Maca dosage per day: how much maca should you take?

There is no single daily maca dose that suits everyone — and anyone who tells you otherwise is oversimplifying. What exists are specific doses used in clinical trials: 1.5 g and 3 g per day in adults, for 8 to 12 weeks, in small studies with mixed results ¹². No European authority has set a reference daily dose for maca, because there are no authorised health claims for this botanical ³.

In practice, your daily dose is whatever the label of the product you choose states per serving — and that is what you should compare with the doses studied, without ever treating study doses as dosing instructions. This article explains how to read the label without mistakes, what the evidence shows (and does not show), how long to give it before assessing, and when the decision should go through a healthcare professional.

Which maca doses have actually been studied?

The most cited reference is a randomised, double-blind pilot trial that compared 1.5 g/day with 3.0 g/day of maca in 20 adults (17 women, mean age 36) with SSRI antidepressant-associated sexual dysfunction ¹. Only the 3.0 g/day group showed significant improvement on sexual function scales; the 1.5 g/day group did not. The authors concluded that a dose-dependent effect may exist — but note that only 10 participants completed the study, which greatly limits the strength of this conclusion ¹.

In another randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 1.5 g and 3.0 g per day were given to healthy men aged 21 to 56 for 12 weeks. In these men, improvement in sexual desire was observed from 8 weeks onwards, with no changes in testosterone or estradiol levels ². This is relevant: maca does not appear to work through an increase in testosterone, and a 2024 systematic review on "testosterone boosters" included maca among the ingredients that, in most studies, do not increase total testosterone ⁴.

There is also a 90-day safety trial in people with metabolic syndrome that used only 0.2 g/day of maca in combination with silymarin ⁵ — a much lower dose than the previous ones and in a specific clinical context, so it is not a reference for the general population.

Why does the dose vary so much between products?

Because maca is not a vitamin or a mineral: it is a food root. This has three practical consequences.

• It has no reference value (NRV). The NRV percentage you see on labels applies only to vitamins and minerals with authorised claims in the EU ³. For maca, that percentage simply does not exist.
• There are no authorised health claims. Unlike vitamin C or zinc, botanicals have no approved claims under Regulation (EU) 432/2012 ³. You can only describe what the studies examined and found.
• The form matters. Powder, capsule and gummy do not have the same amount of maca per serving, because the available volume is different. A gummy includes maltitol, pectin, flavourings and other ingredients that take up space.

It is worth remembering that maca is a food: it is a root that you cook like a potato and that can be added as a powder to smoothies, yoghurt or porridge. When you can get maca through food, that is always the first option, because it comes with fibre and other compounds that the supplement does not have. A supplement is for filling a gap — when you cannot eat the amount you need or when convenience is essential. Gummies are a practical alternative for those who do not like the earthy taste of the powder, but bear in mind that a gummy may contain less maca than a spoonful of powder and that the added sugar counts.

How to read the label without getting the dose wrong

The most common mistake is confusing the dose per gummy with the dose per serving. See the example of a real product from the TuttiBear range:

What the label says	What it means
Maca (black and yellow): 400 mg	Amount per serving, not per gummy
Serving: 2 gummies	The daily dose is 2 gummies = 400 mg of maca
Directions: chew 2 gummies per day, preferably after a meal	Do not exceed this dose
60 gummies per pack	Lasts 30 days at the stated dose

Hormonal Balance Gummies therefore provide 400 mg of maca per serving of 2 gummies — well below the 1.5 g to 3 g used in the trials ¹². This comparison is informative, not an instruction: study doses are not dosing recommendations, and the label defines what you should consume.

If you are switching format, do not assume the dose is the same: compare the amount per serving on the gummy label with the one you were taking before. If the gummy provides 400 mg per serving and the capsule provided 1000 mg, you would need more gummies to match that amount — but only if the label allows it. If the label states "2 gummies per day", respect that instruction, even if it seems little to you.

If you are comparing formats, also read our analysis on maca gummies or tablets before assuming the dose is equivalent.

Does more maca mean more effect?

Not necessarily. In the trials that found effects, doses ranged from 1.5 g to 3 g per day ¹². Above that, there is no evidence that the effects increase — and there is a safety signal to consider: in a 90-day trial in people with metabolic syndrome, the group that received maca (0.6 g/day) showed a moderate increase in AST (liver enzyme) and diastolic blood pressure, although the study has limitations and the authors suggest that this effect may be attenuated by silymarin ⁵.

If you are thinking of taking 5000 mg or more per day, the right question is not "is it safe?" but "what for?". If the dose stated on the label is 1500 mg, taking double will not double the effect — at most, it will double the cost and the risk of side effects. Respect the stated dose and, if you feel it is not working, do not increase it on your own: talk to a healthcare professional.

This does not mean that maca is dangerous at usual doses, but it does mean that "more" is not automatically "better". If you feel gastrointestinal discomfort, headaches or changes in sleep, reduce or stop and talk to a healthcare professional. For a more detailed view, see our article on maca safety and side effects.

How long until you know if it is working?

The trials that showed effects used durations of 8 to 12 weeks ¹². In one of them, the improvement in sexual desire was only observed from 8 weeks onwards ². This gives you a practical reference: do not assess results in the first week.

A sensible approach is to keep the dose stated on the label for at least 8 weeks, record how you feel and only then draw conclusions. If after 12 weeks you notice no difference, it is possible that maca has no effect in your case — and that is a legitimate answer, given that the available evidence is weak and based on small samples.

Does maca help physical performance?

A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis examined 21 studies (16 included in the meta-analysis) on maca and physical performance in animals and humans, with results suggesting an effect, but with important heterogeneity between studies and most data coming from animal models ⁶. This does not allow us to state that maca consistently improves performance in people. If your goal is performance, see our training and performance section.

Maca and menopause: what is known about the dose?

A 2015 review on herbal preparations in menopause notes that efficacy against vasomotor symptoms was evidenced for pine bark, flaxseed and maca extracts, although the authors stress the need for larger prospective trials ⁷. The review does not specify a standardised daily dose for maca. If this is your context, it is worth reading our women's health page and talking to a professional before deciding.

When the dose should be decided by a professional

There are situations in which you should not adjust the dose on your own:

• Pregnancy or breastfeeding — the safety evidence is insufficient; see our article on maca during pregnancy.
• Taking medications (antihypertensives, thyroid hormones, antidepressants) — see the article on maca and medication interactions.
• Hormone-sensitive conditions or diagnosed disease — talk to your doctor.
• Children — there are no data that allow a dose to be recommended.

In any of these cases, the answer is not "take less": it is to talk to a healthcare professional who can assess your specific context.

Practical questions before choosing your dose

Before buying or adjusting, ask yourself these three questions: (1) What is the amount of maca per serving and how many gummies or capsules make up a serving? (2) Is the stated daily dose close to the doses studied (1.5–3 g) or is it much lower? (3) Does the product clearly state the form of maca (black, yellow, gelatinised) and the amount of extract? If the answer to the third question is "no", there is no way to compare it with the evidence.

To go further, see our ingredient page on maca and the article on how maca works according to science.

Frequently asked questions

What is the recommended daily dose of maca?

There is no officially recommended daily dose for maca, because there are no authorised health claims in the EU for this botanical. In clinical trials, the most used doses were 1.5 g and 3 g per day, in adults, for 8 to 12 weeks. Those doses are study references, not dosing instructions.

Can I take more than 3 g of maca per day?

There is no evidence that doses above 3 g per day bring more benefits. In a 90-day trial in people with metabolic syndrome, the group that received maca (0.6 g/day) showed a moderate increase in a liver enzyme and in diastolic blood pressure, although the study has limitations. If you are considering high doses, talk to a healthcare professional first.

How long does maca take to work?

In the trials that showed effects, durations were 8 to 12 weeks, and in one of them the improvement was only observed from 8 weeks onwards. A reasonable approach is to keep the dose stated on the label for at least 8 weeks before assessing. If you notice no difference after 12 weeks, it is possible that maca has no effect in your case.

Does maca increase testosterone?

The evidence does not support that idea. In a trial in healthy men aged 21 to 56, maca improved sexual desire without changing testosterone or estradiol levels. A 2024 systematic review on "testosterone boosters" included maca among the ingredients that, in most studies, do not increase total testosterone.

Is the maca dose in gummies the same as in tablets or powder?

Not necessarily. Gummies have less available space per unit, because part of the volume is taken up by maltitol, pectin and flavourings. So the amount of maca per serving may be lower than in a capsule or a spoonful of powder. Always compare the amount per serving on the label, not per gummy.

Who should not take maca without talking to a healthcare professional?

Pregnant women, women who are breastfeeding, children, people taking medications (for example, for blood pressure, thyroid or antidepressants) and people with hormone-sensitive conditions or diagnosed disease. In these cases, the safety evidence is insufficient to recommend a dose, so you should consult a doctor or pharmacist.