Maca: Does It Really Boost Sperm Count and Lower Blood Pressure?

A look at what the human and animal trials on maca actually show for fertility and heart health.

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By the Ration Editorial Team · Reviewed against primary research · Updated July 14, 2026

Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a cruciferous root vegetable grown high in the Peruvian Andes.

It has been eaten as a staple food for centuries and is also dried and ground into a powder used in traditional medicine.

Today it is sold mainly as a supplement, marketed for energy, mood, fertility, and menopause symptoms^[11].

Black, red, and yellow maca are the main varieties, and studies suggest they may differ slightly in their effects^[8].

Maca contains unique compounds called macamides, along with glucosinolates and sterols, that researchers believe drive its biological effects^[4].

Macamides have been studied for anti-fatigue activity in animal models, which may relate to maca's traditional use as an energy and stamina booster^[4].

For reproductive effects, maca does not appear to work like a hormone therapy. Several reviews note it does not reliably change testosterone or other hormone levels, even when it improves semen parameters^[9][11].

This suggests maca's effect on sperm may involve antioxidant activity or direct effects on sperm cells rather than a hormonal mechanism.

This is where the evidence for maca is strongest and most consistent.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of human studies concluded that maca supplementation was associated with improvements in semen volume, sperm concentration, and sperm motility^[6].

An earlier systematic review reached a similar conclusion, though it noted that many of the available trials were small and not always placebo-controlled^[9].

In vitro work has also found that combining maca with other compounds improved sperm motility in samples from men with asthenozoospermia, a condition marked by poor sperm movement^[3].

Animal research backs this up in a different way. Studies in dogs found that black maca supplementation improved semen quality and storage stability in both subfertile and normofertile animals^[1], and maca extract added directly to semen extenders improved outcomes for chilled or frozen canine semen^[2][5].

• ↓Systolic Blood PressureAHuman trials

  Research may lower Systolic Blood Pressure · strong agreement · 6 studies

  View 5 studies on PubMed

  • Effects of superfoods on risk factors of metabolic syndrome: a systematic review of human intervention trials (2018)
  • Maca reduces blood pressure and depression, in a pilot study in postmenopausal women (2015)
  • Acceptability, Safety, and Efficacy of Oral Administration of Extracts of Black or Red Maca (Lepidium meyenii) in Adult Human Subjects: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study (2016)
  • The Efficient Synthesis and Anti-Fatigue Activity Evaluation of Macamides: The Unique Bioactive Compounds in Maca (2023)
  • [Maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp), a review of its biological properties] (2014)
• ↑Sperm CountAHuman trials

  Research may raise Sperm Count · strong agreement · 6 studies

  View 5 studies on PubMed

  • Maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp.) on semen quality parameters: A systematic review and meta-analysis (2022)
  • The use of maca (Lepidium meyenii) to improve semen quality: A systematic review (2016)
  • Effects of oral black Maca (Lepidium meyenii) supplementation on semen quality and refrigerated storage stability in subfertile and normofertile dogs: a study on sperm parameters and testosterone levels (2025)
  • Effect of Aqueous Extract of Maca Addition to an Extender for Chilled Canine Semen (2022)
  • Effect of Maca aqueous extract addition to a freezing extender for canine semen (2024)

Taken together, this is a reasonably consistent body of evidence across human and animal studies, which is why sperm count effects carry a grade A rating with 6 supporting sources in our database.

The second area with solid support is systolic blood pressure, particularly in postmenopausal women.

A small pilot randomized trial in postmenopausal women found that maca supplementation reduced blood pressure alongside improvements in depressive symptoms^[10].

A separate clinical pilot study testing pre-gelatinized maca as a non-hormonal option for perimenopausal women reported favorable effects on some cardiovascular and mood-related measures^[12].

A broader systematic review of 'superfoods' and metabolic syndrome risk factors included maca among foods with some evidence for cardiovascular benefit, though effects across superfoods overall were inconsistent^[7].

These are encouraging signals, but the sample sizes are small and the studies are few, so more research is needed before firm conclusions about maca and blood pressure can be drawn.

Maca is available in several common forms.

• Raw or gelatinized powder, often added to smoothies or oatmeal
• Capsules or tablets containing dried maca extract
• Liquid extracts or tinctures
• Black, red, and yellow root varieties, sold separately or blended

Human trials have used doses ranging from around 1.5 to 3.5 grams per day of dried maca extract, typically taken for several weeks to a few months^[8][10][12].

There is no officially established dose, and products vary widely in concentration and preparation, which makes comparing results across studies difficult.

In the human trials available, maca has generally been described as well tolerated.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial testing black and red maca extracts in adults reported that the supplement was acceptable and safe over the study period, with no serious adverse events^[8].

• Mild digestive upset in some users
• Occasional headache or insomnia reported anecdotally
• Limited long-term safety data beyond a few months of use
• Unknown effects during pregnancy or in people with hormone-sensitive conditions, since large safety trials in these groups are lacking

Because maca is a cruciferous vegetable related to broccoli and kale, people with thyroid conditions sometimes ask about goitrogen content, though this has not been well studied in maca supplementation trials specifically.

• People exploring natural options to support semen quality alongside standard fertility care
• Postmenopausal or perimenopausal women interested in non-hormonal support for mood and blood pressure
• Athletes or curious users interested in traditional energy and stamina claims tied to macamides^[4]
• Anyone who enjoys maca as a food, added to smoothies or baked goods, independent of specific health claims

Maca has some of the more consistent human trial evidence of any traditional fertility herb, particularly for sperm concentration and motility^[6][9].

Its blood pressure lowering effect in postmenopausal women is genuinely interesting, but rests on a handful of small pilot studies^[10][12].

Overall safety data look reassuring for short term use^[8], though larger and longer trials would help confirm both the benefits and the limits of maca supplementation.