We recently did our maca taste testing, and it was definitely an interesting endeavor. But before I get into the test results, I wanted to share two more recent stories in regard to maca powder.
As I was mixing our maca taste testers, my dad shared with us a story of how maca helped him. He works many hours and often through the night. One night as he was reaching his 14th hour of work, he was feeling so tired that he was starting to feel sick. He decided to take another dose of maca powder to see it it would help at all. He gratefully realized that the maca not only took the sick feeling away, but it also took the edge off of his tiredness. It wasn’t that he experienced over abounding energy. He was still tired (after all, his body was really just needing sleep). But it did help give him the endurance he needed to finish his job. He is keeping maca powder handy now when he is working.
The second story I am not so sure can be directly related to maca, but thought I would share it as a warning to other parents! One of the ways we “tested” maca was in a blackberry smoothie. After we had finished, Elena, our two year old, wanted to try some. Not thinking she would drink much, we gave her a small cupful. She did end up drinking a small portion of it. We didn’t think anything of it until nap time. She ended up not taking a nap at all!
This will very occasionally happen, so it may not have been related. But it sure is suspicious. Regardless, maca isn’t something that I would recommend for children. They shouldn’t need help with their energy, after all!
We have been mainly taking maca for energy and endurance, but don’t forget that’s only one of it’s many uses. Check out my post, The Power of Maca to read about some of the other advantages.
Now, onward to the results of our taste testing.
The five brands part of the maca diaries were part of this endeavor as well with the added addition of one more brand, who sent a few ounces to be part of this taste testing.
Brands Involved: (all of these brands generously donated samples of their products for this trial)
Mountain Rose Herbs
The Root of the Matter
Maca Magic
Pacific Botanicals
Earth Family Food
Ultimate Super Foods
Our Method:
We tried these brands three ways, in water, in orange juice and in a blackberry smoothie. I mixed up the glasses and placed them on a piece of paper with a number. Each person tasted and compared the different brands and wrote which were their favorites, and which ones they liked least, using the numbers to reference to the individual maca powders (I didn’t want to use the brand names, because people already had biases towards certain brands). Our results were very helpful, I think. But do remember that this is just four people’s opinions.
First off, I do have to say that all of the maca powders were just fine. There weren’t any that were terrible. And there were several that were just in the middle, nobody disliked them, they just weren’t quite as mild as some of the other ones. Overall our least favorite was Ultimate Super
Food’s maca powder, just because it was the strongest. Mountain Rose Herbs and Pacific Botanicals were both mild and we liked them a lot, but a few other brands were usually a little more mild.
Results
Results of Maca in Water-this was our least favorite way to take maca.
Amount: 1/4 teaspoon maca powder in 1/2 cup of water
First place: Maca Magic
(No second place, everyone had a different opinion)
Results of Maca in Orange juice-our favorite way to take maca
Amount: 1/2 teaspoon in 1/2 cup of orange juice
First Place: Earth Family Food
Second Place: Root of the Matter
Results of Maca in Blackberry Smoothie
Amount: 1/2 teaspoon in 1/2 cup of smoothie
First Place:Maca Magic
Second Place: The Root of the Matter
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Is it better to take it in powder form than other forms such as a capsule?
Hey Amy,
Not necessarily, it’s just a whole lot cheaper. 🙂
Hey good test! Love those glasses, I got em too:-)
Thanks for this! I’m currently trying out some of the powder from Azure (Starwest Maca root powder). I’ve only had it a day or two (I keep forgetting!), but I’m excited to see if I notice any difference.
Hi Stephanie,
Let me know how it works for you. I am really curious to hear how it goes for others. 🙂
Now that we are past the promised maca testing, I don’t take it everyday (just because I take a lot of other stuff), but my husband has been taking it almost everyday, since it helps his energy so much!
How do you get it to dissolve in the juice? I have Maca Magic, and even if I let it sit for a while, it will not completely dissolve. The grit while I’m drinking it is not very pleasant. Otherwise, I have noticed a difference in energy since I started taking it. Thanks for all the information about it?
I usually order my maca powder on eBay, and mix it in with orange juice, bee pollen, lecithin, flax powder and green drink powder in the blender every morning.
Your post brought back memories. Last year I fell in love with raw caco (however you spell it). I had some that I needed to use up so I decided to put it in some cookies. I never gave it a thought until my kids ate them and they were flying off the walls. The next day the delicious but “dangerous” cookies were promptly sent to work with my husband and he passed them out as ‘energy cookies” 😉 I guess you learned the same lesson with your maca!
Amanda,
LOL! I could see how that could make kids get wild! Oh my, will keep that in mind.
I am starting to take maca and have run across something called gelatinized maca in my research. Supposedly it is easier for the body to digest and assimilate. Know anything about it?
I realized something that may help someone.
I just put mine in water, stir to dissolve, then drink it with a slight dislike – nothing too bad.
Today I put it down and walked away – it sat there a few minutes until I remembered to go back. It tastes so much stronger after sitting -and quite disgusting!
sooo,… a taste test for me would have to include immediate drinking.
I loved reading your Maca series. I’m taking Maca Magic powder for hypothyroidism and have found it gives me more energy. Another suggestion for how to eat it is to sprinkle it on food. It goes well on rice or a salad or something like that where you can blend it in a bit.
I bought some “Now” brand gelatinized raw maca and it tastes undisguisably gross. It’s not just bad; It makes me gag so badly I can’t swallow it. I’ll have to try one of these brands… and put the other in capsules.
I find Maca passes well in Chocolat Almond Milk (not raw though)
I read someone say that it would not be recommended for kids… I did not know that before… but I have 5 kids here… one has growing problems, is a 10 years old boy and was delicate, feminine kind of shaped (not on soy diet eather). Since I give him about half a spoon Maca every morning (even with some days I forget) he has grown faster, took a lot off mass…bone dessity, became larger, more masculine, stronger, more energic and centered. I tought since it is good for testosteron that it would be benefic for any male even at a young age. Seemed to work for him!
Oh and I forgot! My husband has a really high libido since taking Maca! And energy… he said to me smiling: ”I don’t know what you are giving me.. but it gives me so much evergy!” Honestly, passed to 2-3 times a week when really tired to MINIMUM one time a day on Maca! And I tested taking him off and back on Maca…
I found it helped me with my menstrual symptoms too.
I have the vaga maca powder and it brings me to a gag…hate the smell taste and texture…help! I want to appreciate its benefits too
I am curious since you did the maca posts if you have found a brand you like better then any of the ones listed here?