- *MSRP:
$13.99- Our Price:
- $8.40
- Buy: at $8.40
- UPC: 733739047212
- # N4721
Product Overview & Quick Specs
Think of your body's energy and hormonal network like a home thermostat. When life brings physical and mental stress, this system can struggle to maintain a comfortable balance. NOW Foods Maca 500 mg delivers authentic, pure Andean root (Lepidium meyenii) to help recalibrate your internal vitality and sustain steady stamina throughout the day.
Quick Specs Snapshot
- ✓ Active Form & Potency: 500 mg of pure, unadulterated whole Maca root (Lepidium meyenii) per single vegetarian capsule.
- ✓ Primary Target: Cellular energy pathways, stress response balance, and reproductive vitality for both men and women.
- ✓ Supply & Value: 100 veg capsules per bottle, providing an economical 100-day daily supply at a few cents per day.
- ✓ Purity & Dietary Status: 100% vegan and non-GMO, free of gluten, wheat, soy, corn, dairy, egg, fish, shellfish, and tree nuts.
Buyer’s Guide & Form Comparison
Why the Form Matters
Discount big box store brands often cut corners with cheap, mass-milled root dust. Those bulk powders frequently sit in hot warehouses, losing their potency and picking up heavy metal contaminants from unvetted soils. NOW Foods uses whole, unadulterated Peruvian Maca root protected in clean plant-based vegetarian capsules. This shield prevents oxidation, preserves delicate active lipids, and avoids the heavy binders found in cheap commercial tablets.
Is This Formula Right for You?
Best Choice For:
- ✓ Adult men and women seeking stimulant-free physical stamina and daily energy support.
- ✓ Active individuals wanting healthy reproductive drive without harsh hormone-spiking compounds.
- ✓ Shoppers who want lab-tested botanical purity free from common agricultural allergens and heavy metals.
Consider Another Option If:
- ✗ You prefer pre-gelatinized bulk powder to mix directly into large protein shakes.
- ✗ You are looking for an instant pharmaceutical drug effect rather than steady, cumulative botanical support.
- ✗ You have active hormone-sensitive medical conditions or thyroid sensitivities and have not yet consulted your physician.
VitaNet®, LLC backs every order with over 31 years of trusted curation and an unconditional 100% money-back guarantee—even on opened bottles—so you can evaluate your personal digestive tolerance completely risk-free.
How It Works in the Body
Think of your stress control center like a biological dimmer switch (the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis). When daily stress turns that switch up too high, you feel drained and fatigued. Maca acts as a natural botanical adaptogen, helping smooth out those extreme spikes and dips so your body holds steady energy [1].
Cellular Energy and Endurance
Maca root contains unique lipid plant compounds called macamides and macaenes. These fatty acids act like specialized cellular fuel enhancers, nourishing your mitochondria to support natural cellular energy regeneration without relying on caffeine jitters. Clinical investigations show that this distinct botanical support promotes muscular endurance, physical stamina, and athletic performance during exercise [2].
Reproductive Vitality Without Hormone Spikes
Many herbs force artificial surges in circulating sex hormones. Maca works downstream instead, acting like a sensitive receiver tune-up. Human clinical studies demonstrate that Maca supports healthy sexual desire and intimate responsiveness in both men and women without altering baseline serum testosterone or estrogen levels [1, 3, 4].
Daily Timing, Synergy & Realistic Timelines
Best Time to Take
Take 1 veg capsule daily with a meal and a full glass of water. Consuming Maca alongside healthy dietary fats, such as eggs, yogurt, or avocado, significantly boosts the intestinal absorption of its natural fat-soluble macamides and plant sterols while cushioning sensitive stomachs.
Daily Schedule
Take your dose in the morning with breakfast or early afternoon with lunch. Because Maca naturally supports daytime alertness and cellular stamina, taking it right before bedtime may cause unwanted wakefulness in sensitive individuals.
Smart Pairings & Spacing
Pair Maca with adaptogenic herbs like Ashwagandha or circulatory nutrients like L-Citrulline for comprehensive vitality support. If you take prescription medications, iron supplements, or antacids, separate them from Maca by at least 2 hours to avoid digestive competition.
What to Expect Over Time
- ✓ Days 1–7: Initial cellular uptake begins as your digestive tract adapts to the botanical glucosinolates and plant fibers.
- ✓ Weeks 3–4: Active lipids reach consistent tissue saturation, supporting steady daily stamina, reduced fatigue, and physical vitality [2].
- ✓ Months 2–3+: Long-term maintenance takes hold, delivering deep endocrine balance and cumulative reproductive support validated across clinical trials [1, 3, 4].
Physical Feel, Sensory Traits & Clean Ingredients
Pill Format & Ease of Use
NOW Maca 500 mg is encapsulated in a standard, slender vegetable capsule. Its smooth outer surface glides down easily with water. If you prefer not to swallow capsules, you can gently twist the shell open and stir the golden powder directly into smoothies, oatmeal, or juice.
Natural Aroma, Taste & Color
Inside each capsule is a light-tan to golden powder carrying Maca's signature aroma. It smells pleasantly malty, earthy, and slightly nutty, resembling toasted butterscotch. Because NOW never uses synthetic dyes or artificial bleaching agents, subtle batch-to-batch color variation reflects genuine seasonal soil and weather patterns.
Other Ingredients Explained
- ✓ Hypromellose (cellulose capsule): A 100% plant-derived shell made from natural pine wood cellulose that dissolves cleanly in your stomach within minutes.
- ✓ Stearic Acid (vegetable source): A clean, plant-based fatty acid that ensures fine herbal powders flow smoothly through encapsulation equipment without sticking or clumping.
Proper Storage
Store the bottle tightly closed in a cool, dry place after opening, such as a dark pantry or cupboard. Keep away from excessive moisture, stove heat, and direct sunlight to protect the fragile bioactive lipids.
Manufacturer Quality & Lab Testing Standards
Maca is an Andean root crop that absorbs elements directly from high-altitude volcanic soils. Cheap big box store brands often buy commodity bulk crops that contain dangerous levels of heavy metals and soil microbes. NOW Foods prevents this through an industry-leading analytical testing program operating across in-house ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratories.
Rigorous Analytical Testing Protocols:
- ✓ Trace Heavy Metal Screening (ICP-MS): Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry, NOW screens every raw lot down to parts-per-billion (ppb) concentrations for lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury, beating California Proposition 65 safety limits.
- ✓ Botanical Fingerprinting (HPTLC): High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography validates that every harvest is authentic Lepidium meyenii root, eliminating the risk of species adulteration or dilution with spent fibers.
- ✓ Pesticide & Chemical Screen: Advanced mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS) analyzes raw botanicals against more than 500 agricultural pesticides and synthetic sprays before processing.
- ✓ Microbiological Pathogen Defense: In-house microbiologists verify the total absence of harmful pathogens, including Salmonella, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus, alongside strict limits on yeasts and molds.
NOW facilities are certified for Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) by independent third parties, including UL Solutions. When you choose NOW Maca, you avoid the dirty, unverified raw materials common in commodity retail brands.
Complete Supplement Facts Panel
Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 1 Veg Capsule
Servings Per Container: 100
| Description | Amount per Serving | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Maca (Lepidium meyenii) (Root) | 500 mg | ** |
** Daily Value not established.