Did you know that maca powder has been around for thousands of years! It is most notably known for its use as a power nutritional source by the Peruvians also known as 'Peruvian Ginseng'. Maca Powder comes from a root that is very high in protein, fiber, vitamin C, B vitamins, calcium, iron, potassium, copper, manganese and fatty acids. After being sun dried, the root is typically ground into powder. This powder is a versatile addition to many snacks and meals!
It can be added to smoothies and juices as well as soups, energy bars, oatmeal, baked goods and even cereal! Check out our favorite maca powder recipes HERE! The main difference between Healthworks Raw Organic Maca and Healthworks Gelatinized Maca is that gelatinized maca has been cooked to remove the starch.
This will make a difference to some peoples stomachs, so let's get a little bit more into it. A fermented drink known as maca chichi is another common use.
While the latter may not be heated, the fermentation does make is easier to digest. The gelatinized kind is closer to how the Peruvians have been eating it for centuries, if not longer. This plant species, Lepidium meyenii , shares something in common with other cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, and collard greens. They contain unique sulfur-containing compounds known as glucosinolates. When digested, these glucosinolates get broken down into sulforaphane an isothiocyanate and indolecarbinol and an indole.
The National Cancer Institute, which is part of the US government, has this to say about these types of compounds:. The lab research they elude to is plentiful. For example, the below chart compares cancer growth in cultured lung cells when they are exposed to various vegetable extracts. To be clear, the suspected anti-cancer benefits of glucosinolates remain unproven in humans.
Not much human clinical data exists. Gelatinized maca may contain lower amounts of glucosinolates. A controlled study to monitor the degradation rate in maca before, during, and after gelatinization has not been published.
How much glucosinolates there are in raw vs. Australian and Polish scientists report potential good news; boiling dried maca after soaking in water, as native Peruvians do, might increase bioavailability of the glucosinolates. Capsuled powder - This includes Gelatin directly through Capsules. Any capsules available in pharmaceutical world is made up of gelatin.
When someone adds green color to it, it gives non-transparent green color, if someone adds blue color it turns non-transparent blue colored capsule. We are using no colors for our capsules, thus they are transparent. No, it is not plastic capsule, it is a no colored used regular gelatin capsule only. There is new alternative called vegetable capsules which are 4 times costly then the gelatin capsules. Soon, we will be using those capsules for our products as well. Once a powder is filled into capsule, it does not get any oxygen to get oxidised.
Thus, powder remains with high nutrient value for longer duration of time then the other forms of maca root powder. Also, if capsules are weighted mg only, thus it gets easy to maintain constant daily maca root intake as per an individuals requirement. This powder tastes bitter than gelatinised powder. Starch is difficult to digest thus, this powder is needed to be consumed along with daily meal. The Shelf life of this powder is shorter than the other two versions.
Since it is not concentrated, we have to consume it more in quantity than gelatinised maca root powder.
To get similar results that of 1 grams of Gelatinised maca root powder, we need to consume 5 grams of raw maca root powder. Thus, dietitians never prefer raw maca root powder. However they used it, locals would never dream of eating raw maca. This is because the raw maca root is made of a structure of complex starches which are almost impossible for our digestive systems to break down.
It also contains a high concentration of enzymes that inhibit the breakdown and assimilation of food, which can cause intestinal distress and interfere with the absorption of nutrients from the food we eat. Raw maca also has a high water content, which dilutes the concentration of nutrients in comparison to cooked maca.
Worse still, this moisture content also acts as a breeding ground for bacterial and fungal overgrowth, which makes raw maca powder highly susceptible to contamination by the time it reaches your kitchen cupboard. So does this mean you have to move to the Andes mountains to enjoy the health benefits of maca, or forget about using it entirely? Not quite…. In fact, gelatinization allows us to access the full benefits of the maca root, just like they have been enjoyed in the Andes mountains for thousands of years!
During gelatinization, the maca roots are heated and pressurized to break down the starch content and neutralise the troublesome enzymes. The leftover pulp is then ground down into a powder and then dried to create gelatinized maca powder.
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