in saliva reflect the portion of circulating hormones in the bloodstream that are unbound by serum binding proteins (free or bioavailable) and therefore are able to enter tissues throughout the body.

[Charlie_girl]

Thank you

Actually, no I haven't. I have an appointment with a naturopath next week & was going to discuss NBE, weight gain, enhancing curves, herbs & supplements with him & get my hormones tested. I really don't know much about the testing, what it involves and what different tests do. I'm a rookie with that. Lol. I thought they did it with blood, is saliva testing better?

[peggy]

Yes saliva testing is more precise than blood testing. I did both already. Blood testing didn't indicate that I have a progesterone deficiency, which I was sure I have. Only saliva testing confirmed it.

When you make a saliva test it will test your FREE hormones. So if you check for testosterone in your saliva you will know your free T level, whereas in blood they normally check only total T. You can even check your hormones while taking the birth control pill with a saliva test, but its useless to make a blood test while taking a bcp.

Also if you take PC (progesterone cream) you will be able to see your progesterone level rising after a short time whereas it won't be visible in a blood test. I would definitely recommend a saliva test.

[AquaA]

Thanks Charlie for your thorough response and for pointing me out to the right direction to research. Unfortunately, I can't order any supplements online, be it powder or capsule, customs won't allow it's entry. The reason I got the raw Maca is simply because it's the only one I could find locally. Good thing though il be able to travel and order online in the near future so that's why I always have to plan my programs ahead to know exactly what to get.
I'm definitely going to take half of the recommended dosage for a month and if I experience any side effects will switch to gelatinized form. We better get some major booty growth after all this!