Holland & Barrett Maca 1500mg Capsules, 90 Capsules
Maca 1500mg is a Peruvian root extract taken to help support sexual desire, stamina and energy, with a daily dose of three capsules.
Most people arrive at maca after reading that it lifts libido. It is one of the few supplements in that aisle with a genuine placebo-controlled trial behind it, and also one of the most oversold. The useful version is narrower and more interesting than the marketing: a root that improved desire in men over twelve weeks without touching their hormones, at a dose of three capsules a day rather than one.
The 1500mg on the Label Is Three Capsules, Not One
Each capsule contains 500mg of maca root extract. The 1500mg on the front of the pack is the daily dose: three capsules, taken with a meal. Ninety capsules in the bottle therefore give you thirty days, not ninety.
That matters for two reasons. If you take one capsule a day expecting the advertised amount, you are on a third of it, which is below what the trials used. And when you compare maca products by the number on the front, you are often comparing a daily dose against a per-capsule strength. The 500mg capsules on our shelf are the same size as one of these.
What Maca Has Been Shown to Do
Sexual desire in men is the finding with the best support. In a twelve-week placebo-controlled trial of 57 men aged 21 to 56, maca at 1.5 to 3 grams a day improved self-reported desire. Notably, testosterone did not change, so whatever maca is doing, it is not working as a hormone.
Sperm quality improved in men taking 1.5 to 3 grams daily over four months, in volume, count and motility, again with no change to hormone levels.
Sexual difficulty caused by antidepressants responded in a small study, but only at 3 grams a day — six capsules. At 1.5 grams there was no effect. If this is the reason you are buying it, the dose matters and it is worth discussing with whoever prescribed the antidepressant rather than stopping anything.
For erections specifically the evidence is weak. In the one trial, the placebo group improved too. Maca is a reasonable thing to try for desire; it is not a treatment for erectile dysfunction, and if erections are the problem, a doctor can look for causes worth finding — blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol among them.
What It Will Not Do
It will not raise testosterone. Every trial that measured hormones found them unchanged, so any product sold to you as a testosterone booster on the strength of its maca content is being sold on something maca does not do.
It is also not a menopause treatment. The North American Menopause Society reviewed the studies and found them too few and too weak to recommend it for hot flushes.
Who Should Not Take Maca
Anyone with a thyroid condition should avoid it. Maca belongs to the same plant family as cabbage and broccoli and contains glucosinolates, which in quantity and alongside a low-iodine diet can interfere with the thyroid.
Do not take it in pregnancy or while breastfeeding — not because harm is known, but because nobody has studied it in either, and there is no reason to be the test case.
Mention it to our pharmacist before you start if any of these apply:
- Blood pressure medicine — one study found maca lowered diastolic pressure, which is worth knowing if something else is already doing that.
- An antidepressant — see the dose note above, and raise it with your prescriber rather than adjusting anything yourself.
- Any thyroid medicine, or a known thyroid problem — this is a reason not to take it rather than a reason to adjust.
- Trying to conceive — worth a conversation, since maca is often bought for fertility and there may be more useful steps first.
Beyond that, maca is well tolerated. The trials record no pattern of adverse effects and there are no well-documented drug interactions.
How to Take It
Three capsules a day with a meal, which gives the 1500mg dose. Some people split them across the day rather than taking all three together; either is fine. Do not exceed three unless a clinician has told you to.
Give it eight to twelve weeks. The trials that found anything ran for twelve, and nothing in the evidence suggests a difference in the first few days. Maca is also mildly stimulating for some people, so if you find it lively, take it earlier in the day.
Raw Maca, Gelatinised Maca and Extracts
You will see three forms sold. Raw maca powder is the dried root, ground. Gelatinised maca has been heat-treated to break down the starch, which makes it easier on the stomach and is the form used in most of the trials. Extracts, like the one in these capsules, concentrate the root so the dose fits into a capsule instead of a tablespoon of powder.
For most people the capsule is simply more practical: no taste, no measuring, and a dose you can be sure of. If powder in porridge suits you better, that works too — what matters is getting to the same daily amount and staying with it long enough to judge.
Maca 1500mg or the 500mg Capsules?
Both are maca root and each capsule carries the same 500mg. The difference is how the pack is labelled and how many capsules you get for the money, so compare them on cost per thirty days rather than on the number printed on the front. Our pharmacist will do that arithmetic with you at the counter.
If the reason for buying is low desire that has come on recently, or alongside low mood, tiredness or a new medicine, that is worth a conversation before it is worth a supplement. Several common causes have straightforward answers and none of them is on this shelf.
What Is In the Capsule
Maca root extract (Lepidium meyenii), maltodextrin, a hydroxypropyl methylcellulose capsule shell, magnesium stearate and silicon dioxide. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Keep it sealed, dry and out of direct sun, and do not use it if the seal under the cap is broken.
Where to Buy Maca 1500mg in Kenya
Order online and we deliver countrywide, or collect from our pharmacy at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. We send orders to Nairobi and every neighbourhood around it — the CBD, Westlands, Parklands, Gigiri, Muthaiga, Runda, Rosslyn, Kitisuru, Lower Kabete, Lavington, Kileleshwa, Kilimani, Karen, Langata, South B, South C, Eastleigh, Buruburu, Donholm, Embakasi, Ngong Road, Kasarani, Roysambu, Zimmerman, Githurai, Ruaka, Banana Hill, Two Rivers, Village Market and Pride Lands — and across Kiambu, Thika, Juja, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Limuru and Ngong.
Beyond the capital we deliver to Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Athi River, Kitengela, Kajiado, Naivasha, Narok, Kericho, Bomet, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Siaya, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Vihiga, Webuye, Kitale, Nandi Hills, Iten, Kapenguria, Embu, Meru, Chuka, Kerugoya, Murang’a, Othaya, Nyahururu, Nanyuki, Maralal, Isiolo, Marsabit, Moyale, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Lodwar, Kitui, Mwingi, Makueni, Emali, Kibwezi, Voi, Taveta, Wundanyi, Mariakani, Diani, Ukunda, Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi, Lamu and Hola. Packed to travel, cool-boxed where the weather calls for it, and tracked from our counter to your door.
Across Africa, ask us before you order. We have sent orders to Uganda, Tanzania, Somaliland and as far as Malawi, and we will quote for Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of the continent. What we need to know first is your country’s import rules for food supplements and how long the parcel will be in transit; we will tell you plainly if a destination is not worth the shipping cost.
Living abroad? Order from wherever you are and we deliver to your family here in Kenya. Kenyans in the UK, the United States, Canada, South Africa and the Gulf order from us regularly for parents and relatives at home. You pay online from where you live, we deliver to their door anywhere on the list above, and we confirm with you once it has arrived. Give us their name, their phone number and the estate or town they live in, and we will do the rest.
Why Buy Your Maca 1500mg from HealthAlone Kenya?
HealthAlone is a pharmacist-led health ecosystem licensed by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, and our stock is original, sealed and correctly stored.
Ask our pharmacist before you buy, particularly if you take thyroid or blood pressure medicine, if you are on an antidepressant, or if low desire is recent rather than long-standing. We will tell you when maca is a sensible thing to try, when a different product suits better, and when the answer is to see our doctor instead.
It is one more step in our vision: building Africa’s most trusted health ecosystem, accessible to everyone, everywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many capsules of Maca 1500mg should I take a day?
Three, with a meal. Each capsule holds 500mg of maca root extract, so three of them make the 1500mg on the front of the pack. Ninety capsules give you thirty days.
Is each capsule 1500mg?
No. Each capsule is 500mg. The 1500mg refers to the daily dose of three capsules, which is a common way of labelling supplements and a common source of confusion when comparing products.
Does maca increase testosterone?
No. Every trial that measured hormones found testosterone unchanged, including the ones where men reported more desire. Whatever maca does, it does it without altering hormone levels, so a product sold as a testosterone booster on the strength of its maca is being sold on something maca does not do.
Does maca really improve libido?
It has the best evidence of anything in this category, which is a low bar but a real one. A twelve-week placebo-controlled trial in 57 men found improved self-reported desire at 1.5 to 3 grams a day. It is a reasonable thing to try, with realistic expectations.
Will it help with erectile dysfunction?
Probably not on its own. The one trial that looked at erections saw the placebo group improve as well. Difficulty with erections is often a sign of something worth investigating, including blood pressure, blood sugar or cholesterol, so it is worth seeing a doctor rather than working through the supplement shelf.
How long before I notice anything?
Give it eight to twelve weeks at the full three capsules. The trials ran for twelve weeks and nothing suggests a quick effect. If nothing has changed by then, maca is probably not your answer.
Can women take maca?
Yes, and the same dose applies. The strongest evidence is in men simply because that is where the larger trials were done. Women should avoid it in pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
Is maca safe with thyroid medicine?
Avoid it if you have a thyroid condition. Maca is in the cabbage and broccoli family and contains glucosinolates, which can interfere with the thyroid when taken in quantity alongside a low-iodine diet. Ask our pharmacist about an alternative.
Can I take it with my antidepressant?
Speak to your prescriber first. Maca helped sexual side effects from antidepressants in one small study, but only at 3 grams a day, and the sensible route is to raise it with whoever prescribed the medicine rather than adding to it quietly or stopping it.
Is it suitable for vegans?
Yes. The capsule shell is plant-based hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and the product is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
Where can I buy Maca 1500mg in Kenya?
From HealthAlone, online for delivery countrywide or over the counter at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. We deliver across Nairobi — the CBD, Westlands, Parklands, Gigiri, Muthaiga, Runda, Kitisuru, Lavington, Kilimani, Karen, Langata, South B, South C, Eastleigh, Kasarani, Roysambu, Githurai, Ruaka and Banana Hill — and to Kiambu, Thika, Juja, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Limuru, Ngong, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Kitengela, Naivasha, Narok, Kericho, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Kitale, Embu, Meru, Nanyuki, Nyahururu, Isiolo, Marsabit, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Lodwar, Kitui, Makueni, Voi, Taveta, Mariakani, Diani, Ukunda, Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi and Lamu. Outside Kenya we have delivered to Uganda, Tanzania, Somaliland and Malawi, and we quote for Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of Africa on request.
