ArticleEvidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM2015
Effect of Lepidium meyenii Walp. on Semen Parameters and Serum Hormone Levels in Healthy Adult Men: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study.
Article in Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Maca (Frontiers in pharmacology · 2022Pooled it
- Examining the Effects of Herbs on Testosterone Concentrations in Men: A Systematic Review.Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) · 2021Pooled it
- The Promising Ability ofMolecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Pooled it
- Evaluation of the effect of Lepidium meyenii Walpers in infertile patients: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.Phytotherapy research : PTR · 2021Trial
- Phytochemical-based nanomedicine as a promising therapeutic strategy for erectile dysfunction.Asian journal of andrology · 2026Review
- Exploratory Review on Male Fertility Potential of Acetyl-Eugenol: Mechanistic Insights, Experimental Evidence, and Therapeutic Prospects.Journal of experimental pharmacology · 2026Review
- Effects of oral black Maca (The veterinary quarterly · 2025Article
- Review
- Is a Low Dosage of Medical Cannabis Effective for Treating Pain Related to Fibromyalgia? A Pilot Study and Systematic Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
- Not All Maca Is Created Equal: A Review of Colors, Nutrition, Phytochemicals, and Clinical Uses.Nutrients · 2024Review
- Influence of dietary supplementation withFrontiers in veterinary science · 2024Article
- Exploring the chemical and pharmacological variability ofFrontiers in pharmacology · 2024Review
- Deep Eutectic Solvent-Based Ultrasound-Assisted Strategy for Simultaneous Extraction of Five Macamides fromFoods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Bioactive compounds as potential alternative treatments to prevent cancer therapy-induced male infertility.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2023Review
- Use of Maca Powder (Veterinary sciences · 2022Article
- Influences of Dietary Supplementation with Maca (Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2022Article
- Comprehensive Profiling of Macamides and Fatty Acid Derivatives in Maca with Different Postharvest Drying Processes Using UPLC-QTOF-MS.ACS omega · 2021Article
- Effect of Herbal Medicine on Fertility Potential in Experimental Animals - an Update Review.Materia socio-medica · 2020Review
- Differentiation ofACS omega · 2019Article
- Chemical Analysis ofMolecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background/Aims. Products of Lepidium meyenii Walp. (maca) are touted worldwide as an alimentary supplement to enhance fertility and restore hormonal balance. Enhancing properties of maca on semen parameters in animals were previously reported by various authors, but we present to the best of our knowledge the first double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot trial in men. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of maca on semen parameters and serum hormone levels in healthy adult men. Methods. A group of 20 volunteers aged 20-40 years was supplied by milled hypocotyl of maca or placebo (1.75 g/day) for 12 weeks. Negative controls of semen were compared to the samples after 6 and 12 weeks of maca administration; negative blood controls were compared to the samples after 12 weeks of treatment. Results. Sperm concentration and motility showed rising trends compared to placebo even though levels of hormones did not change significantly after 12 weeks of trial. Conclusion. Our results indicate that maca possesses fertility enhancing properties in men. As long as men prefer to use alimentary supplement to enhance fertility rather than prescribed medication or any medical intervention, it is worth continuing to assess its possible benefits.
Identifiers
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.