Maca, Hormones, and Hair Health

Maca is a root vegetable that is grown in Peru (1 Meissner). It has been used as a staple food and traditional medicine for centuries to help support healthy energy, hormones, sexual function, bone health, and aging (2 Meissner). In recent years, maca has become increasingly popular due to its potential to help the body adapt and cope with stressors, including hormonal changes that occur in perimenopause and menopause (3 Albon). Let’s dive deeper into how maca can help support women going through these transitional phases.

For many women, demystifying perimenopause vs menopause can be challenging. So what are the keys to knowing which phase you are in? One clue is what is happening with your periods. Perimenopause begins on average 3-5 years before menopause, when periods become more irregular due to changes in hormones like estrogen and progesterone. Once a woman is in menopause, periods stop for at least 12 months due to lower influence of those hormones (4 Delanerolle). During the menopausal transition, women can experiene things like both Both perimenopause and menopause share discomforts such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, sleep disturbances, and even hair changes (4 Delanerolle).

For some women, perimenopausal and menopausal discomforts , for some, can be manageable., However, Sometimes. changesbut often, ones that affect your physical appearance, like hair changes, can be the most disorienting. Women going through menopause often describe not recognizing themselves when they look in the mirror, or not feeling like themselves. distressing.

Research suggests that as estrogen and progesterone get lower, hair thickness and quality may be impacted due to changes in how much energy, nutrients, and oxygen get to the hair follicles, all of which are needed for healthy hair growth. In addition, lower estrogen and progesterone can allow testosterone-family hormones to influence the scalp more, which can lead to hair follicles becoming thinner, shorter, and smaller in size. SWe can also see that some long, thick, pigmented colored hairs become short, fine, and lighter in color (5 Gupta).

Other studies show that as estrogen and progesterone get lower, stress hormones are affected, which may lead to sleep disturbances and worsening of other signs of menopause menopausal discomforts like hot flashes, night sweats, and energy (6 Garg). Emotional dDistress from hair changes can increase stress hormones further, which can impact stress-related hair thinning and reduce hair growth (5 Gupta). This is why it is important to support healthy hormones in perimenopausal and menopausal women, which maca can may help with. 

Researchers have found that maca can support how the brain communicates with organs that make estrogen and progesterone, testosterone-family hormones, and stress hormones. By strengthening this connection, maca may help the body adapt and adjust the amount of hormones it makes on its own (1 Meissner, 2 Meissner). Studies show this action is achieved by the natural compounds in maca called plant sterols, which may also help relieve hot flashes and night sweats as well as sleep and mood disturbances (2 Meissner). Supporting healthy estrogen, progesterone, and stress hormone function can may also allow the hair follicles to spend more time in an active growth phase and decrease stress-related hair thinning (5 Gupta) .

Looking deeper into the research on maca finds As we look deeper into research, we find that it maca Maca has other properties that may help ease hormonal transitions indirectly. By acting as a rich source of antioxidants, maca may help protect against environmental toxins, support healthy energy, and relieve menopausal discomforts like hot flashes (7 Doshi, 8 Ulloa del Carpio). Food research shows that whole maca root can also supply the body with essential nutrients, including amino acids like lysine and methionine, and minerals such as iron and zinc. (8 Ulloa del Carpio, 9 Gonzales). These nutrients can support hair and scalp health, but also may impact menopausal discomforts such as hot flashes (10 MacDonald, 11 Rushton, 12 Zhu, 13 Nam SY).

Maca is a powerful, evidence-based, multi-targeted herb that is safe and well-tolerated (8 Gonzales, 1 Meissner). It can support women through many aspects of perimenopause and menopause by not only alleviating common discomforts, but also supporting healthier hair by easing hormonal transitions (2 Meissner), providing antioxidants to protect against environmental toxins (8 Ulloa del Carpio), and acting as a rich source of essential nutrients (9 Gonzales). With so many benefits, maca is a key ingredient within a valuable element of the Nutrafol’s Women’s Balance formulation, making this formula a great fit for women looking to target the hormonal transitions that trigger hair thinning during menopause.