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Ingredient guide

How much maca root per day?

Written by the Full Measure editorial team, which sells supplements. Approved for publication by the Full Measure owners. Updated .

Drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed below. How we write these

Quick answer

Trials gave adults 1.5 to 3.5 g of maca a day, often split into two or three doses, for 6 to 12 weeks. Product labels range more widely, from about 500 to 3,000 mg. No safe upper amount has been set, and nobody knows the best amount.1,2,3

Key facts

  • Trials in women after menopause used 2 to 3.5 g a day; trials in men used 1.5 to 3 g.2,4,5
  • Gelatinized powder, plain powder and extracts were all given at similar gram amounts, so labels are hard to compare by weight alone.1,6
  • No trial compared morning and evening doses.4,7

The amounts used in trials

Trials gave adults 1.5 to 3.5 g of maca a day, as tablets, capsules, powder or extract, usually for 6 to 12 weeks.1,2,6

Daily maca amounts in the main trials1,2,4,5,6,7
Who took partDaily amountFormHow long
57 healthy men aged 21 to 561.5 g or 3 gGelatinized tablets12 weeks
175 adults in Peru3 gRed or black extract12 weeks
168 women in early postmenopause2 g, as 1 g twice a day with mealsBranded gelatinized capsules3 to 4 months
14 women after menopause3.5 gPowder6 weeks
45 women under medical care3 g, as 1.5 g twice a dayMaca root12 weeks

Recommended daily amounts on maca products vary widely, from about 500 to 3,000 mg, depending on the preparation.3

Amounts by what was measured

What the trials measured, the amount used, and our grade1,6,8,9
What was measuredDaily amount studiedResult
Self-rated mood and energy3 g of extractGraded early
Discomforts after menopause2 to 3.5 gGraded early
Testosterone in men1.5 to 3 gNo change found

No trial set out to test maca for gaining weight, so there is no amount to give for that goal. In the one trial that tracked weight, men over 40 gained about the same on maca as on placebo.10

Does a bigger amount do more?

The trial in healthy men that tried both 1.5 and 3 g a day did not show that the larger amount worked better. With so few trials, there is no evidence that going above 3 g a day adds anything.1,5

Splitting the dose, and when in the day

Most trials split the daily amount: 1,500 mg twice a day, two 500 mg capsules twice a day with meals, or two tablets three times a day before meals. No trial compared times of day.4,7,10

So there is no evidence for a best time of day. The trials measured changes after weeks of daily use, not hours after a dose. Stomach upset is the most common complaint, and the largest menopause trial gave the capsules with meals, which is one option if maca upsets your stomach.3,4

Powder, gelatinized or extract?

Dried, ground maca root. Two trials in women after menopause used 3.3 to 3.5 g of powder a day.2,11

Gelatinized maca is made by rehydrating the dried root and putting it under pressure, which breaks down much of its starch. Extracts are made by other processes again. A gram on one label is therefore not the same as a gram on another, so compare a product with the form used in the trial that interests you.6,12

What's in ours

What’s in ours

At 150 mg per serving, the maca in Ashwagandha Complex is a tenth of the lowest daily amount used in the desire trials. No maca effect should be expected from it.5

Before you take more

No safe upper amount has been set for maca, and trials rarely went above 3.5 g a day or past 12 weeks. Taking more than that is untested.2,8

Stomach upset was the most frequent side effect in a small dose-finding trial, reported by 31% of participants. In a 12-week trial in 80 men, two on maca had mild stomach complaints and kept taking it.3,10,13

  • If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, ask a doctor before taking any amount
  • If you take prescription medicines, ask your pharmacist before adding maca
  • If you have liver disease or high blood pressure, ask your doctor, because one trial saw small rises in the liver enzyme AST and in diastolic pressure14

Questions people ask

Is 5 g of maca a day too much?

Nobody knows. We found no trial that used 5 g a day, no safe upper amount has been set, and trials stayed between 1.5 and 3.5 g a day, mostly for 12 weeks or less.1,2,8

Should women take a different amount from men?

Trials in women used 2 to 3.5 g a day, a little more than the 1.5 to 3 g used in men, but no trial compared the two.2,4,5

See what we make

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Sources

  1. Shin BC, et al. Maca (L. meyenii) for improving sexual function: a systematic review. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2010;10:44. Opened 2026-10-07.
  2. Brooks NA, et al. Beneficial effects of Lepidium meyenii (Maca) on psychological symptoms and measures of sexual dysfunction in postmenopausal women are not related to estrogen or androgen content. Menopause. 2008;15(6):1157-62. Opened 2026-10-07.
  3. LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury. Maca. Bethesda (MD): National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; 2012 onward. Last updated April 10, 2019. Opened 2026-10-07.
  4. Meissner HO, et al. Hormone-Balancing Effect of Pre-Gelatinized Organic Maca (Lepidium peruvianum Chacon): (II) Physiological and Symptomatic Responses of Early-Postmenopausal Women to Standardized doses of Maca in Double Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Multi-Centre Clinical Study. Int J Biomed Sci. 2006;2(4):360-74. Opened 2026-10-07.
  5. Gonzales GF, et al. Effect of Lepidium meyenii (MACA) on sexual desire and its absent relationship with serum testosterone levels in adult healthy men. Andrologia. 2002;34(6):367-72. Opened 2026-10-07.
  6. Gonzales-Arimborgo C, et al. 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. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2016;9(3):49. Opened 2026-10-07.
  7. Dording CM, et al. A double-blind placebo-controlled trial of maca root as treatment for antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction in women. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015;2015:949036. Opened 2026-10-07.
  8. Lee MS, et al. Maca (Lepidium meyenii) for treatment of menopausal symptoms: A systematic review. Maturitas. 2011;70(3):227-33. Opened 2026-10-07.
  9. Gonzales GF, et al. Effect of Lepidium meyenii (Maca), a root with aphrodisiac and fertility-enhancing properties, on serum reproductive hormone levels in adult healthy men. J Endocrinol. 2003;176(1):163-8. Opened 2026-10-07.
  10. Shin D, et al. Efficacy and Safety of Maca (Lepidium meyenii) in Patients with Symptoms of Late-Onset Hypogonadism: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. World J Mens Health. 2023;41(3):692-700. Opened 2026-10-07.
  11. Stojanovska L, et al. Maca reduces blood pressure and depression, in a pilot study in postmenopausal women. Climacteric. 2015;18(1):69-78. Opened 2026-10-07.
  12. Melnikovova I, et al. Effect of Lepidium meyenii Walp. on Semen Parameters and Serum Hormone Levels in Healthy Adult Men: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015;2015:324369. Opened 2026-10-07.
  13. Dording CM, et al. A double-blind, randomized, pilot dose-finding study of maca root (L. meyenii) for the management of SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction. CNS Neurosci Ther. 2008;14(3):182-91. Opened 2026-10-07.
  14. Valentová K, et al. Maca (Lepidium meyenii) and yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) in combination with silymarin as food supplements: in vivo safety assessment. Food Chem Toxicol. 2008;46(3):1006-13. Opened 2026-10-07.

This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.