INGREDIENT SPOTLIGHT

Maca/Mǎ Kǎ 瑪卡

Lepidium meyenii — the Andean adaptogen,
grown above 4,000 meters in the Peruvian highlands for over 2,000 years.

FORMULA ROLE

Why LunarSip uses it.

Maca gives LunarSip’s Ginseng Eight Treasure Tea a modern wellness bridge alongside classic Chinese herbs. While ginseng, cistanche, polygonatum, goji, red date, mulberry, and Chinese raspberry connect the formula to traditional herbal thinking, maca adds a familiar adaptogen-style ingredient many modern shoppers recognize. LunarSip uses it carefully within the blend so the tea feels supportive and rounded without becoming a stimulant-heavy product.

HOW IT'S USED

From the Andes into TCM.

In Peruvian highland practices, maca has been cultivated for over 2,000 years above 4,000 meters of elevation — one of the few crops that thrives in the extreme Andean climate. Indigenous communities traditionally use it as both food and medicine for energy, stamina, fertility, and resilience at altitude. Modern TCM has integrated maca as an adaptogen with yang-tonifying character, complementing classical Chinese herbs like ginseng and cistanche.

In Western herbal traditions, Lepidium meyenii is classified as an adaptogen. Its bioactive compounds include macamides, macaenes, glucosinolates, and sterols. Clinical research has examined effects on sexual function, menopausal symptoms, late-onset hypogonadism, and physical performance. Maca contains no caffeine and no hormones — its proposed effects are thought to act on the hypothalamic-pituitary axis.

THE EVIDENCE

What the research says.

Maca has been the subject of multiplerandomized controlled trialsacross sexual function, menopausal symptoms, and male vitality.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Maca (L. meyenii) for improving sexual function: a systematic review

BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine · 2010

This systematic review pooled4 randomized clinical trials. Authors concluded that "limited evidence from four small trials suggested that maca is effective in improving sexual desire after at least 6 weeks," while noting more rigorous trials are needed.

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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Maca (Lepidium meyenii) for treatment of menopausal symptoms: A systematic review

Maturitas · 2011

A systematic review searching 17 databases identified4 RCTson maca for menopausal symptoms. All four demonstrated favorable effects on standard assessment scales, though authors note the small sample sizes warrant further large-scale trials.

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RCT · DOUBLE-BLIND

Efficacy and Safety of Maca in Late-Onset Hypogonadism: a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

World Journal of Men's Health · 2023

A 12-week RCT in eugonadal men over 40 with late-onset hypogonadism symptoms. Participants received3 g/day of gelatinized maca or placebo. Research suggests maca supplementation improved subjective symptoms with no significant adverse events.

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RCT

Subjective effects of Lepidium meyenii extract on well-being and sexual performances

Andrologia · 2009

A randomized, double-blind clinical trial of50 menwith mild erectile dysfunction. After 12 weeks, both maca and placebo groups improved, but maca produced a small additional statistically significant effect on general and sexual well-being.

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FOUND HERE

In these LunarSip formulas.
Ginseng Eight Treasure Tea for Men
Ginseng Eight Treasure Tea for Men$34.00