Maca is the ancient superfood of the Incas

Thursday, May 13, 2010 by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger Editor of NaturalNews.com (See all articles...) Tags: maca, Incas, health news

(NaturalNews) Superfood enthusiasts know all about the incredible nutritional powers of maca. This superfood, grown in the high Andes mountains in Peru, is packed with vitamins, minerals, proteins, tannins, complex alkaloids and other phytochemicals. It's one of the favorite powders to add to any smoothie, and it's used by virtually all the raw foodies and superfood advocates, including myself.

A few years ago, long before NaturalNews, I visited Macchu Picchu. I hiked there over a 7-day walk, clambering up and down steep mountain sides with my lungs heaving in the thin air (I was also overweight at the time, so it wasn't easy). I remember spending one entire day climbing UP through a pass at 14,000 feet. It was called "Dead Woman's Pass," and hiking through it myself, I quickly came to understand why. The climb was grueling.

It was soon followed by another entire day spent climbing DOWN, which turns out to be just as brutal on the legs. Imagine walking down a flight of stairs that goes on and on for eight hours... that's what this was like.

After seven days of hiking and climbing, we arrived at a crest overlooking Macchu Picchu, the "city in the sky" that was built by the Incas. And there, my jaw just about dropped to the ground when I looked at the scene below and saw the 20-ton boulders that had been dragged up the mountain side by the thousands in order to build this ancient city.

Here's a link to a photo from that exact moment. I took this from an old, low-res camera that I had brought with me, so don't expect the resolution to be great or anything: https://www.naturalnews.com/gallery/articles/...

(The smaller images on the top right are other pictures I over-layed in PhotoShop.)

As I stood there, marveling at the magnificent scene below, I thought to myself "I just barely dragged myself up the mountain! How on earth could these Incas -- using virtually no technology -- lift 20-ton rocks up steep mountains and drop them into place as temple walls?"

Clearly, these folks weren't surviving on Big Macs and Diet Pepsi. They were eating quinoa, spirulina and maca root powder. They lived on superfoods.

Little did I know at the time that I would one day become a strong advocate of superfoods.

The magic of maca

Through the leverage we have as one of the world's largest online natural health news destinations, we've been able to acquire a one-time shipment of 100% organic, raw Peruvian maca powder at an amazing price. We're passing on the savings directly to you through our NaturalNews Store, where our readers have come to expect great prices on the very best superfoods from all over the world.

A one-pound bag of organic, raw, premium-quality Peruvian maca powder normally retails for somewhere around $24. The "street price" of this one-pound bag is around $18, depending on where you get it. But through this one-time direct offer at the NaturalNews Store, we've been able to bring you this one-pound bag of premium, 100% organic and raw Peruvian maca powder for just $12.95.

Click here to see the special.

But it gets even better: When you purchase a 3-pack of our maca powder, the price drops to just $9.98 per pound. That's more than 50% off the typical retail price! It is the very best price you will find on this premium-quality maca product.

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What is maca?

Maca is the powdered root of the Lepidium Meyenii plant. Known for its ability to support healthy energy levels, maca has been used by the Incas as a kind of "Incan superfood" for thousands of years.

It was a central part of the Incan diet when they built Macchu Picchu, in fact.

As we all know today, you can't build a city in the sky when you're living on processed junk foods. And the metaphor is true in your own life: Whatever mountain you are attempting to climb right now, superfood nutrition can help you get there! Whether it's maca, or chlorella, or hemp protein, these superfoods can help give your body (and your mind) the level of nutritional support you need to accomplish great things.

Try something new in your life!

Maca is one of those life-changing superfoods. If you've never tried it before, pick up a bag right now and blend a teaspoon of maca powder into your morning smoothie. It goes great with chocolate smoothies, avocado smoothies, and even strawberry and banana smoothies!

Maca tastes a little like roasted chicory root, which tastes a little bit like coffee. But it's not a caffeine stimulant like coffee. Rather, it's considered an "adaptogenic" herb that supports healthy energy without blasting your nervous system with chemical stimulants.

If you're new to maca, try just 1 teaspoon at a time. Then notice the difference in your awareness or energy levels. It's a subtle but very real effect, and I believe maca is one of the superfoods that gave ancient Incas the nutritional support to achieve great things in their own lives -- things we continue to marvel at today.

Remember, our 100% organic, raw Peruvian maca is on sale at the NaturalNews Store right now for less than 50% off the typical retail price.

This is our one-time special purchase at a special price, so pick some up today, while supplies last. Click here to visit the NaturalNews Store.

The active constituents of maca

Dried maca is approximately 60% carbohydrates (starches and sugars), 9% fiber, and slightly more than 10% protein. It has a higher lipid (fat) content than other root crops (2.2%), of which linoleic acid, palmitic acid, and oleic acid are the primary fatty acids, respectively.

Maca is also a rich source of plant sterols, including sitosterol, campestrol, ergosterol, brassicasterol, and ergostadienol. From a mineral standpoint, maca exceeds both potatoes and carrots in value, and is a source of iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and iodine.

Enjoy this special price on 100% organic raw Peruvian maca.