Does Lepidium meyenii (Maca) improve seminal quality?

Abstract

Andean Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a herbaceous biennial or annual plant native of the high central Andes of Peru that grows exclusively at altitudes ranging from 4,000 to 4,500 m above sea level. Three different types of maca can be found depending on the colour of its dry root (red, yellow or black), each of which has been attributed several medicinal properties (Gonzales, Villaorduña, Gasco, Rubio, & Gonzales, 2014). The composition of maca comprises nearly 55%-60% carbohydrates, 10%-12% proteins, 8%-9% fibres and 2%-3% lipids, as well as significant amounts of essential amino acids, fatty acids, iron, calcium and zinc (Piacente, Carbone, Plaza, Zampelli, & Pizza, 2002). The benefits of maca have been demonstrated in several conditions such as prostatic benign hyperplasia, osteoporosis in adults' rats and reduce glycaemia in diabetes mellitus (Gonzales-Arimborgo et al., 2016); however, from as far back as the XVI century and still today, the most renowned property of maca in Andean tradition is its beneficial effect on libido and fertility in both sexes (Balick & Lee, 2002). The effects of maca on fertility were initially demonstrated in animals (Gonzales,

Maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp.) on semen quality parameters: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…In our search, 352 articles were identified, and five of these met the criteria for inclusion ( Kim, 2011 ; Poveda et al, 2013 ; Melnikovova et al, 2015 ; Alcalde and Rabasa, 2020 ; Melnikovova et al, 2021 ) ( Figure 1 ; Table 1 ). Among these, one RCT each was conducted in Spain ( Alcalde and Rabasa, 2020 ), Korea ( Kim, 2011 ), and Panama ( Poveda et al, 2013 ), and two RCTs were conducted in the Czech Republic ( Melnikovova et al, 2015 ; Melnikovova et al, 2021 ). Across all five studies, maca (1–5 g) was administered orally to the participants.…”

“…Three RCTs reported random sequence generation methods and employed allocation concealment ( Melnikovova et al, 2015 ; Alcalde and Rabasa, 2020 ; Melnikovova et al, 2021 ) ( Figure 2 ). The double-blind design was used in all five studies, but the baseline between the three groups was significantly different ( Melnikovova et al, 2015 ; Alcalde and Rabasa, 2020 ; Melnikovova et al, 2021 ). Notably, one RCT was published in the form of an abstract, and most of the domains were unclear ( Poveda et al, 2013 ).…”

“…The majority of trials that have been conducted have yet to reveal any positive effect of the herb on the aforementioned issue. Three of the five trials suggested that the efficacy of maca in improving semen quality parameters in infertile men was mixed ( Poveda et al, 2013 ; Alcalde and Rabasa, 2020 ; Melnikovova et al, 2021 ). The same findings were evident even among healthy men in two other RCTs ( Kim, 2011 ; Melnikovova et al, 2015 )[19,20].…”

“…One RCT was related to a commercial company, and hidden conflicts of interest regarding their results may be present ( Kim, 2011 ). In three RCTs, significant differences in the baseline values of some semen parameters were reported ( Melnikovova et al, 2015 ; Alcalde and Rabasa, 2020 ; Melnikovova et al, 2021 ).…”

Evaluation of the effect of Lepidium meyenii Walpers in infertile patients: A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial

“…In our double‐blind placebo‐controlled trial, we have observed some irrelevance in the data obtained compared with our review of the literature. According to Alcalde and Rabasa ( 2020 ), sperm concentration increased in infertile adult men treated with maca compared with placebo. Our results reported as the total sperm count increased by 15% in patients using maca for the period of 16 weeks, but we noticed doubling of total sperm count in the placebo group.…”