Navitas Naturals Maca Powder

• Navitas Naturals Maca powder, 16-Ounce pouches
• 100% Certified Organic, Non-GMO, Raw, kosher, gluten-free, vegan
• Mix into smoothies, baked goods, or cereal
• May boost the libido, treat menopause symptoms, and promote hormonal balance for men and women
• Sourced directly from farmers, cultivated sustainably and in accordance with fair trade practices. Product of Peru - Packed in USA

Product Description

Size: 16

From the Manufacturer

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Balancing Adaptogen

Peruvian folklores tell of maca being used in the Tahuantinsuyo Empire by warriors to increase their strength and endurance. The maca root has potent adaptogenic properties helping each body differently based on individual needs. Maca is most often regarded as a powerful stamina booster, libido enhancer, hormone regulator and exhaustion buster. Unique alkaloids found in maca, called Macainas, have been shown to nourish and support the endocrine system, which regulates many of the body's important functions. Maca also provides an abundance of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and sterols that can support general health and immune function.

Maca is a healthy food, not a miracle drug. Health claims herein have not been reviewed by the FDA. Navitas Naturals products are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease.

About Navitas

Navitas Naturals was founded in 2003 to bring energizing superfoods to North America to invigorate the modern ‘Western’ diet. Our organic superfoods come from ancient cultures around the world where they are traditionally used for both nutritional and medicinal purposes. Health-conscious people choose our nutrient-dense superfoods because they are an abundant whole-food source of antioxidants, protein, essential fats, vitamins, minerals and other key nutrients.

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Recipe: Simple Vitality Smoothie

Ingredients

• 2 bananas
• 2 cups water
• 3 Tbsp Navitas Naturals Lucuma Powder
• 3 Tbsp Navitas Naturals Hemp Seeds
• 1 Tbsp Navitas Naturals Maca Powder (or more if desired)
• 1½ cups almond milk
• 2 cups ice

Directions

Blend and enjoy!

Product Description

Maca root has been used in indigenous Andean societies as a source of nourishment and healing for thousands of years. This bag contains 100% pure raw maca powder that is certified organic, kosher, vegan and raw. Studies have identified four alkaloids present in maca known to nourish the endocrine system. Maca root has been used as a stress-fighting adaptogen to increase stamina, boost libido and combat fatigue. Maca is a nutrient-dense whole food packed with vitamins, plant sterols as well as many essential minerals, fatty and amino acids. Our raw maca is low temperature processed and cultivated on the Junin Plateau of Peruvian Andes. Navitas Naturals’ mission is to provide premium organic power foods that increase energy and enhance health. Our products are of the highest quality, sourced directly from farmers, cultivated sustainably and in accordance with fair trade practices. Product of Peru - Packed in USA

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.5 x 2.8 inches ; 1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000FFLHU2
• UPC: 858847000512
• Item model number: 11-002
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (170 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #120 in Grocery & Gourmet Food (See Top 100 in Grocery & Gourmet Food)
  • #1 in Grocery & Gourmet Food > Pantry Staples > Cooking & Baking Supplies > Leaveners & Yeasts > Baking Powder
  • #89 in Health & Personal Care > Nutrition & Wellness > Vitamins & Supplements

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

625 of 634 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Maca should not be eaten raw. January 30, 2012

By T. Lane

Size Name:16

Maca powder = maca flour. I have cooked with maca flour ten years, as a baking and cooking ingredient/flavoring. In Peru, maca flour, or "harina de maca" is a relatively cheap regional culinary flour. Raw Reform is a great specimen of this culinary flour; ideal for cooking, an excellent nutty flavor, it's bitterness subsiding with heat. A decade ago I could buy 'harina de maca' for $8/kg (and in Peru, it's a mere $2-4/kg) - now I see this same inexpensive Peruvian cooking flour sold as a "raw superfood" at an inflated price. It's very odd to have witnessed this metamorphosis.

The reason I gave this ONE star is simple - this company (among several others) suggests that you to eat this flour raw. Like other cruciferous roots, maca can be particularly difficult to digest when raw. Not only is it fiber-dense, it contains lots of goitrogenic compounds (a term which means 'thyroid-interfering,' not "goiter causing") - that's why the raw root and it's flour is so bitter - it's no wonder people have digestive issues and occasional hormonal (thyroid) complaints with raw maca. The one time I ate it raw, I experienced the stomachache, too! Maca is dense in fiber and thyroid inhibiting/goitrogenic compounds (glucosinolates and isothyocyanates), both of which are lessened greatly or deactivated by heat. Among the people who grow it, maca is not considered healthy unless cooked. It is therefore a great paradox that the "raw food" crowd has gotten hold of this vegetable that has always been, and by all accounts always should be cooked. This supplement is being backed by people whose basic food philosophy avoids the plant's very identity in human use. It would be like eating turnip flour, raw (except maca can even more bitter than this, in fact most of the lepidiums are).... Back into antiquity, maca has had to be cooked in order to be gentle on digestion, on metabolism, and it has been cooked traditionally for this purpose.

I have used the raw maca flour in cooking since 2002 where I first read about it in Chris Kilham's book "Tales from the Medicine Trail" and began following an interest in this ancient food. I do use raw maca flour for cooking, baking, in pancakes, confections, etc. Where you can get it inexpensively, it is excellent for such uses. For therapeutic effects and everyday drink mix usage, presently I employ a 'black gelatinized' maca - it seems to be the strongest type energetically and for sexual effects, and 'black root' is my personal preference. 'Gelatinized' means that it's fiber has been removed (skimmed off), and goitrogens denatured - it is a few times concentrated over the powder / flour. Naturally, it is less bitter than any uncooked flour product. The gelatinized processing was developed specifically to address the digestion/goitrogen issue inherent with the root. That's the process' entire purpose - that's why it even exists.

The trend in "health food" circles says to eat maca raw, in order to glean the mood, stamina, and sexual benefits which Andean people have known for thousands of years. These merchants never mention how the plant has always been prepared - cooked - perhaps the most crucial aspect of it's identity. Why argue from antiquity about all the health benefits, while ignoring the food's ethnobotany? It's a mix of mistaken understanding, and because there's profit in re-selling a highly marked up culinary flour. I see $20.00 - $25.00 a pound slapped on maca flour in health food stores -- on a product which can be found $2-4 a kilogram in Peru ($1.36 - $1.81/lb!). This is precisely why some regional foods / surpluses suddenly become "superfoods." In maca's case there is a genuine positive effect being felt... so, like the mood boost one feels with coffee, maca is an easy sell. Most companies have a whole marketing song & dance... and they make a LOT of money.

Pay a price of $20/lb only for the gelatinized product, which has actually been processed for immediate consumption. Do not pay this for a re-packed culinary flour. Read more ›

471 of 494 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars What Nobody Tells You About RAW Maca... May 6, 2010

By Healthy Habits

Size Name:16

I have never written a review before but I always consult Amazon.com reviews before buying a product so thought I would give back at least once. I bought this product BEFORE I thoroughly researched it due to lifelong problems related to a hormonal imbalance and was soooo excited I just bought what I thought would be good; raw and organic. I took this product for 3 days until I broke out in hives. I only took 1/2 tsp day one and 1/4 tsp days 2 and 3. I got the hives day 2 but was hoping they were not related to the Maca (they were). So.... I researched more and there is one very informative forum I found on google (hard to find and not sure if I'm allowed to refer it or not but here it is but FINISH reading to the bottom or you will not try this product ever): [...]. There are a bunch of websites and some scientific reviews, but long story short, it appears that Maca MUST be eaten pre-cooked (gelatinized) to obtain therapeutic benefits and to alleviate potential problems related to digestion (when eaten raw) and possible toxicity (raw) the way the native Puruvians have done for thousands of years to the present (cooked). There are studies that show ingesting raw Maca is worse than not adding it to the diet at all. Based on what I've read you need to start SLOWLY with the dosage and adjust it according to your body's needs, then take a break from it occasionally or it appears to lose potency. If improper dosages are taken it exacerbates the imbalance/symptoms. There are (reportedly) many benefits of Maca on the entire Endocrine system and I still have high hopes so ordered from another company who doesn't sell raw Maca due to the reasons above.... I believe Navitas also has a gelatinized version of the Maca but I bought one with DIM to prevent the overproduction of bad estrogen which can cause cancer in people with a family history. Hope this helps! Read more ›

185 of 224 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Unique Flavor, Not Feeling the Energy Yet September 12, 2007

By Jordan Weaver

Size Name:16

I've waited to write a review until I finished my first bag of product; This way I could try it different ways and give a better opinion. First, let me say I've tried other products from Navitas, and they have been quality products. I've tried the Maca powder in lots of ways including smoothies, various raw dishes, and even straight from the bag.
Other than the normal energy you would get from eating any form of concentrated carbohydrates, I haven't noticed any other benefits. I think this product has a unique flavor that could enhance certain dishes if used in moderation. I also think it serves better as a natural sweetner similar to stevia (but better tasting in my opinion). Mixing this product with other carbs/sugars will cause an insulin spike in the blood which is not healthy. If you want to know more about how sugars and insulin affect us, I recommend reading [...]
So I believe this is a good product as far as Maca goes, but I just haven't experienced the stated benefits for this high priced bag of starchy carbs. I've tried many natural energizer foods from Acai and Cacao (which has slight liver/kidney toxins), to Ginseng, Carob, Wheatgrass, etc. Maca energy value is low on the list for me.

111 of 134 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Seems to help a lot February 5, 2009

By ScotchyScotchScotch

Size Name:16|Amazon Verified Purchase

Started taking a tablespoon, SlimFast, 8oz 1% milk for breakfast for the past two weeks.

Very diminished appetite, lost a surprising amount of weight. Sleep well, wake up sleepy but the weird thing is that once I get out of bed I'm ready to go with energy which feels really odd to me.

Have a better mental attitude but I'm also taking phytoplankton so I need to eliminate one of them to figure out the "magic".

I'm not saying this is the greatest stuff ever - I honestly don't know. I do know how I feel and it's much better then before I started taking it. I have a demanding stressful job and I feel more balanced then ever.

The taste is bitter and you'll need to mask it in something, especially if you grew up on "Americana" High Fructose Corn Syrup.

I think it's worth a try - give it a couple of weeks - judge for yourself.

One last thing about these reviews.

It REALLY seems like a bunch of these reviews are phony and/or "paid to review" which I find more distasteful then the bitterness of the product.

This "fakiness" review stuff is rampant on the internet - especially for health foods - and it's also blatantly dishonest.

So if Nativas is propagating this type of thing you should stop - all it does is give you short term gains and minimize your brand - if you have a good product them it should stand on it's own merits.

Not all people on the internet are sheep...