Take 1-2 tsp of Concentrated Black Maca extract per day. Dissolve the powder into water, a tea, juice, smoothie or other drink.

Neurological disorders impact many areas of life because the symptoms can be quite broad and devastating. The type of symptom depends on where the damage occurs^1,2.

Alzheimer’s disease is common amongst older adults and is characterized explicitly by the anatomical deposition of amyloid plaques with a subsequent decline in neurological function. Other types of dementia display similar features. The signs of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia include:

• Memory loss
• Difficulty focusing
• Forgetfulness
• Decreased cognitive abilities
• Behavioural abnormalities

Stroke, another neurological disorder is a rupture of blood vessels in the brain and causes neuronal damage. In some cases, function is recovered, likely due to natural healing, while in others permanent damage can sometimes occur. Stroke often results in:

• Paralysis
• Loss of sensation
• Muscle weakness
• Reduced vision
• Difficulty with speech
• Dysregulation of basic bodily functions

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is defined as a concussive force applied to the brain that disrupts normal brain function. Clinical TBI features and impairments may have similar causes such as blood leakage into the brain. Also, this injury affects neuronal synapse integrity. There is evidence that maca supports neuronal health and increases natural healing properties. At the onset of TBI, patients may experience

• Headache
• Nausea
• Memory impairment
• Cognitive disability
• Slow thought processes
• Fatigue

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an abnormal autoimmune process that damages the central nervous system support cells that make myelin. Myelin helps conduct neuronal signals across long distances. Therefore, without adequate and well-timed neuronal signaling, these symptoms may appear:

• Vision loss
• Tingling sensations
• Muscle weakness
• Balance problems
• Cognitive dysfunction
• Numbness
• Partial paralysis

Parkinson’s disease describes the loss of neurons in an area of the brain responsible for movement control. Controlled movement can be regulated by increasing the dwindling amounts of the dopamine neurotransmitter. The primary treatment for Parkinson’s disease is typically Levodopa, a substitute for this neurotransmitter. Patients may wish to augment their routine by taking maca to support neuronal health. The first signs of Parkinson’s disease include:

• Impairment of muscle coordination
• Balance and coordination difficulty
• Fatigue
• Trembling or shaking

Epilepsy is another neurological disorder and causes seizures. In this disorder, brain activity becomes abnormal and results in the following

• Recurrent episodes of convulsions
• Periods of unusual sensory experience
• Temporary abnormal behaviours
• Loss of awareness

These disorders present many challenges in daily life. They make it hard to think, to remember things, and to move around physically^1,3. Many people with neurological disorders also develop depression as they deal with these challenging symptoms^4,5. These diseases are also quite costly^1,6. In the United States alone, dementia costs $800 billion annually¹, although the World Health Organization (WHO) claims that the burden of neurological disorders is severely underestimated^1,2. With such a devasting impact on daily life, as well as the high cost of treating these disorders, it is essential to find treatments to treat these disorders.

Although there are no known cures for many neurological disorders, multiple studies demonstrate that the natural supplement, Lepidium meyenni (maca), may have neuroprotective capabilities^7-12. Maca is a root found primarily in the high altitudes of the Peruvian Andes that has been used as traditional medicine for thousands of years. There are multiple strains of maca, each identified by its colour with the three of the most common being black, yellow and red¹³. Multiple studies have isolated specific compounds from maca, such and macamides, or specific maca components that may be provide health benefits^13-16.

Maca is traditionally used as a natural supplement to enhance fertility^17-20. However, recent studies indicate that maca may provide various levels of neuroprotection and improves cognitive function ^8,12. Yellow, red, and black maca strains can improve learning and memory. The most potent effect came from black maca, suggesting black maca may be the most influential strain for treating memory loss⁸. Maca may be able to provide preventive treatment for neurological damage, as another study determined that maca protected isolated neurons from damage. Additionally, the same study found that Maca treatment could reduce the size of injury in stroke models ¹⁰.

Moreover, maca was found to improve memory in a model of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as after other models of memory loss ⁹. Maca treatment also decreased symptoms of depression⁸. Together, these data suggest that maca may:

• Protect neurons from damage before damage occurs
• Decrease symptoms of depression
• Improve learning and memory after neurological damage occurs

Together, these studies shed light on the promising neuroprotective effect of maca. With the high prevalence of neurological disorders, it is necessary to find treatment to help ameliorate these devastating diseases. These results indicate that maca may provide a natural option to help treat some of these disorders.