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Navitas Naturals Maca Powder, 16-Ounce Pouches

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Navitas Naturals Maca Powder, 16-Ounce Pouches

(112 customer reviews)

List Price:	$23.84
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SKU:

NAN-00051

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Features

Certified Organic, Kosher, Vegan and Raw.
Made from pure, 100% organic Maca roots.
Amino Acids, Essential Mineals. Adaptogen.
Mix into smoothies, baked goods, or cereal; may boost the libido, treat menopause symptoms, and promote hormonal balance for men and women
Navitas Naturals products come directly from the farmers who cultivate them and are free of heavy metals, chemicals and pesticides.

Description

Maca root has been used in indigenous Andean societies as a source of nourishment and healing for thousands of years. This bag contains 100% pure raw maca powder that is certified organic, kosher, vegan and raw. Studies have identified four alkaloids present in maca known to nourish the endocrine system. Maca root has been used as a stress-fighting adaptogen to increase stamina, boost libido and combat fatigue. Maca is a nutrient-dense whole food packed with vitamins, plant sterols as well as many essential minerals, fatty and amino acids. Our raw maca is low temperature processed and cultivated on the Junin Plateau of Peruvian Andes. Navitas Naturals’ mission is to provide premium organic power foods that increase energy and enhance health. Our products are of the highest quality, sourced directly from farmers, cultivated sustainably and in accordance with fair trade practices. Product of Peru - Packed in USA

Product Details

Product Weight:	1.0 pounds
Package Length:	8.8 inches
Package Width:	6.1 inches
Package Height:	0.1 inches
Package Weight:	0.8 pounds
Average Customer Rating:	based on 112 reviews

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review: 4.0

( 112 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

311 of 327 found the following review helpful:

What Nobody Tells You About RAW Maca... May 07, 2010 By Healthy Habits
I have never written a review before but I always consult Amazon.com reviews before buying a product so thought I would give back at least once. I bought this product BEFORE I thoroughly researched it due to lifelong problems related to a hormonal imbalance and was soooo excited I just bought what I thought would be good; raw and organic. I took this product for 3 days until I broke out in hives. I only took 1/2 tsp day one and 1/4 tsp days 2 and 3. I got the hives day 2 but was hoping they were not related to the Maca (they were). So.... I researched more and there is one very informative forum I found on google (hard to find and not sure if I'm allowed to refer it or not but here it is but FINISH reading to the bottom or you will not try this product ever): [...]. There are a bunch of websites and some scientific reviews, but long story short, it appears that Maca MUST be eaten pre-cooked (gelatinized) to obtain therapeutic benefits and to alleviate potential problems related to digestion (when eaten raw) and possible toxicity (raw) the way the native Puruvians have done for thousands of years to the present (cooked). There are studies that show ingesting raw Maca is worse than not adding it to the diet at all. Based on what I've read you need to start SLOWLY with the dosage and adjust it according to your body's needs, then take a break from it occasionally or it appears to lose potency. If improper dosages are taken it exacerbates the imbalance/symptoms. There are (reportedly) many benefits of Maca on the entire Endocrine system and I still have high hopes so ordered from another company who doesn't sell raw Maca due to the reasons above. I believe Navitas also has a gelatinized version of the Maca but I bought one with DIM to prevent the overproduction of bad estrogen which can cause cancer in people with a family history. Hope this helps!

51 of 52 found the following review helpful:

Maca should not be eaten raw. Jan 31, 2012 By T. Lane
Maca powder = maca flour. I have cooked with maca flour ten years, as a baking and cooking ingredient/flavoring. In Peru, maca flour, or "harina de maca" is a relatively cheap regional culinary flour. Raw Reform is a great specimen of this culinary flour; ideal for cooking, an excellent nutty flavor, it's bitterness subsiding with heat. A decade ago I could buy 'harina de maca' for $8/kg (and in Peru, it's $2/kg) - now I see this same inexpensive Peruvian cooking flour sold as a "raw superfood" at an inflated price. It's very odd to have witnessed this metamorphosis.

The reason I gave this ONE star is simple - this company (among several others) suggests that you to eat it raw. Like other cruciferous roots, maca is particularly difficult to digest when raw. Not only is it fiber-dense, it also contains lots of goitrogens - that's why the raw root and it's flour is so bitter - so it's no wonder people have digestive and occasional hormonal (thyroid) complaints. Maca is dense in fiber and thyroid inhibiting/goitrogenic compounds (glucosinolates and isothyocyanates), both of which are lessened greatly or deactivated by heat. Other members of the genus lepidium have these chemicals, too - such as peppergrass (lepidium virginicum) a presence which is marked by the pungent, aromatic quality of the leaves and roots - a defining quality maca also shares. Among the people who grow it, maca is not considered healthy unless cooked. It is a paradox that the "raw food" crowd has gotten a hold of this vegetable that has always been, and by all accounts always should be cooked.

I have used the raw maca flour in cooking since 2002, and I still do. I use 'black gelatinized' maca, wherever therapeutic use is desired. Black root is the strongest type energetically and for sexual effects, in my opinion. 'Gelatinized' means that it's fiber has been removed, and goitrogens denatured. Gelatinized maca is about 6x concentrated over the powder / flour. The gelatinized product was developed specifically to address the digestion/goitrogen issue inherent with the root. That's the process' entire purpose - that's why it even exists. Back into antiquity, maca has had to be cooked in order to be gentle on digestion, on metabolism, and it has always been cooked traditionally for this purpose. If you want to use maca for therapeutic purposes, use a gelatinized product, or cook with the flour if you can find it inexpensively. I prefer the black root gelatinized maca, but the other colors have their charm, too. White macas are sweeter and more mellow, and red maca has a slightly different flavor, too.

If you do buy this product, do so with the intent of cooking with it as is done in Peru. There are many people these days telling you to eat it raw, to glean the mood, stamina, and sexual benefits which Andean people have known for thousands of years. Yet these merchants never mention how the plant has always been prepared - cooked - one of one most crucial aspects of it's identity. Why argue from antiquity about the health benefits, while ignoring the food's ethnobotany? It's a mix of mistaken understanding, and also because there's a lot of profit in this highly marked-up culinary flour.

157 of 176 found the following review helpful:

Unique Flavor, Not Feeling the Energy Yet Sep 12, 2007 By Jordan Weaver
I've waited to write a review until I finished my first bag of product; This way I could try it different ways and give a better opinion. First, let me say I've tried other products from Navitas, and they have been quality products. I've tried the Maca powder in lots of ways including smoothies, various raw dishes, and even straight from the bag.
Other than the normal energy you would get from eating any form of concentrated carbohydrates, I haven't noticed any other benefits. I think this product has a unique flavor that could enhance certain dishes if used in moderation. I also think it serves better as a natural sweetner similar to stevia (but better tasting in my opinion). Mixing this product with other carbs/sugars will cause an insulin spike in the blood which is not healthy. If you want to know more about how sugars and insulin affect us, I recommend reading http://www.drbass.com/rosedale.html
So I believe this is a good product as far as Maca goes, but I just haven't experienced the stated benefits for this high priced bag of starchy carbs. I've tried many natural energizer foods from Acai and Cacao (which has slight liver/kidney toxins), to Ginseng, Carob, Wheatgrass, etc. Maca energy value is low on the list for me.

106 of 120 found the following review helpful:

Seems to help a lot Feb 06, 2009 By ScotchyScotchScotch
Started taking a tablespoon, SlimFast, 8oz 1% milk for breakfast for the past two weeks.

Very diminished appetite, lost a surprising amount of weight. Sleep well, wake up sleepy but the weird thing is that once I get out of bed I'm ready to go with energy which feels really odd to me.

Have a better mental attitude but I'm also taking phytoplankton so I need to eliminate one of them to figure out the "magic".

I'm not saying this is the greatest stuff ever - I honestly don't know. I do know how I feel and it's much better then before I started taking it. I have a demanding stressful job and I feel more balanced then ever.

The taste is bitter and you'll need to mask it in something, especially if you grew up on "Americana" High Fructose Corn Syrup.

I think it's worth a try - give it a couple of weeks - judge for yourself.

One last thing about these reviews.

It REALLY seems like a bunch of these reviews are phony and/or "paid to review" which I find more distasteful then the bitterness of the product.

This "fakiness" review stuff is rampant on the internet - especially for health foods - and it's also blatantly dishonest.

So if Nativas is propagating this type of thing you should stop - all it does is give you short term gains and minimize your brand - if you have a good product them it should stand on it's own merits.

Not all people on the internet are sheep...

27 of 28 found the following review helpful:

Good suppliment for Hypothryoid issues and cold sensitivity Jan 22, 2009 By Heather Perry
If you happen to be hypothyroid, give this a shot. I read about it on several thyroid patient advocacy sites and in Brendan Brazier's Thrive book and gave it a chance. It has changed my life. I was suffering from extreme reactions to cold, a common symptom of thyroid disease, and I was going to have to move out of New York. One hit of cold air and I was exhausted for the rest of the day. Maca changed this. Now I stand outside and enjoy the snow. It's shocking the improvement. Be patient. It took about two weeks and 2 tbsp a day to feel a difference. I am an evangelist for this stuff now.

See all 112 customer reviews on Amazon.com