Maca

beachbum

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Hello all,

Just curious if anyone uses maca, and please don't come on this thread with its just a potato.

Thank you
 
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beachbum

beachbum

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Really?!! Grow up
 

pboy

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lol, it was so random I had to say it. I don't think anyone equates maca with a potato

ive used it in the past, its a crucifer that has anti thyroid potential, but does have high mineral content and even some iodine. Its quite gas producing, probably due to resistant starch and oligosaccharides. The first time you use it, or first few times you might get a strong hormone boost but after a few times it will decrease and youll probably feel a bit drained more so than before, so if you do use it just use it for a good time, then take off. Its sold raw but its a bad idea to eat raw, its indigestible...it would be like eating any other tuber raw...no one really would and its not a good idea, so cook or bake with it or buy the pre gelatinzed
 

johns74

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pboy said:
t would be like eating any other tuber raw...no one really would and its not a good idea, so cook or bake with it or buy the pre gelatinzed

Slightly unrelated, it would be nice to see something like a 'tuber' thread, where their general properties and the differences between them are spelled out.
 

aguilaroja

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pboy said:
ive used it in the past, its a crucifer that has anti thyroid potential, but does have high mineral content and even some iodine. Its quite gas producing, probably due to resistant starch and oligosaccharides. .... Its sold raw but its a bad idea to eat raw...

I have eaten Maca a few times (cooked well), and subjectively it seemed neutral. Not especially high on the list for refreshment, even among root vegetables. For variety, I have sampled several tubers and taproots less commonly found in markets.

I am aware of the theoretical hazards of the crucifer properties. I eat various crucifer vegetable roots from time to time, including radish, turnip, and rutabaga from time to time, (all well cooked), and seem to do fine. I don't use major quantities of any. I use them to supplement other food sources, especially when good fruit sources are scarce.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lepidium_meyenii
"It is considered as safe to eat as any other vegetable food, however, maca does contain glucosinolates, which can cause goiters when high consumption is combined with a diet low in iodine. However, darker colored maca roots (red, purple, black) contain significant amounts of natural iodine, a 10-gram serving of dried maca generally containing 52 µg of iodine.[2] Although this is common in other foods with high levels of glucosinolate, it is uncertain if maca consumption can cause or worsen a goiter.[citation needed]"

http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/vegetables.shtml
"Generally, fruits, roots, and tubers provide a high concentration of nutrients along with low concentrations of toxic antimetabolic substances."
 

pboy

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yea theyre valuable to vegans also cause they have high calcium, iodine...and pretty high protein, but indeed they are just pretty tough on intestines when eaten in a large amount just cause of the fiber and other fermentable matter. I don't think they'll hurt you (unless the goitrogens catch up) metabolically, theyd probably help as part of a balanced diet, but just overall I find milk better than them in terms of getting those nutrients, but I always keep things like this in mind for traveling or odd situations of whatever. Im not sure why the first few times I ate raw maca I did feel more hormonaly boosted, like I daresay horny but not quite, just more vigorous...but I was on a vegan diet back then probably lacking a lot of things and it simply could have been providing building material. After 2-3 times eating them it would feel like I was less virile, pitch of voice went up, and just general vegetative irritation...so I stopped, and tried few more times throughout the next months and had similar...was ok first time, but then rapidly worse. When id put a few teaspoons in baked goods, id not notice anything hormonally, it just added a unique slightly bitter but mostly sweet flavor to the food, I think it helped me digest a lot of the rice I was eating because its potassium and calcium (and probably iodine) it was adding, and even protein...so take it as what it is, a pretty nutritious food, defineately not the testosterone booster or virility booster it is marketed as...that's probably just a way to turn an ordinary food into an expensive supplement. I think it might even be bad for hormones if eaten too much...well cooked its probably no different than a potato being toxic, like...its slight and probably not that noticeable unless its a damaged or highly green root or something. A problem with powdered maca though is its almost certainly processed with the peel still on, which is where most of the toxins are...so it would be nice if they sold them whole so you could remove it. Basically for the gas reasons and lack of necessity I don't even consider it right now, but if I was in south America id keep it in mind for sure, and peel it before I cooked it
 
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beachbum

beachbum

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Hello

Thank for the replies they were all very interesting. I did know most of what you all mentioned but you all added extra good information. I did try different kinds but I stick with the gelatinized now and not every day either just as you all said for extra nutrients. One poster mentioned one nutrient he was lacking was manganese and supposedly it has a good amount as well as other good nutrients but yes use in moderation and how your body is doing with it.

P.S. I know couldn't resist the potato remark its all cool, I walked into that one, I was having a crap day. This Ray Peat stuff to eat is stressing me a little.

Anyway have a great day
 

vulture

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Right now eating 1 tbsp of red macs from "solymar natura" labs, a Peruvian product. Let's see what it does.
Tastes like a fine powdered flour, slightly sweet, I think it's easy to drink it with a milkshake, pretty nice taste
 

Ismail

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Right now eating 1 tbsp of red macs from "solymar natura" labs, a Peruvian product. Let's see what it does.
Tastes like a fine powdered flour, slightly sweet, I think it's easy to drink it with a milkshake, pretty nice taste

any update with this? How did it go?
 

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