Ashwagandha vs. Maca Root: Comparing Testosterone Benefits

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Ashwagandha and Maca Root are both well-known compounds that are supposed to boost testosterone naturally.

However, both have unique benefits and look promising in their separate ways. I decided to try them out and share that experience in this article.

This article will contain everything you need to know to decide whether to give Ashwagandha or Maca Root a shot.

In the practical information, I’ll discuss what the compound is, how it works, if it’s safe (who should avoid it), the (possible) benefits, and (possible) side effects.

Practical information about Ashwagandha

What is Ashwagandha?

Ashwagandha is a herbal supplement that can reduce stress, improve sleep quality, and positively affect testosterone production.

It’s made from a green shrub tree and can be found in parts of Asia and Africa.

The active ingredients in Ashwagandha are the withanolides.

There are three high-quality categories of Ashwagandha supplements available.

The Ashwagandha supplements I like best are from Nootropics Depot. I’ll put a link after the information to an in-depth review for each.

• ‍KSM-66 Ashwagandha has been deemed the king of full-spectrum Ashwagandha supplements (around 5% withanolides). Review.
• Sensoril Ashwagandha is especially great for balancing stress levels and supporting a healthy sleep pattern because it’s higher in Glycowithanolides (around 10% withanolides). Review.
• ‍Shoden Ashwagandha is a relatively new and highly purified full-spectrum Ashwagandha supplement (around 35% withanolides). Review.

How does Ashwagandha work?

Ashwagandha is a classified adaptogen that can help us handle stress better.

Taking it at night can help calm the body and reduce anxiety, improving sleep quality.

Ashwagandha can also positively affect testosterone by increasing the production of the luteinizing hormone. This hormone triggers testosterone production and supports our reproductive system.

Is Ashwagandha safe, and who should avoid it?

Ashwagandha supplements are non-toxic and safe to consume for most healthy adults.

Ashwagandha should be avoided by people with certain medical conditions, such as autoimmune disease, diabetes, low or high blood pressure, thyroid disorders, or stomach ulcers.

Ashwagandha is also best avoided by pregnant or breastfeeding women.

What are the benefits of Ashwagandha?

Ashwagandha can help with:

• Handling stress
• Improving the quality of sleep
• Reducing anxiety
• Boosting testosterone (thus improving muscle/ strength/ sexual desires/ mood/ body composition/ etc.)

What are the side effects of Ashwagandha?

In some uncommon cases, it may cause drowsiness, nausea, an upset stomach, diarrhea, or allergies.

More research is needed to pin down every possible side effect.

Practical information about Maca Root

What is Maca Root?

Maca is a plant that grows wild in the Andes Mountains and can be found in Peru.

It’s been used as a vegetable and traditional medicine for thousands of years. Some use cases are fertility problems, improving memory, etc.

It’s increasing popularity as a superfood for being a classified adaptogen, which means it can help us deal with stress. However, Maca Root has distinct properties beyond its effects as an adaptogen.

How does Maca Root work?

Maca root can promote a healthy metabolism and cells because it contains a high amount of iron and iodine.

More research on how maca root works in our bodies is needed to pin down how maca root causes a long list of other benefits.

Is Maca Root safe, and who should avoid it?

Maca is not currently associated with health risks in most people and is unlikely to cause any side effects in moderate doses.

Research has found maca root extract safe for up to 3 grams daily for four months. It’s possibly safe in more significant amounts or for a longer duration, but research hasn’t gone that far yet.

Maca root hasn’t been linked to any health risks in healthy people.

Maca root should be avoided by people with thyroid problems and other hormone-related conditions, such as uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids.

It may also be best to avoid maca root while pregnant (it hasn’t been tested for safety yet).

What are the benefits of Maca Root?

Maca root is a superfood that can help with:

• Overall health
• Sexual health and increasing libido
• Boosting energy and stamina
• Improving cognitive ability and memory
• A better immune system
• Alleviating symptoms during menopause

What are the side effects of Maca Root?

Little is known about the side effects of maca root in the short or long term. More research is needed to understand the possible side effects better.

My experience with Ashwagandha

I’ve been taking Ashwagandha (mainly KSM-66) daily for years. It’s one of my all-time favorite supplements because the benefits for me are numerous.

I take 600 mg of Ashwagandha KSM-66 within 2 hours before sleep.

Supplementing Ashwagandha has dramatically decreased my stress and anxiety, and I notice I can take on life more confidently.

My sleep quality improved because I fell asleep faster and slept noticeably deeper.

I also experienced testosterone-related benefits, such as more energy, better sexual health, faster results in the gym, etc.

My testosterone levels have improved slightly from Ashwagandha, but not nearly as much as from taking Tongkat Ali. You can read about Tongkat Ali here if you’re interested in boosting testosterone.

My experience with Maca Root

I’ve taken Maca Root long enough for possible benefits to be noticeable. However, I’ve not experienced significant changes in testosterone levels or more sex drive, energy, etc.

I believe that Maca Root can still be beneficial for overall health as a superfood to support a healthy immune system, cognitive function, etc.

Only an improvement in “overall health” is not something that I feel, so I honestly can’t say if it worked its magic.

Winner Ashwagandha versus Maca Root: Ashwagandha

From my experience, Ashwagandha has more pronounced benefits than Maca Root.

Ashwagandha positively affected my life by significantly improving my sleep, energy, libido, gym results, and testosterone.

It also worked wonders for decreasing stress and anxiety, enabling me to go harder in everything I do.

I didn’t “feel” the benefits of Maca Root in terms of testosterone or testosterone-related benefits.

However, Maca Root has many health benefits beyond testosterone, like boosting the immune system, improving cognitive ability and memory, alleviating symptoms during menopause, etc.

I believe Maca Root can be good for overall health.

Ashwagandha would be the clear winner if I had to choose one.

If you’d like to try both, you can take Ashwagandha and Maca Root together.

The Ashwagandha I take that has worked great over the years is the Ashwagandha KSM-66 from Nootropics Depot (two 300 mg pills daily). You can check it out here.

The Maca Root Extract I recommend, which is the best value for money, is from Bulk Supplements and can be found here.