Prakt. lékáren. 2021; 17(1): e42-e51 | DOI: 10.36290/lek.2021.013

Superfoods - maca

Dagmar Jankovská, Ivana Garguláková

Ústav přírodních léčiv, Farmaceutická fakulta Masarykovy univerzity Brno

The current lifestyle in the developed countries of the world brings with it a number of health risks that contribute to the emergence of diseases of civilization. These include, for example, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, rheumatic diseases, sexual dysfunction, chronic fatigue syndrome and depression. In an effort to reduce these negative effects of inappropriate lifestyles, recommendations have emerged that this trend may be reduced by the consumption of so-called superfoods, the promotion of which is the basis of many modern nutritional recommendations. Despite the ubiquity in the media, the concept of superfood is not clearly defined, it is more of a marketing term. Peruvian maca is also one of the recommended superfoods. Its composition offers unique substances with a possible benefit for human health. Maca is a food of the indigenous people of Peru and is part of traditional Peruvian medicine.

Keywords: superfoods, maca, Lepidium meyenii, aphrodisiac, orthorexia

Published: April 15, 2021  Show citation