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What Is a Typical Maca Root Dosage, and How Do You Read a Maca Label?
Maca root dosage in trials was 1,500 or 3,000 mg of root powder a day for 12 weeks, and 2,400 mg of dry extract in a mild ED trial. A HoneyBoost gummy prints 10 mg of 10:1 maca extract, which the label equates to 100 mg of root. That is 6.7% or less of the root doses studied.
Written by the HoneyBoost label deskUpdated · 4 min read
In the studies01
What maca root dosage did the trials use?
Two human trials give real numbers. One used 1,500 or 3,000 mg of gelatinized maca root powder a day, the other 2,400 mg of dry extract.
In the first, men aged 21 to 56 took maca for 12 weeks, and self-reported sexual desire improved from week 8. Testosterone and estradiol did not differ from placebo (Gonzales 2002, Maca and Sexual Desire). In the second, 50 men with mild ED took 2,400 mg of dry extract for 12 weeks. Their IIEF-5 score rose 1.6 points against 0.5 for placebo (Zenico 2009, Maca in Mild ED).
Both trials were small and used self-rated measures. A systematic review of maca called the evidence limited (Shin 2010, Maca Systematic Review). Memorial Sloan Kettering gives no gram dose and says maca does not change testosterone in men (MSK, Maca).
| What | Form | Amount a day |
|---|---|---|
| Desire trial, healthy men | Root powder | 1,500 or 3,000 mg for 12 weeks |
| Mild ED trial, 50 men | Dry extract | 2,400 mg for 12 weeks |
| One HoneyBoost gummy | 10:1 extract | 10 mg (equal to 100 mg root, per the label) |
The label02
How do you read a maca extract label?
Find three things: the form (root powder or extract), the ratio, and the amount in milligrams. Without all three you cannot compare with a trial.
Form
Root powder and extract are not the same thing. The desire trial used powder, and the ED trial used dry extract.
Ratio
"10:1" means about 10 parts of root made 1 part of extract. A 10 mg extract is stated as 100 mg of root.
Amount
Match root to root and extract to extract. Do not set a root equivalent beside an extract dose.
A root equivalent is the maker's statement, not an amount of active compound. Federal rules require the Supplement Facts to show each dietary ingredient's amount unless it sits in a proprietary blend (21 CFR 101.36, Supplement Facts Label). HoneyBoost uses no blend, so the maca line is printed.
The comparison03
How does HoneyBoost's maca compare with the trial doses?
It is a small fraction. One gummy's 100 mg of root equivalent is 6.7% of 1,500 mg and 3.3% of 3,000 mg.
Against the 2,400 mg of dry extract in the ED trial, 10 mg of extract is about 0.4% (our arithmetic). The forms differ, so treat the percents as scale, not a verdict.
No study tests HoneyBoost, and none tests 10 mg of maca extract in a gummy. The panel sets 1 gummy as the serving and prints no directions line. Ask the order desk before using more than one.
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See packsCautions04
Who should ask a clinician before taking maca?
Anyone with a hormone-sensitive cancer, anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding, and anyone on prescribed medicine.
Memorial Sloan Kettering tells people with hormone-sensitive cancer, or who are pregnant or breastfeeding, to talk to a provider. It also notes maca may interfere with testosterone blood tests, so tell the lab or your doctor you take it (MSK, Maca). Maca raised losartan's effect in rats, and the relevance to people was not determined.
The HoneyBoost label adds its own warning: do not take it if pregnant, lactating, suffering from a medical condition or taking other medications, and consult a physician. Keep taking prescribed medicine.
Go further05
Where can you read more on maca in HoneyBoost?
The maca page covers the ingredient in full.
See maca in HoneyBoost, the supplement facts and what 10:1 means. For erection or energy problems, see a clinician first. They can be a sign of other conditions.
FAQ06
HoneyBoost questions people ask
How much maca should a man take a day?
No source we use sets a dose to take. Trials used 1,500 or 3,000 mg of root powder a day, and 2,400 mg of dry extract. The HoneyBoost label prints no directions line, so ask the order desk and your doctor rather than copying a trial.
Is 10 mg of maca extract enough?
We cannot say. The label equates 10 mg of 10:1 extract to 100 mg of root, which is 6.7% of the lower trial dose. No study tests that amount in a gummy, and we do not claim any effect from it.
What is the difference between maca powder and maca extract?
Powder is the ground root, while extract is a concentrate made from a larger amount of root. The desire trial used 1,500 to 3,000 mg of powder, and the ED trial used 2,400 mg of dry extract. Compare root to root and extract to extract.
Does maca change testosterone?
Not according to the evidence we cite. Memorial Sloan Kettering says maca does not affect testosterone in men, and the 12-week trial found no difference from placebo. Maca may interfere with testosterone blood tests, so tell your doctor you take it.
Can maca be taken with prescribed medicine?
Ask your doctor or pharmacist, and keep taking your medicine as directed. One animal finding showed maca strengthened losartan's effect in rats, and the relevance to people was not determined. The HoneyBoost label says not to take it with other medications.
Who wrote this07
Written and reviewed by
Pages built from the label, the order page and linked NIH, FDA, FTC, Mayo Clinic and peer-reviewed sources.
Last updated . Read our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is the information site for a USA Authorized HoneyBoost Retailer. It is not the manufacturer or the distributor named on the label. We earn money when you buy through our order links.
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