Study shows Incan wart-like growth aids male
libido
ABC Online 17/8/2001
A wart-like growth found on plant roots in the Andes has been shown to be a sexual
stimulant in men, serving as an aphrodisiac and stoking the fires of the libido, according
to preliminary medical tests conducted by a team of Peruvian scientists.
Researcher Gustavo Gonzales says there is a sharp increase in sperm production and
virility in study subjects between the ages of 20 and 40 who took daily doses of the
growth, known as maca, for two weeks.
Found on the roots of some plants in the Andes, maca grows up to three centimetres in
length and is considered an "Incan Viagra" among those who take it regularly.
The study shows regular maca consumption caused the male body to secrete certain hormones
that boosted sperm production and stimulated sexual appetite.
Mr Gonzales says the maca had increased the number of sperm produced in test subjects from
87 million to 183 million within two weeks, adding that study subjects had also reported a
sharp increase in their sexual desire during that period.
Taken in the form of a capsule or a lozenge, maca was also shown to reduce stress and
anxiety and boost energy levels.
However Mr Gonzales says it had not yet been determined whether maca could help induce
erections.
Maca is already on the market in Peru and is starting to be exported. END OF REPORT
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