Maca: Botanical Medicine from the Andes

Abstract

Maca (Lepidium meyenii, Walp) (Brassicaceae) is a biennial herbaceous plant widely dispersed on high plateaus (altitudes between 4000 and 4500 masl) of the mountains in Peru, particularly in Junin. The underground part of the plant, the tuber, is the main product used for human consumption because of its nutritional value and phytochemical content.