Maca consumption, inflammation marker IL-6 and health in high-altitude Peruvians
What it found
People living above 4000 meters who ate maca had lower levels of the inflammation marker IL-6 and higher self-reported health scores than those who did not.
They also performed better on a leg strength test.
What they found
Studies in people
Lower inflammation marker IL-6
People who consumed maca had lower blood levels of IL-6 than non-consumers. Those who ate maca within the past week had the lowest levels, averaging 1.61 pg/ml compared to 10.07 pg/ml in non-consumers.
Better self-reported health
Maca consumers scored higher on a 20-question health survey. Their overall health status score was better than that of people who did not eat maca.
Stronger legs in chair test
In a test of standing up from a chair five times, 96.5% of maca consumers succeeded compared to 60.86% of non-consumers. People with lower IL-6 levels were more likely to pass this test.
Lower mountain sickness scores
Maca consumers had lower scores for chronic mountain sickness, a condition linked to living at high altitudes. They also had lower systolic blood pressure than non-consumers.
Hormone ratio differences
The ratio of testosterone to estradiol was lower in maca consumers. Higher ratios of these hormones were linked to higher IL-6 levels and worse mountain sickness scores in this group.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that eating maca is linked to lower levels of the inflammation marker IL-6 in the blood.
- They say this lower IL-6 level is tied to better health scores, lower blood pressure and fewer signs of mountain sickness.
- They suggest maca could be a useful option for managing chronic mountain sickness but call for future studies that follow people over time.
How it was done
Living at very high altitudes can raise an inflammation marker called IL-6 in the blood, which may speed up aging and worsen health. The authors wanted to see if eating maca, a traditional local plant, was linked to lower IL-6 and better health.
They compared 50 adults aged 35 to 69 living at 4100 meters in Peru. Twenty-seven were maca consumers and 23 were not. They measured blood markers, blood pressure, hormone levels, leg strength and asked participants to fill out a health survey.
What it can’t tell you
- Because this study looked at people at one point in time, it cannot prove that eating maca caused the lower inflammation or better health. People who eat maca might have other habits that explain the difference.
- The study only included 50 people living at very high altitudes in Peru, so the results might not apply to shoppers living elsewhere.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by FIC NIH HHS (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- Conflict of interests: The authors have declared that no conflicts of interests exist.
- Authors work at
- Laboratory of Endocrinology and Reproduction, Peru
The paper
- Title
- Role of maca (Lepidium meyenii) consumption on serum interleukin-6 levels and health status in populations living in the Peruvian Central Andes over 4000 m of altitude
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Gonzales GF, Gasco M, Lozada-Requena I (2013). Role of maca (Lepidium meyenii) consumption on serum interleukin-6 levels and health status in populations living in the Peruvian Central Andes over 4000 m of altitude. Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands). doi:10.1007/s11130-013-0378-5Free full textPubMed 23934543DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error