Black vs Red vs Yellow Maca: Differences and Benefits

Maca is a root vegetable grown high in the Peruvian Andes, and it comes in different colors. Black, red and yellow maca are the three sold most often, and each is said to do something different. This guide covers what makes the colors different, what research shows for black maca benefits, red maca and yellow maca, how gelatinized and raw maca powder differ, how much has been studied, and how to choose.

It is educational, not medical advice.

Key Takeaways

• Same plant, different colors: 13 colors of maca have been described, from white to black. In one harvest, about half the roots were yellow, 16 percent black and 9 percent red or purple.
• Different compounds: the colors carry different amounts of macamides, glucosinolates and other compounds.
• Black and red in people: in a 12-week trial in 175 adults, both black and red maca extracts improved mood, energy and quality of life scores compared with placebo; red maca did best for mood and energy.
• Black maca in animals: black maca raised sperm counts in rats and mice and improved memory in mice.
• Gelatinized maca: maca cooked under moist heat and pressure so its starch breaks down.

Why Does Maca Come in Different Colors?

Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a cruciferous plant, in the same family as broccoli and radishes, grown between 4,000 and 4,500 meters in the central Andes of Peru. The part people eat is the swollen root, called the hypocotyl. In the Junin highlands, 13 colors of maca have been described, ranging from white to black (Gonzales, 2012).

The colors grow together in the same fields. In one Junin harvest, black, yellow and purple or red roots made up about 16, 48 and 9 percent of the crop (Meissner et al., 2006). Traditionally, people in the highlands eat a mixture of colors (Gonzales, 2012).

Color matters because the roots differ in their compounds. In a controlled planting at 4,130 meters, color type changed the levels of most compounds measured: lead-colored roots were rich in glucosinolates, yellow roots in macaene and violet roots in macamides (Clément et al., 2010). Comparing extracts, black maca had more fatty acids and macamides than red maca, while red maca had more GABA (Gonzales-Arimborgo et al., 2016).

Black Maca Benefits

Black maca is the color studied most in animals:

• Sperm counts in rats. Black maca extract raised sperm counts in rats within days, without changing testosterone in the testes after 7 days (Gonzales et al., 2006).
• Black compared with yellow in mice. Black maca gave higher sperm counts than yellow maca, while yellow maca had more antioxidant activity (Inoue et al., 2016).
• Memory in mice. Black maca extracts improved learning and memory in mice given a drug that impairs memory (Rubio et al., 2007).

In people, black maca was tested against red maca and placebo in a randomized, double-blind trial. 175 adults living at low or high altitude took 3 g a day of black maca extract, red maca extract or placebo for 12 weeks. Both maca extracts improved mood, energy and health-related quality of life scores compared with placebo, and both were well tolerated (Gonzales-Arimborgo et al., 2016).

Results in animals do not always carry over to people, so read the animal findings as early research.

Red Maca Benefits

• Mood and energy in people. In the same 175-adult trial, red maca did better than black maca for mood and energy. By week 12, more than 90 percent of people taking red maca reported more energy (Gonzales-Arimborgo et al., 2016).
• Prostate size in rats. Red maca, but not yellow or black maca, reduced prostate size in rats, and none of the three changed testosterone or estradiol levels (Gonzales et al., 2005).

Yellow Maca

Yellow maca is the most common color in the field. In the mouse comparison above, yellow maca had more antioxidant activity than black maca (Inoue et al., 2016). Human trials of maca in general include:

• Sexual desire in men. In a 12-week trial, men aged 21 to 56 took 1,500 mg or 3,000 mg of maca a day or placebo. Self-reported sexual desire improved from week 8, and testosterone and estradiol did not change (Gonzales et al., 2002).
• Women after menopause. In a crossover trial, 14 women after menopause took 3.5 g of maca a day for 6 weeks. Scores for mood symptoms and sexual concerns improved compared with placebo, with no change in hormone levels (Brooks et al., 2008).

Our maca root extract guide covers maca in general in more detail.

For what maca trials measured overall, including energy, sexual desire and sperm quality, see our guide to maca root benefits. For mushrooms and male hormones, see do mushrooms affect testosterone levels. To see how maca compares with ashwagandha, our guide to maca vs ashwagandha covers energy, stress and taking them together.

Black vs Red vs Yellow Maca at a Glance

	Black maca	Red maca	Yellow maca
Share of one harvest	About 16 percent	About 9 percent (red or purple)	About 48 percent
Compounds	More fatty acids and macamides than red	More GABA than black	Rich in macaene
Human research	Mood, energy and quality of life in a 12-week trial	Best results for mood and energy in the same trial	Most general maca research, including sexual desire in men
Animal research	Sperm counts and memory	Prostate size in rats	Antioxidant activity

Which Maca Is Best for Men and for Women?

How the research lines up:

• For men: black maca is the color studied most for sperm counts, in animals. In people, maca improved sexual desire without changing testosterone. If testosterone is your interest, see our guide to supplements to support testosterone.
• For women: red maca had the best mood and energy results in the trial that included both men and women, and maca improved mood and sexual concern scores in women after menopause.
• For everyday use: yellow maca is the most common color, and in the highlands people traditionally eat a mix of colors.

Gelatinized vs Raw Maca Powder

• Raw maca powder is dried, ground root that has not been cooked. In the highlands, people traditionally boil maca before eating it and avoid it fresh (Gonzales, 2012).
• Gelatinized maca is maca root that has been exposed to moist heat and pressure, a process called extrusion, then dried and ground. This breaks down its starch and is meant to make it easier to digest (Meissner et al., 2006).
• Maca extract concentrates the root. In earlier trials reviewed by Gonzales, maca extract appeared to give better results for sexual desire than gelatinized maca or maca flour (Gonzales, 2012).

How Much Maca to Take

What was studied	Amount	How long
Black or red maca extract (adults)	3 g a day	12 weeks
Maca (men)	1,500 or 3,000 mg a day	12 weeks
Maca (women after menopause)	3.5 g a day	6 weeks

In the 175-adult trial, people at low altitude reported more energy from week 2, and in the trial in men, desire improved from week 8. Take maca daily and give it several weeks. Follow your label. Shilajit trials also ran for weeks; see how long it takes for shilajit to work.

Maca Side Effects and Safety

• Well tolerated in trials. In the 175-adult trial, there were no serious side effects with black or red maca, and no one stopped because of a side effect (Gonzales-Arimborgo et al., 2016).
• Cook it or choose a processed form. Traditionally maca is boiled before eating rather than eaten fresh.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding. Pregnant women were not included in the 175-adult trial. Check with your healthcare provider first.
• Medicines and health conditions. Ask your clinician before starting maca if you take regular medication or have a health condition.

Where Clarity Capsules Fit

Our Clarity Capsules are a daily focus formula: per 2-capsule serving, 200 mg maca root extract and 200 mg epimedium extract alongside lion's mane, bacopa, rhodiola and huperzine A, caffeine-free and made with third-party tested ingredients. The amounts are not directly comparable to the studies above; take it as directed, two capsules in the morning. Questions are answered on the Clarity FAQ. Maca is often paired with horny goat weed, and our horny goat weed guide covers that pairing. For more on maca's place among adaptogens, read benefits of adaptogens, and if you are looking at adaptogens more broadly, Forage is our mushroom and adaptogen blend.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between black, red and yellow maca?

They are colors of the same plant, grown in the same fields, with different amounts of compounds such as macamides, glucosinolates and GABA. Yellow is the most common; black and red are less common.

What are the benefits of black maca?

In a 12-week trial, black maca extract improved mood, energy and quality of life scores compared with placebo. In animal studies, black maca raised sperm counts and improved memory.

Is red maca or black maca better?

In the one trial that compared them in people, red maca did better for mood and energy, and both improved quality of life scores.

Which maca is best for women?

Red maca had the best mood and energy results in a trial that included women, and maca improved mood and sexual concern scores in women after menopause.

Does maca raise testosterone?

In a 12-week trial in men, maca improved sexual desire without changing testosterone or estradiol, and red maca did not change either hormone in rats.

What is gelatinized maca?

Maca root cooked under moist heat and pressure so its starch breaks down, then dried and ground. It is meant to be easier to digest than raw maca powder.

How long does maca take to work?

In the trials, more energy was reported from week 2 and more desire from week 8. Take it daily for several weeks.

Is maca safe?

Black and red maca extracts were well tolerated for 12 weeks with no serious side effects. Check with your clinician first if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or take medication.

Sources

• Gonzales GF. Ethnobiology and ethnopharmacology of Lepidium meyenii (maca), a plant from the Peruvian highlands. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012. PubMed 21977053
• Meissner HO, et al. Short and long-term physiological responses of male and female rats to two dietary levels of pre-gelatinized maca (Lepidium peruvianum Chacon). Int J Biomed Sci. 2006. PubMed 23674962
• Clément C, et al. Influence of colour type and previous cultivation on secondary metabolites in hypocotyls and leaves of maca (Lepidium meyenii Walpers). J Sci Food Agric. 2010. PubMed 20355123
• Gonzales-Arimborgo C, et al. Acceptability, safety, and efficacy of oral administration of extracts of black or red maca (Lepidium meyenii) in adult human subjects: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2016. PubMed 27548190
• Gonzales GF, et al. Effect of black maca (Lepidium meyenii) on one spermatogenic cycle in rats. Andrologia. 2006. PubMed 16961569
• Inoue N, et al. Effect of butanolic fraction of yellow and black maca (Lepidium meyenii) on the sperm count of adult mice. Andrologia. 2016. PubMed 27681648
• Rubio J, et al. Aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts of black maca (Lepidium meyenii) improve scopolamine-induced memory impairment in mice. Food Chem Toxicol. 2007. PubMed 17543435
• Gonzales GF, et al. Red maca (Lepidium meyenii) reduced prostate size in rats. Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2005. PubMed 15661081
• Gonzales GF, et al. Effect of Lepidium meyenii (maca) on sexual desire and its absent relationship with serum testosterone levels in adult healthy men. Andrologia. 2002. PubMed 12472620
• Brooks NA, et al. Beneficial effects of Lepidium meyenii (maca) on psychological symptoms and measures of sexual dysfunction in postmenopausal women are not related to estrogen or androgen content. Menopause. 2008. PubMed 18784609

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This content is for education and is not medical advice. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Talk with a healthcare provider before starting a new supplement if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking medication.