The Benefits Of Maca For Psychic And Mental Well-Being
Our current lifestyles, with sustained intensity and where performance requirements in all areas impose a high level of pressure, are often synonymous with intense mental fatigue. The solution to this problem typical of the “modern world” is however to be found in the uses of the past. Let’s discover all about the benefits of maca for psychic and mental well-being.
For more than 2000 years, in Peru, local populations are consuming maca. Its energizing effect on physical well-being makes this plant very famous. However its effect on psychic and mental well-being needs discovering.
The wondrous Maca
Maca is a rare plant famous for its excellent nutritional quality and extraordinary medicinal properties. Widely used in the traditional pharmacopoeia, it has many benefits for the body: toning, energizing, natural aphrodisiac, anti-stress and calming. It also has an action on maintaining the balance of hormones (sex hormones, happiness hormones, etc.). As we discovered in the helath section the benefits on physical health, we will discover in this article the many virtues of maca on mental and emotional health.
The Benefits Of Maca For Psychic And Mental Well-Being
– Stress Reduction
Maca is effective in fighting stress. In order to measure this action in a concrete way, the scientists took interest in measurable biological parameters. Here is the context:
When the body is facing constraints from its environment, it sets up a series of reactions in response to these pressures. This is stress. The brain instructs the adrenal glands to produce corticosteroid hormones. These hormones have an impact on two areas of the brain: the cerebral cortex, to trigger a reaction to this pressure (leakage for example) and the hippocampus, to cause calm.
Thus, in order to allow the body to quickly escape from a stressful situation or in the event of imminent danger, it will occur in our body an increase in blood sugar by the release of sugar in the blood, so that it can be quickly available to the muscles. This sugar will come from the transformation of fatty acids, which will therefore be released into the plasma, to be converted: we speak of gluconeogenesis.
– FIight Against Anxiety And Depression
Maca consumption helps reduce psychological symptoms, including anxiety and depression in postmenopausal women without affecting hormone levels (estrogen and androgen). To confirm these results, the scientists used the Greene climacteric scale, a questionnaire that allows women to assess their symptoms related to menopause.
Indeed, the period of hormonal upheavals that is menopause can lead to the appearance of psychological disorders. This feeling of unease can be an indirect consequence of disturbances that relate to menopause.
Concretely, this results in a lower level of corticosterone in the plasma, increased levels of norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain and the significant inhibition of the activity of reactive oxygen species.
– Decreased plasma corticosterone levels
As we have seen previously, in the event of stress, the adrenal glands produce corticosteroid hormones in order to allow the body to react to this stress. If stress is pervasive, the system releasing these hormones is overstimulated and becomes less responsive. Eventually, this can lead to the onset of depression. Consumption of maca reduces the level of plasma corticosteroids and therefore helps to fight against depression.
– Stimulation of neurotransmitter release
A decrease in the level of norepinephrine and dopamine in our brain is linked to a depressive state. Noradrenaline is a neurotransmitter of the sympathetic nervous system and dopamine is a neurotransmitter allowing communication between brain cells. However, maca stimulates the noradrenergic and dopaminergic systems. Thus allowing an increase in these neurotransmitters and therefore a reduction in depressive symptoms.
– Fight against oxidative stress
Finally, it was found that patients suffering from depression had a higher level of reactive oxygen species in the brain. Maca, due to its antioxidant properties, helps fight against oxidative stress and thus improve the symptoms of depression.
How to use maca to be zen and have healthy brain?
It is interesting to carry out a maca cure of several weeks. This in order to give the body the time necessary to benefit from all its benefits on the brain. This cure may take place in view of an examination requiring full possession of one’s intellectual faculties, to prepare for a period of intense stress or to get back on their feet, once the stress or depression has already set in.
For the dosage, it is advisable to refer to the instructions on the packaging of the chosen product. Generally :
- The recommended dosage for concentrated maca tuber extracts is generally between 500 mg and 2000 mg per day (this will of course depend on your energy expenditure, your build and the extract chosen).
- For maca powder, it is generally allowed to take between 1 and 3 teaspoons per day, i.e. between 1 g and 3 g of powder.
It is recommended to start with small doses and gradually increase the dose of maca consumed, until the desired benefits are obtained.
Which Maca and when not to use it ?
All types of maca are useful for fighting depression, but black maca is particularly recommended for promoting learning
In the event of pre-existing health problems, never stop a prescribed treatment. Also seek medical advice, with a view to starting the maca cure.
Without question, maca is the ally of your brain. Its anti-stress properties will provide you with support to overcome difficult times. Unlike antidepressant drugs with many side effects (sleep disorders, memory loss, etc.), maca is a natural way to effectively fight anxiety and mild depression.
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I hope you enjoyed this overview of the benefits of maca for psychic and mental well-being and found it useful. Comment down below what you think, have you ever tried it, or share with us what you know about it.
Looking forward to reading your comments, sending you love and positive energy!!!
