Terrasoul Superfoods Organic Gelatinized Maca Powder, 16 Oz, Hormone Balance, Energy Boost, and Superfood Smoothies with Peruvian Maca Root, Gelatinized for Easy Digestion

I LOVE this maca powder. It is very finely ground and dissolves fairly easily with no clumping (of course no maca dissolves completely). I can stir it in with a spoon. It also tastes delicious, kind of malty and butterscotchy, and not bitter at all like some maca I have tried. I think this is the best maca I have tried, and while I am not a maca connosiuer, I have tried at least a half a dozen brands, including a couple with proprietary blends. It gives me energy and I can tell it improves my mood (subtly) and has a positive impact on my hormones by enhancing libido, easing PMS, etc. I am in my early 30's with 3 little kids, so I can use extra energy and a little more mojo sometimes! However, some people I know say that the libido effect is so pronounced that they don't like to give it to their husbands- lol :) This is also a really good deal for gelatinized maca. That is the only kind I buy. Not only is it several times more potent, it is easy to digest. I do eat a paleo/primal diet pretty strictly, and I noticed when I bought a packet of raw maca (unwittingly) that I had terrible stomach cramps afterwards. Never with this. I put this in my version of bulletproof coffee: 4 oz coffee, 2 Tbsp good butter, 2 Tbsp MCT (XCT) oil, 1 scoop Collagen peptides, 1 scoop Goat whey, 1 teaspoon Maca, 1 teaspoon raw cacao, 1 teaspoon reishi powder. I whiz it in my breville frother but you can put it in a blender too. It comes out super frothy and very delicious! This is my breakfast and it powers me through the morning. Sometimes I do pu-erh tea instead of coffee. Maca is also very delicious in smoothies and homemade lara bars.

I've been using Maca on and off for over five years now and have tried a few brands. With prices seeming to have risen since the last time I bought a batch, which was usually by the kilogram (2.2lbs) from my usual online supplier, I turned to Amazon to see if I could get a better deal. Terrasoul had a great price per pound, and good reviews. Granted, I've only tried a few brands previously, but when learning about Maca, I researched it a lot, and learned about its "constituent profile", its tonic/adaptogen-like effects, etc. And within 3-5 days of taking a heaping tsp/day I can tell whether the quality is good enough to affect my endocrine system enough to notice. Well, Terrasoul's got the goods. More energy, without feeling jittery, more endurance for my runs (I'm a long distance runner), and noticeable elevation of libido. For those who are familiar with Chinese Tonic Herbal Medicine, I would classify Maca as similar in effects to American Ginseng, as it boosts foundational "chi", but seems to have a Yin nature to it. There are primarily three sub varieties of Maca, black, red, and tan/cream colored. Each with somewhat slightly differing advantages to its benefits. I've read in the question and answer section for this product, that they use a blend of all three, so I'd consider it wide spectrum, as all three are combined into one product. I like that. I find it funny some people complaining about the taste. I guess whether something tastes good or not is pretty subjective, but I will say that Terrasoul's product smells and tastes like Maca should; butterscotch-ish, maybe bit of cocoa, and as one of my best friends described the smell upon his first time ever encountering maca, "Like whatever makes graham crackers smell and taste like graham crackers." It mixes well w/many things, chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, coffee, almond milk,etc, etc. There are plenty of great recipes online. Lastly, no matter what brand you choose, make sure the Maca is gelatinized, as its a cruciferious vegetable, and when taken in purely raw form can cause intestinal distress as well as problems with, hormone, and thyroid function (especially in females), as opposed to the gelatinized, which helps regulate/optimize the endocrine system, thyroid function, and makes it easier for the body to absorb and utilize correctly. It's actually more potent in this form as well, so you get more for your money.

Maca, traditionally is cooked. It has been found this makes it easier for the body to absorb. Gelatinizing maca cooks it in a precise way that maximizes the absorption and minimized nutrition loss. I'm pretty crafty so I looked into gelatinizing raw maca myself, since raw maca is cheaper. I decided it wouldn't be worth the trouble. There is quite a bit of info on the internet on why gelatinized maca is superior. Cooking it also burns off 30% of useless moisture that only rots it, so you are actually getting more maca for your money, not less, so even if you cooked it yourself, it still would be cheaper to get it pre-cooked. I have had maca from Nutivia before. Terrasoul was slightly cheaper, so I went with this brand this time, and I found it to be of equal quality: from the packaging, to the taste, to the consistency. Maca is fairly bitter and is best mixed with other foods such as fruit & protein smoothies. It blends particularly well with banana smoothies in my opinion. It also goes well with chocolate. By itself, I find it hard to consume. You can google for recipes online. Maca is considered a super food, and has natural adaptogens, which by leveling hormones, can act as a libido enhancer for both men and woman. It is also high in antioxidants and minerals. There is lots of research that can be googled about the health benefits of maca online so there's not need for me to cover that here. Hope that helps!