If you’ve spent any time on the internet lately, you’ve probably noticed a certain root showing up more and more: maca. Guys who would never be caught dead buying gas-station rhino pills are suddenly “super into maca root,” stirring it into coffee, stacking it with creatine, and quietly hoping it turns them into the human embodiment of the eggplant emoji.

The promise is simple and seductive: maca is a “natural aphrodisiac” and “hormone balancer” that will fix your low libido, mid-30s burnout, and maybe your entire personality, all without having to say “erectile dysfunction” to another human being. It’s ancient. It’s plant-based. It comes in minimalist packaging rather than a blister pack next to the register.

But when you strip away the branding, is maca actually doing anything for your sex life… or are you just very horny for hope?

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Wait, what even is maca?

Maca is a cruciferous root from the Peruvian Andes. Traditionally, people ate it as food: boiled, roasted, or ground into flour. Modern wellness culture turned it into powder, slapped “endurance, mood, hormones, libido” on the label, and now it shows up in lattes, gummies, and “superfood” blends.

On paper, it sounds plausible that this could nudge your sex life. There are human trials looking at maca and sexual function. But “there are some studies” and “this will fix your sex drive” are very different statements.

Dr. Justin Houman, MD, of Tower Urology at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, says the data are not completely imaginary, but they’re also not mind-blowing.

“What stands out is that the signals are small but consistent,” he says. “A few randomized trials show a modest improvement in self-reported libido, usually after 6 to 12 weeks of supplementation. These are not dramatic changes, but they are not nothing either.”

When you separate libido (how much you want sex) from erectile function (what your penis can actually do), the picture sharpens. Maca seems to lean more toward desire than erection quality, and even then, Houman calls the benefits “mild.” This is not Viagra in a smoothie; it’s a gentle nudge for some people over a couple of months.

Dr. Judson Brandeis, a board-certified urologist and sexual medicine specialist, sums up the research similarly: “The most clinically meaningful findings from human research on maca root are modest improvements in sexual desire (libido) and mild erectile function in select populations, but the magnitude of benefit is small, and the evidence is limited by study quality and sample size.”

So: there’s a signal. It’s just quiet, and coming from small, imperfect studies.

Spoiler: it’s not secretly fixing your hormones

A huge part of maca’s marketing is the “hormone balance” story… that it subtly normalizes testosterone, estrogen, and everything in between.

“Short answer: no,” Houman says. “The hype about maca as a hormone balancer is not supported by research.” Across human trials, he notes, “maca does not reliably raise testosterone, lower estrogen, or shift any major sex hormone marker in a clinically meaningful way.” People sometimes report a boost in libido with absolutely no measurable change in their hormone panels. If you’re expecting maca to rescue you from low testosterone, “they are going to be disappointed.”

Brandeis sees the same thing in the data. “There is no strong evidence that maca root meaningfully changes testosterone, estrogen, or other sex hormone levels in humans in a way that produces noticeable clinical effects,” he says. In other words: whatever maca is doing, it is not stealth-injecting you with hormones. The “balancing” is mostly branding.

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Horny, hopeful, or some of both?

If hormones aren’t budging, why do some people swear maca made them feel sexier?

“From a urology standpoint, placebo plays a huge role in sexual medicine, especially when the symptoms are desire-based,” Houman says. Libido is wildly sensitive to psychology, stress, sleep, and relationship dynamics. Just deciding “I’m doing something about this” can change how you show up in bed.

Biologically, Houman says, “it is possible that maca has some central-nervous-system effects. There are compounds in maca that may influence mood and energy. But there is no compelling mechanism showing it directly boosts erection physiology.” He sees the real-world effect as “a combination of a small physiological effect on mood and desire and a large expectancy effect, because people feel hopeful when they are trying something new.”

Brandeis agrees it is “plausible that maca root could have a small, direct effect on sexual desire in patients with low libido,” but adds that “much of the observed improvement may be attributable to placebo effects or increased hopefulness from trying a supplement.”

That doesn’t make people’s experiences any less real. It just means maca is likely more “tiny nudge plus ritual with a dash of hope” than “this root cured my sex life.”

The actual problems maca can’t touch

Here’s where both doctors get concerned: when maca becomes a replacement for a proper workup.

Houman says that when someone comes is talking about maca, Tongkat Ali, fenugreek, or other libido supplements, it’s usually a clue that the real issue hasn’t been identified yet. The most common true causes he ends up diagnosing include:

• Low testosterone
• Vascular disease affecting blood flow
• Side effects from SSRIs or blood pressure meds
• Performance anxiety, relationship stress, or sleep disruption
• Undiagnosed depression
• Post-viral hormonal or inflammatory changes

“Supplements often become the first stop,” he says. “The root issue is usually physiologic, relational, or lifestyle driven.”

Brandeis sees the same thing: patients frequently mention maca, but the underlying causes turn out to be depression, anxiety, relationship stress, medication side effects, hormonal problems, and vascular or metabolic disease. The stuff that definitely does not disappear because you put a scoop of beige powder in your coffee.

Both are fine with people experimenting as long as it’s not at the expense of real care. “Maca is fine as an add-on,” Houman says. “It becomes a problem when it replaces evidence-based care.” Brandeis calls it “usually a harmless add-on that mostly has a placebo effect.”

Is maca actually safe?

Compared to some of the sketchier things the algorithm tries to sell you, maca is relatively low risk. But “natural” is not the same as “you can’t possibly mess this up.”

Houman points out a few caution zones:

• Thyroid disorders: maca contains iodine and “may affect thyroid function in sensitive individuals.”
• Hormone-sensitive cancers: he usually avoids it “in patients with prostate or breast cancer unless their oncologist approves it.”
• Anticoagulants or antiplatelets: maca “may have mild effects on blood viscosity,” not usually a huge deal, but still worth noting.
• Severe anxiety: “Some people feel overstimulated on higher doses.”

If you wouldn’t start a prescription without mentioning it to your doctor, don’t start a daily libido supplement without mentioning it either.

If you’re still interested in maca

Let’s say you’ve read all this and still want to know if maca does anything for you. The urologists just want you to be systematic, not delusional.

Houman tells patients to treat it like a structured trial:

• Dose: 1.5 to 3 grams per day
• Duration: 6 to 8 weeks
• Track: desire, morning erections, ease of arousal, mood, energy, and stress

“Stop if there is zero subjective improvement after 8 weeks,” he says. Also: don’t stack five libido supplements at once and then try to guess what’s working.

Brandeis is more ruthless: “I would give it a week or two” and move on if absolutely nothing changes. Either way, maca is not a supplement you just take forever “just in case.” If it’s going to help, you should notice something within a reasonable window.

Before either of them gives a full yes, they want to know your symptoms (is this low desire, poor erections, low energy, mood issues, or all of the above), your current meds (SSRIs, beta blockers, finasteride), your medical history (especially cardiovascular, endocrine, thyroid, prostate), key labs (testosterone, estradiol, LH, FSH, thyroid function), and what’s going on in your relationship. Libido is rarely just one thing.

If everything looks pretty normal and symptoms are mild, they’re generally okay with you trying it as part of a bigger plan.

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Maca Products on the Market

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So… does maca actually make you horny, or just hopeful?

If you were secretly hoping maca would reboot your sex life on its own, here’s the mildly annoying truth: it probably won’t. The best evidence we have says it can offer a small, modest bump in libido for some people over a few weeks. A lot of what you feel will be some mix of minor biological effects and major “I’m finally doing something about this” energy.

Brandeis tells patients, “I would tell them that I believe in multi-modal therapy and that if they want to take Maca as part of a holistic treatment plan, that I am OK with this.” Houman’s version is that maca “can nudge libido, but it rarely moves the needle by itself.” Sexual function, he reminds people, rests on three pillars: hormones, blood flow, and psychological factors. A root powder only helps if the foundations are already decent.

The stuff that actually moves the needle in their clinics is treating low testosterone when appropriate, reducing stress, building cardiovascular health, addressing anxiety, and, yes, having uncomfortable conversations about your relationship and what sex actually feels like for you.

Maca can sit on top of that as a little ritual, and that thing you stir into your drink while you do the real work. Just don’t confuse it with the work itself.