It’s supposed to give you a perky bottom, echoing the curves of Kim Kardashian and co.
But doctors are now warning that maca — dubbed the superfood you’ve never heard of — may not be all that good.
Capsules and powders containing the root herb, found only deep in the Peruvian Andes, are flogged online for as little as £5.
Besides being sold on the promise of creating a bigger bum and wider hips, sellers also claim maca can boost fertility and improve mood.
Yet experts today warned that there is ‘little evidence’ to substantiate these claims.
Capsules and powders containing the root herb, found only deep in the Peruvian Andes, are whipped up online for under £5.
Advertisements for Whipping Powder online also claim that the supplement can help improve curves and promote ‘wider hips’. In an ad on eBay, seller @lafruta, which has sold more than 6,000 items, claims users should take ‘three units daily before meals if possible’. A two-month supply of the ‘women-only’ pill cost around £39.61 ($51.48).
In another ad by the same seller, a three-month supply of 8.9oz (252g) powder promises a ‘big booty’, ‘wider hips’ and ‘fatter legs’.
Maca boasts an impressive nutritional profile, including fiber, essential amino acids, vitamin C, copper and iron.
The roots of the plant are either taken as capsules or more commonly dried into a fine powder, which can be added to smoothies, juices, baked goods and plant-based milks.
Used as a natural remedy for 2,000 years to treat ailments such as respiratory conditions and joint problems, limited research has shown that root powder can improve sexual function and fertility.
A 2010 review found that maca can improve erectile dysfunction in men and have a positive effect on sexual function by increasing energy levels in menopausal women.
In 2020, scientists in Spain, who tested its effects on 69 men taking half 2g daily for 12 weeks, found that it increased sperm count – although there was no effect on sperm volume or motility.
Advertisements for Whipping Powder online also claim that the supplement can help improve curves and promote ‘wider hips’.
In an ad on eBay, seller @lafruta, which has sold more than 6,000 items, claims users should take ‘three units per day, if possible before meals’ to ‘increase stamina, increase muscle mass’ and relieve stress.
A two-month supply of the ‘women-only’ pills, worth around £40 ($53), will help ‘enhance your hips and booty’, it says.
The packaging did not specify a ‘unit’ quantity.
In another ad by the same seller, a three-month supply of 8.9oz (252g) powder promises a ‘big booty’, ‘wider hips’ and ‘fatter legs’.
A 75-day supply costing about £31 ($41) can also ‘protect against osteoporosis’, it claims.
However, Joshua Gibbs, a plant-based nutrition researcher at the University of Warwick, told MailOnline: ‘I wouldn’t advise anyone to take maca supplements at present for two main reasons.
‘First, despite several studies showing improved sexual function, including improvements in sexual desire and erectile dysfunction, the number of trials and the total sample size are too small to draw firm conclusions about the effectiveness and safety of the supplement.
‘This is compounded by poor methodological quality, limiting how certain we can be of the results.
‘More robust research is needed before we can make confident recommendations.’
He added: ‘Secondly, maca has been reported to induce psychotic symptoms in some people, such as mood swings, anxiety, hallucinations and even addictive behaviour.
‘Overall, the potential benefits of maca supplementation do not outweigh the risks at this time.’
But the supplement has become a firm favorite of some Hollywood stars.
Friends star Jennifer Aniston and Victoria’s Secret Angel Miranda Kerr have both previously revealed using the powder, mixing it into smoothies.
Friends star Jennifer Aniston (left) and Victoria’s Secret Angel Miranda Kerr (right) have both revealed they’ve used the powder before, mixing it into smoothies.
The ad on eBay by seller @lafrutato also claims that the root vegetable can help ‘increase stamina, increase muscle mass’ and relieve stress.
A 75-day supply of maca costing around £31.30 ($40.68) can also ‘protect against osteoporosis’, claims eBay seller
It’s supposed to give you a perky bottom, echoing the curves of Kim Kardashian (pictured) and co. But doctors are now warning that maca — dubbed the superfood you’ve never heard of — is just snake oil.
In an interview with Well+Good in 2021, Ms Aniston said she mixed chocolate almond milk with maca berries, cinnamon, cacao, matcha powder and spinach.
Ms Kerr told Net-a-Porter in 2013 that she includes maca powder in her morning shake because it is ‘really energizing and rejuvenating’. She adds coconut water, acai and raw cacao powder, goji berries, spirulina, chia seeds and vegan rice flour.
TikTok videos on the benefits of ‘hormone balancing supplements’ and the ‘holy grail of fertility’ have garnered over 3.3 million views on the platform.
In a video that has been viewed more than 17,000 times, @rachelsheppick, who boasts 57,000 followers and 6.6 million likes, claims the supplement is a ‘power plant’.
Want a higher sex drive? Drink maca. improve [your] Mood and energy? Drink maca,’ he wrote.
He added: ‘Produce a high sperm count? Drink maca. Help manage anxiety and depression? Drink maca.’
Meanwhile, @luisafranzen claims the ‘superfood’ is ‘amazing for women’s health’ in a video that has been viewed 18,000 times.
The powder is ‘amazing for when you’re going through stressful times’ and ‘helps with your concentration and calms your nervous system’, she says.
However, Dwayne Mellor, a registered dietitian and senior lecturer at Aston University, also told MailOnline: ‘There are a lot of claims about maca being a superfood.
‘But this work is almost entirely from animals, mainly mice and rats with almost no evidence from human studies.
‘There is little evidence about dosage and side effects.’
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases – a 2012 clinical trial by the US National Institutes of Health – also suggested that the powder’s side effects, while ‘uncommon and mild’, could trigger gastrointestinal symptoms and headaches.