Maca Root Gelatinized Powder – Organic

Organic Gelatinized Maca Root Powder is made from whole maca roots grown high in the Andean Mountains of Peru. The roots are gently cooked before drying and grinding, creating a smooth powder with a naturally earthy, nutty flavor.

This versatile, shelf-stable powder blends easily into smoothies, juices, coffee, desserts, and baked goods. Convenient and easy to use, it’s a traditional ingredient that adds a distinctive taste and depth to both sweet and savory recipes.

Organic Gelatinized Maca Root Powder

Z Natural Foods takes pride in bringing our customers a wide range of foods from around the globe in their most versatile form, and our organic gelatinized Maca root powder is no exception.

Our organic gelatinized maca root powder is created by carefully sourcing the finest maca roots high up in the Andes Mountains. The multigenerational farmers use traditional farming practices, keeping the soil as nutrient-dense as possible to grow the perfect maca roots. 

Furthermore, they also use traditional cooking and drying methods to naturally preserve and concentrate the nourishing compounds of maca root, creating the ideal gelatinized maca root powder. 

Gelatinized maca’s toasted nutty and slightly sweet flavor profile allows for endless pairing capabilities, showing its unique potential for culinary versatility. Creating an ideal powdered food provides a shelf-stable end product with exceptional versatility and limitless applications. 

Our mission is to provide you with great-tasting, highly functional foods with limitless application in their most versatile form to support a variety of lifestyles. So, we proudly introduce the newest member of our diverse functional food powders, Z Natural Foods’  Organic Gelatinized Maca Powder.

What is Maca Root?

Maca is a unique root vegetable that thrives at an altitude of 15,000 feet in the challenging conditions of the Andes mountains.

It stands out as a spectacular tonic food with adaptogen-like qualities and some unique nourishing compounds. For millennia, the Indigenous people of Peru have revered maca as a staple food. Despite its humble appearance—resembling a cross between a parsnip and a potato—it proudly belongs to the Brassica (mustard) family, which also includes cabbage, turnip, mustard, and broccoli.

While Maca’s macronutrient profile can vary slightly on harvests and batches, it averages around 10.2% proteins, 59% carbohydrates, 2.2% lipids, and 8.5% of fiber. Around one-half of Maca’s carbohydrate content is starch, specifically amylose and amylopectin.

However, with its unique long-chained fatty acids (Macaenes and Macamides) only found in Maca and its butterscotch toasted nutty flavor profile created through the gelatinizing process, this is a highly versatile food that has been proven to bring unique qualities to the table.

Peruvian festivals annually celebrate the nourishing qualities and versatility of foods prepared with Maca. The Indigenous people of Peru are known to consume various mixtures of porridge containing substantial amounts of Maca daily, a practice that supports their strength and health in the face of the harsh living conditions at high altitudes. This porridge can be cooked plain, with a touch of sugar, or with quinoa, cacao, and lucuma, all of which are staple foods in Peru.

What is Gelatinized Maca?

Gelatinized maca is the result of a fascinating process. The dried maca roots are boiled and pressurized, effectively removing all the starch. Gelatin is not an ingredient in the product; the term ‘gelatinized’ simply describes the process. 

The pulp is then ground and dried into a fine powder, ready for use. This process offers several advantages.

1. First, it makes maca a more digestible food and produces a product with higher concentrations of nutrients. Contrary to popular belief, cooking certain foods increases the bioavailability of essential compounds, and maca is one of them.
2. Next, removing the water significantly improves shelf life and storage capabilities.
3. Finally, it creates a better flavor profile that is slightly sweet and nutty.

However, let’s discuss why this process is so important in more detail. The other purpose of gelatinizing maca is to neutralize troublesome enzymes. Amylose and amylopectin are polysaccharide starches and are polymers of glucose. Natural starch contains around 15% amylose (soluble in water) and 85% amylopectin (insoluble). Through the gelatinizing process, little to no starch remains.

It’s worth noting that maca contains a neutral polysaccharide with unique prebiotic potential.

The following was stated in a preliminary review titled Rheological properties of a neutral polysaccharide extracted from maca roots with prebiotic and anti-inflammatory activities.

• The prebiotic properties of MP induced higher growth of Bifidobacterium longum ATCC15707 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469 than inulin.
• In vitro, MP increased acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid more than inulin.
• Furthermore, MP inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 cells, indicating that an increasing MP concentration enhanced anti-inflammatory activities.

Maca: A tonic food with powerful adaptogen-like qualities?

In simple terms, four primary fundamental aspects define a tonic herb:

1. Tonic herbs create and support a state of physical, mental, and emotional well-being through balance to attain vibrant health.
2. Tonic herbs can be used for an unlimited period with no adverse effects
3. No matter how long an individual uses tonic herbs, they never build up a tolerance.
4. Proper tonics come from their authentic source and spiritual homeland.

Tonic herbs are not used to treat or prevent specific issues. They promote and support general well-being by enhancing energy and regulating function. The priority is not about healing but gently promoting one’s health. 

Many countries have a traditionally used herb for supporting sexual vigor, or as many locals call it, “energy,” which they tout as their local “Ginseng” (even though there is no actual relation to the ginseng family).

For example, Ashwagandha is called Indian ginseng, and Tongkat Ali is called Malaysian ginseng. Maca root is known as Peruvian Ginseng and has quite a reputation for its ability to revitalize one’s vitality and energy.

Maca contains potent compounds, providing the body with a beautiful synergy of nourishment. Macamides, macaenes, and glucosinolates seem to be what the research says may help to give maca some of its possible supportive effects.

The research has been quite conclusive in determining that it is most potent as a whole concentrated food (versus standardizing it). 

While macamides, macaenes, and glucosinolates are only found in small amounts, the synergy of these compounds packs a powerful punch. As stated earlier, maca is unique because it’s the only food in the Brassicaceae family where this combination of compounds occurs.

Contrary to popular belief, the effects of maca on different physiological processes do not seem to be regulated by direct changes to hormone levels.

For example, sexual desire is controlled by the balancing of hormone levels. The specific effects maca has on one’s vitality are not because it directly affects individual hormone levels but because the natural sterols in maca perform healthy “hormone-like functions.” The macamides and macaenes found in maca may influence brain centers that regulate the endocrine system and energy levels.

The human study below perfectly shows how maca had no specific direct effect on individual hormones. The positive results are based on indirect effects supported by other mechanisms of action. 

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study was conducted on 29 post-menopausal women. They received 3.3 g/day of Maca or placebo for six weeks each, in either order, over 12 weeks. At baseline, week six, and week twelve, estradiol, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), stimulating thyroid hormone (TSH), total lipid profiles, glucose, and serum cytokines were measured. The Greene Climacteric, SF-36 Version 2, Women’s Health Questionnaire, and Utian Quality of Life Scales were used to assess the severity of menopausal symptoms and health-related quality of life.

The results showed no differences in estradiol, FSH, TSH, SHBG, glucose, lipid profiles, and serum cytokines among those who received Maca compared to the placebo group; however, significant decreases in diastolic blood pressure and depression were apparent after Maca treatment. Thus, it was concluded that Maca did not exert hormonal or immune biological action in the small cohort of patients studied.

Chinese Vs. Peruvian Maca

In simple terms, Peruvian Maca is the only authentic version of this fantastic food.

History has shown that the best maca is grown at high altitudes between 13,000 and 15,000 feet. 

However, the nutrient-dense soil, the lack of overuse of each plot, and the naturally harsh conditions in those areas that create a stressful environment are the keys to producing the most highly nourishing maca with tremendous adaptogenic qualities. 

When a plant grows in harsh conditions and undergoes more stress, it has been shown to produce higher levels of adaptogen-like compounds.

China is well known for cultivating many superfoods and tonics like ginseng and goji berries. However, in the last 12 years, China has begun cultivating its version of maca, which reports say are from seeds smuggled from Peru. However, issues have been reported regarding China’s inability to produce the same authentic food that Peru has mastered.

Since 2003, transporting whole maca roots or seeds outside of Peru has been illegal. This fact brings to question how China is, therefore, able even to grow maca. China holds seven GMO patents on maca, making it almost impossible to determine which maca from China is GMO-free.

Furthermore, the visual qualities are one of the most traditional ways to grade Maca. It is well known that the maca cultivated in China produces deformed roots and inconsistent nutritional qualities compared to authentic Peruvian maca.

Due to long-standing tradition and respect for the soil and land, Peruvian maca consistently maintains its visual characteristics and nourishing adaptogenic attributes. While this disparage does exist, and Maca is not a traditional part of Chinese Medicine, don’t let it persuade you from seeing that Maca has some valuable roles in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

Sweet in flavor and warm in temperature, Maca, aka Ma Ka Gen, enters through the spleen and kidney meridians and is most often used to build Qi and blood, tonify the kidney Jing, and harmonize the triple Jiao.

Approximate Naturally Occurring Maca Color Diversification:

1. 60% – White & Yellow
2. 20% – Red
3. 15% – Black
4. 5% – In between or multiple colors

Summary of Important Information

Z Natural Foods hand-picks specific ingredients for our customers based on three concepts to provide the best quality product possible to support optimal well-being.

1. Versatility
2. History of safe and effective usage
3. Strong evidence of positive research outcomes in humans

What is Maca Root?

1. A proud Brassica (mustard) family member, which also includes cabbage, turnip, mustard, and broccoli.
2. Maca’s macronutrient profile averages around 10.2% proteins, 59% carbohydrates, 2.2% lipids, and 8.5% fiber.
3. One-half of Maca’s carbohydrate content is starch, specifically amylose and amylopectin.

What is Gelatinized Maca?

1. Gelatinized maca is created by boiling and pressurizing the dried maca roots to remove all the starch. The pulp is then ground and dried into a powder.
2. The purpose of gelatinizing maca is to neutralize troublesome enzymes. Specifically, the polysaccharide starches, amylose, and amylopectin

This process has many advantages.

• First, it makes maca a more digestible food and produces a product with higher concentrations of nutrients.
• Next, removing the water significantly improves shelf life and storage capabilities.
• Finally, it creates a better flavor profile that is slightly sweet and nutty.

Maca: A tonic food with powerful adaptogen-like qualities?

1. Tonic herbs are not used to treat or prevent specific issues.
2. They promote and support general well-being by enhancing energy and regulating function. The priority is not about healing but gently promoting one’s health.
3. Research suggests that macamides, Macaenes, and glucosinolates may give maca some of its possible supportive effects.
4. Contrary to popular belief, the effects of maca on different physiological processes are not regulated by direct changes to hormone levels.
5. The specific effects are because the natural sterols in maca perform healthy “hormone-like functions.”
6. The macamides and macaenes found in maca may influence brain centers that regulate the endocrine system and energy levels.

 

Some research suggests that Maca may contain the following constituents:

1. Minerals: Magnesium, Phosphorus, Zinc, Copper, Manganese, Selenium, Boron
2. Vitamins: Vitamin C, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B-6
3. Amino Acids: Threonine, Isoleucine, Leucine Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Tyrosine, Valine, Arginine, Histidine, Alanine, Aspartic Acid, Glutamic Acid, Proline, Serine
4. Sterols: Brassicasterol, Ergosterol, Campesterol, Ergostadienol, Sitosterol
5. Fatty Acids: Unsaturated, C12-0- Dodecanoic (lauric), C13-1-7-
6. Secondary Metabolites: Macaridine, Macamides
7. Benzylated Alkamides: Phenyl Acetonitrile and Macamides
8. Essential oils acetonitrile, Benzaldehyde, Methoxyphenylacetonitrile
9. Other Phytochemicals: tannins

Suggested Use: Mix 1 – 2 teaspoons with juice, yogurt, or your favorite smoothie.
Other preparations:Tincture – This method can take 15 to 30 days. You will need three items (a mason jar with a cover, the herb/herbs of your choice, and liquid for extracting). The extracting liquid can be alcohol, alcohol/ water combo, vinegar, or vegetable glycerin. Take the product and fill the jar ¾ full, add the liquid of your choice, and close the jar. Then shake the jar, so everything is well mixed. Give the jar a good shake several times a day. After 15 to 30 days, strain and bottle in glass tincture jars.

Mixing suggestions: To increase flavor and nutritional profile, combine our whey protein concentrate and organic goji berries in a smoothie.

Botanical Name: Lepidium meyenii and Lepidium peruvianum.

Other Names: Peruvian Ginseng, Maca-maca, red Maca.

Parts Used: Whole Raw Maca Root (multiple colors mixed in natural proportions).

Ingredients: Organic Gelatinized Maca Root.

Origin: Grown and dried in Peru and packaged with care in Florida, USA.

Certifications: Certified USDA Organic.