The ‘superfood’ you’ve never heard of that ‘gives you a Kim K-esque bum and boosts your sex life’

It should give you a perky butt, echoing the curves of Kim Kardashian and co.

But doctors are now warning that maca — aka the superfood you’ve never heard of — may not be so good.

Capsules and powders containing the root vegetable, which is only found deep in the Peruvian Andes, are flogging online for as little as £5.

In addition to being sold with promises of creating a bigger buttocks and wider hips, sellers also claim that maca can boost fertility and improve mood.

Still, experts warned today that there is “little evidence” to support these claims.

Advertisements online whipping up the powder also claim the supplement can help improve curvature and “wider hips.” In an ebay ad, seller @lafruta, who has sold more than 6,000 items, claimed that users should “take three units a day, before meals if possible.” The two month supply of ‘women only’ pills cost about £39.61 ($51.48)

In another ad from the same seller, a three-month supply of 8.9 oz (252 g) of powder promised “bigger booty,” “wider hips,” and “thicker legs.”

Maca has an impressive nutritional profile, including fiber, essential amino acids, vitamin C, copper and iron.

The root of the plant is taken as a capsule or, more commonly, dried and ground into a fine powder, which can be added to smoothies, juices, baked goods and plant-based milks.

Used for 2000 years as a natural remedy for the treatment of ailments such as respiratory and joint problems, limited research has also shown that the root powder can improve sexual function and fertility.

A 2010 review found that maca might improve erectile dysfunction in men and have a positive effect on sexual function in menopausal women by increasing energy levels.

2020, scientists in Spain, who tested its effect in 69 men, half of whom took 2g per day for 12 weeks, found that it increased sperm count – although there were no effects on sperm volume or mobility.

Advertisements online whipping up the powder also claim the supplement can help improve curvature and “wider hips.”

In an ebay ad, seller @lafruta, who has sold more than 6,000 items, claimed that users should take “three units a day, before meals if possible” to “increase stamina, increase muscle mass” and relieve stress. light up.

The two-month ‘women-only’ supply of pills priced at around £40 ($53) would also help ‘grow your hips and bum’, it said.

The packaging was not clear about the quantity of a ‘unit’.

In another ad from the same seller, a three-month supply of powder of 8.9 oz (252 g) promised “bigger booty,” “wider hips,” and “thicker legs.”

The 75-day supply costing around £31 ($41) would also “protect against osteoporosis,” it claimed.

However, Joshua Gibbs, a plant-based nutrition researcher at the University of Warwick, told MailOnline, “I wouldn’t recommend anyone take maca supplements at the moment for two main reasons.

First, despite a handful of studies demonstrating improved sexual function, including improvements in sexual desire and erectile dysfunction, the number of studies and overall sample size are too small to draw definitive conclusions about the supplement’s effectiveness and safety.

‘This is exacerbated by poor methodological quality, which makes us less confident about the findings.

“More robust studies are needed before we can make confident recommendations.”

He added: “Secondly, maca has been reported to cause psychological symptoms such as mood swings, anxiety, hallucinations and even addictive behaviors in some people.

“In general, the potential benefits of maca supplementation currently outweigh the risks.”

But the supplement has become a firm favorite of some Hollywood stars.

Friends star Jennifer Aniston and Victoria’s Secret Angel Miranda Kerr have both previously revealed that they use the powder to mix it into smoothies.

Friends star Jennifer Aniston (left) and Victoria’s Secret Angel Miranda Kerr (right) have both previously revealed that they use the powder to mix it into smoothies

The ad on ebay, by seller @lafrutato, also claimed the root vegetable could help “increase stamina, increase muscle mass” and relieve stress

The 75-day supply of maca costing around £31.30 ($40.68) may also ‘protect against osteoporosis’, the eBay seller claimed

It should give you a perky butt, echoing the curves of Kim Kardashian (pictured) and co. But doctors are now warning that maca — aka the superfood you’ve never heard of — is just snake oil

In an interview with Well+Good in 2021, Ms. Anniston said she makes chocolate almond milk, cinnamon, cocoa, matcha powder and spinach with macabre.

Ms. Kerr told Net-A-Porter in 2013 that she includes maca powder in her morning shake because it’s “really energizing and revitalizing.” She also adds coconut water, acai and raw cocoa powder, goji berries, spirulina, chia seeds and vegan rice powder.

Videos on TikTok extorting the benefits of the “hormone-balancing supplement” and “holy grail of fertility” have also been viewed more than 3.3 million times on the platform.

In a video that has been viewed more than 17,000 times, @rachelsheppick, who boasts more than 57,000 followers and 6.6 million likes, claimed the supplement was a “powerhouse.”

‘Do you want more sex? Drink maca. Improve [your] mood and energy? Drink maca,” she wrote.

She added, “Produce a higher sperm count? Drink maca. Help manage anxiety and depression? drinking maca.’

Meanwhile, in an over 18,000-viewed video, @luisafranzen claimed that “superfood” is “great for women’s health.”

The powder is “great for when you’re going through stressful times” and “helps with your concentration and calms your nervous system,” she said.

Dr. However, Duane Mellor, a registered dietitian and senior lecturer at Aston University, also told MailOnline: “There are many claims that maca is a superfood.

“Almost all of this work, however, is from animals, mainly in rats and mice, with almost no evidence from human studies.

“There is little evidence regarding dosage and side effects.”

A 2012 clinical study trial by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases — which is part of the US National Institutes of Health — also suggested that while side effects from the powder are “uncommon and mild,” it could cause gastrointestinal symptoms and headaches.