There I was high in the Andes Mountains in Peru in an area the locals called Puna. It was barren and covered with rocks. The plants were all stunted. I didn’t see any that were higher than about a foot tall. It was so windy it almost knocked me off my feet a few times.
Fortunately, the day was clear and beautiful… but I knew we would be going up over 10,000 feet, so I was careful before I went. I used a native root to help me get used to the thin mountain air.
I was the only one in our party who didn’t get what the locals call soroche, or altitude sickness.
I used it again when I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, and I was the only one on that expedition who didn’t get altitude sickness.
The root I used is called maca, and it turns out that not only does the plant it comes from adapt to high altitude, but when you eat it, the root passes that ability on to you.
It does more than just help you adjust to altitude, though. Peruvian maca has the remarkable property of improving oxygen transport in your body. This increases endurance, energy levels, and mental clarity.
It’s one of the only foods that can survive the frost at high altitudes. It even grows faster as the temperature gets colder. It grows low to the ground, and huddles together making mats on the ground.
Part of the reason maca is so effective at improving the way you use oxygen is its malic acid. It helps cells use sugar for fuel when oxygen levels are low.
Living high up in the Andes is tough, and oxygen is scarce. At 14,000 feet, your oxygen levels are going to be low. Maca is also rich in iron, which you need to make blood and facilitate oxygen transport.
But even if you’re not climbing up into high altitude, you can benefit from maca during other activities. Maca would be great to use before you go skiing. Or you can use it before you work out. Ancient Peruvians fed maca to their armies to improve endurance and stamina.
Or how about if you go snorkeling? If you take maca, you can go down deeper in the water because your body is going to get better oxygenation.