What Is Maca? Four Methods to Easily Tell Real from Fake

Maca, also known as maca, is a medicinal herb with extremely high medicinal value. Because of its high nutritional value and its effects of replenishing physical strength, improving sleep, and enhancing memory, it is widely used as medicine. So what is maca? How do you tell real from fake?

1. What is maca?

1. Maca is an annual herbaceous plant in the genus Lepidium, tribe Lepidieae, family Brassicaceae. Its rhizome resembles a small radish and comes in two colors, purple and yellow. Its long leaves are oval-shaped, about 20-23cm long, and its long roots are white, about 15cm long, and are the main edible part. Generally, when the plant grows to 12-20cm, the maca root has formed, and after several months it can bloom and bear fruit.

2. Maca is a plant, rich in protein, amino acids, calcium, phosphorus, iron and many other elements. Regular consumption can enhance memory, promote the increase and vitality of sperm and eggs, and also replenish physical strength and improve sleep. Therefore its medicinal range is very broad, but because it is hot in nature, it must be taken under a physician's guidance.

3. Maca is the only species in the genus Lepidium that produces a thick hypocotyl. It is mainly produced in the Andes Mountains of South America and Lijiang, Yunnan, China. The hypocotyl is pale yellow, golden, red, blue, purple, green or black, among which pale yellow is the most common in daily life, and its taste and nutritional value are both very high. Of course, black maca is also good, and it is currently recognized as the type of maca with the best effects.

2. How do you tell real maca from fake?

Because maca has strict growing conditions, its output is not very large. If you want to buy it, you have to go to a legitimate pharmacy. Of course, it is also sold outside, but most of it is fake, so pay attention when buying. If you do not know how, you can follow the methods below to tell:

Method 1, look at the appearance: In the market, most maca is black, and its medicinal effect is very good. If the surface is already moldy or foamy when you buy it, or it has already been soaked in water, then it is not suitable to buy.

Method 2, taste it: Authentic black maca tastes a little spicy. If it tastes like nothing, it means it is fake or of poor quality, and it is not suitable to buy.

Method 3, look at the price: Authentic black maca is a bit expensive on the market, generally around 110 yuan per jin. If it is below this price, it is fake or of poor quality, and it is not suitable to buy.

Method 4, look at the place of origin: Authentic black maca is generally produced in Yunnan and Peru. If it is from other regions, it is not suitable to buy.

Overall, maca is maca. It is an annual herbaceous plant produced in Yunnan or Peru, tastes a little pungent, and has the effects of enhancing memory and replenishing physical strength. On the market it costs about 110 yuan per jin, but because there are few places of origin and its medicinal effect is high, most of what is on the market is fake or of poor quality. Therefore, when buying, you must examine it carefully. If you do not know how to identify real from fake, you can follow the four methods above to tell, and then you will not buy a fake.