What do the states mean?+
- Solid: well studied, and it works.
- Half-there: the science is still forming.
- A ghost: almost no real studies.
- Hollow: well studied, and it does not work.
- A cord: the pair itself has been tested together.
- Air: nobody has ever tested this pair.
The full scoring method: How we score
Maca benefits: where the science stands
For testosterone and libido: not settled yet.
Testosterone and libido are what most people take maca root for, and the strongest evidence says it does not help: a combined review covering 2 trials found no real difference. As of August 2026, the verdict on this page rests on evidence from 2 trials, drawn from the strongest research among the 22 papers on PubMed that mention maca root. Every claim is checked below.
22 papers on PubMed · evidence from 2 trials
Claim by claim
- Testosterone and libidoThe science is still forming. No real difference found so far.
Pairs people ask about
The source we read
- 2024Meta-analysis · pools 2 trials · no clear effect on testosterone and libidosource
Chosen as the strongest evidence out of 22 papers on PubMed. Every row links to its paper.
Fair questions
Does maca root work?+
For testosterone and libido, it is not settled. No real difference found so far.
Is maca root safe?+
No caution is recorded on this page. That is not a safety guarantee; the studies we read were not safety trials.
Why only 1 source, when PubMed lists 22?+
The 22 is every paper that mentions maca root in any way: animal studies, blood measurements, papers where it is a side note. The strongest sources are combined reviews, and each one already gathers every trial its authors could find. Our 1 cover 2 trials between them, and every one is linked above. Both counts are measured, not estimated.