Doctor's Comments

Hugo Malaspina, MD, Works with Maca

Now practising complementary medicine with an emphasis on the use of medicinal herbs, one of the modern pioneers in the therapeutic use of this ancient herb for an urban population is Hugo Malaspina, MD, a respected cardilologist in Lima. Dr Malaspina has been using the maca root in his practice for a decade and makes the following observation: "There are different medicinal plants that work on the ovaries stimulating them. With maca, though, we should say that it regulates the ovarian function."Dr Malaspina, who uses maca therapy for both his male and female patients, recalls that he first heard about this extraordinary herb through a group of elderly gentlemen who, while well along in years were still lively and interested in enjoying sexual activities. "One of this group (they were all over 70) started taking maca and found he was able to perform satisfactorily in a sexual relationship with a lady friend. Soon everyone in the group began drinking the powdered maca as a beverage and enjpying the boos that the root was giving their hormonal functions. " I have several of these men as my patients and their improvement prompted me to find out more about maca and begin recommending it to my other patients", Dr. Malaspina stated. What makes maca so effective, according to Dr. Malaspina, is that rather than introducing hormones from outside the body, maca encourages the ovaries and other glands to produce the needed hormones. The cardiologist said, "Maca regulates the organs of internal secretion, such as the pituitary, tyhe adrenal glands, the pancreas, etc. I have perhaps 200 female patients whose perimenopausal and postmenopausal symptoms are alelviated by taking maca."

Jorge Aguila Calderon, MD, Prescribes Maca

Another Peruvian pioneer in the therapeutic application of maca integrated into a modern medical practice is Jorge Aguila Calderon, MD. An internist, Dr Aguila Calderon is former Head of the Department of Biological Sciences of the Faculty of Human Medicine at the National University of Federico Villareal in Lima. Like Dr. Malaspina, he prescribes maca for a wide variety of conditions, including osteoporosis and the healing of bone fractures in the very elderly. "Maca has a lot of very easily absorbable calcium in it, plus magnesium and a fair amount of silica which we are finding useful in treating the decalcification of bones in children and adults." Along with prescribing an excellent diet and certain lifestyle changes, Dr Aguila Calderon has helped patients overcome male impotence, male sterility and female sterility by employing maca therapy. Additional problems he treats with maca are rickets, various forms of anaemia, menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats, climacteric and erectile difficulties in men, premature ageing and general states of weakness such as chronic fatigue.

American Physician Gabriel Cousens, MD, Uses Maca

Physicians in the United States believe this herb has the potential of a balanced answer to the effecst of ageing on the endocrinbe system. Many who have tried phytoestrogens and/or precursor hormones such as DHEA or pregnenelone, or even natural hormone replacement therapy and have been dissatisfied, are getting excellent results from their use of maca root. Gabriel Cousens, MD, practicing internal medicine in Arkansas, says: "Whenever possible, I prefer to use maca therapy rather than hormone replacement therapy because HRT actually ages the body by diminishin g the hormone-producing capability of the glands. Maca has proven to be very effective with menopausal patients in elliminating hot flashes and depression and in increasing energy levels. To find the right dosage level, sometimes I started the patient on maca treatment with a half a teaspoon of powder or three capsules a day. In some cases I have raised the dosage to a teaspoon or six capsules a day for full effectiveness."

Henry Campanile, MD., offers Adrenal Balancing Maca root

In keeping with its mode of acting through the hypothalamus and pituitary, maca has a balancing and nourishing effect on the adrenal glands. Henry Campanile, MD, a 50-year old specialist in internal and family/complementary medicine practising in Florida states: "I happen to have been born with only one adrenal gland just like my father. I started taking cortisone in my late twenties to relieve the fatigue which I was already feeling. Knowing the dangers of long term cortisone use, I looked around for an alternative, and this circustance is what got me interested in complementary medicine. I started using pregnenelone about 10 years ago and it has been fairly satisfactory. But one of my patients told me about Maca and I started taking it about a month ago.

It is phenomenal! I haven't felt this good since I was 20 years old. I have so much energy and look so well, my patients have remarked on it and told me how rested I seem. I've got so much energy now, that I've started an exercise program". After trying it on himself, Dr Campanile began using maca with his patients. My first patient to take maca capsules was experiencing hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms. She started feeling much better after using this herb for only four days. I'm also employing it with patients who have a low adrenal function."

Harold Clark, M.D. Makes Maca a Key Treatment

Another american doctor who has recently begun to use maca threapeutically for some patients is Harold Clark, MD, of New Rochelle, New York. Dr Clark, who utilises chelation therapy and ozone therapy in addition to herbs, bvitamins and minerals in his practice stated, "I'm amazed at how fast maca worked on two patients that I have been concerned about for some time." He described one patient as 55 year-old Mary T, a postmenopausal woman. Mary T was possessed of numerous sugar, hypertension, atrial fibrillation and hypomagnesemia. She had been acutely ill for two months with osteomyelitis and generalised sepsis. Unable to work, she was suffereing from great fatigue and depression and feelimg "worse and worse" over the last five years. "Within just four days of taking the maca capsules, Mary T went through an enourmous turnaround," said Dr. Clark. "She has gone out to shop in the stores; she's cleaned her house; she feels strong and vigorous; and her depression is gone."