{
  "dataset": "maca-cost-by-brand",
  "title": "Maca Supplements Compared — cost per day at the 3,000 mg dose the trials used, and whether the label names a colour",
  "sourcePage": "https://verifiedsupplementdata.com/maca/best-overall/",
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licenseUrl": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "attribution": "Verified Supplement Data (2026), Maca Cost & Colour-Disclosure Comparison",
  "dateModified": "2026-07-27",
  "methodology": "Maca is sold by the capsule but was studied by the gram. The trials reporting an effect on sexual desire dosed 1,500-3,000 mg/day, most commonly 3,000 mg (Gonzales 2002 PMID 12472620 used 1,500 and 3,000 mg; Dording 2008 PMID 18801111 found 3.0 g/day effective where 1.5 g/day was not). A higher 3,300 mg/day appears in the maca literature but comes from a postmenopausal trial measuring hormones, blood pressure and depression rather than desire (PMID 24931003), so it is not part of the desire dose range. costPerDayAtStudied = cost to reach 3,000 mg/day; costPerDayAtLow = cost at 1,500 mg/day; daysPerContainer = how long the bottle lasts at 3,000 mg/day, which is typically a quarter of the advertised serving count. Only products whose label discloses BOTH mg-per-serving AND servings-per-container are included, because cost per studied dose is not computable without both — a large share of the maca market discloses neither and is therefore absent rather than estimated. \"verdict\" records whether the label names a colour phenotype (black / red / tri-color) or is silent (unspecified); colour matters because phenotypes differ in chemistry and most trials used one colour (Nutrients 2024 PMID 38398854). Colour disclosure describes what you can VERIFY you are buying, not proven efficacy. EVIDENCE CONTEXT: the best-supported effect is on self-reported sexual desire, and it is modest and from small trials (systematic review, Shin 2010 PMID 20691074, found only 4 RCTs and called the evidence limited). Maca does NOT raise testosterone (PMID 12472620; systematic review of testosterone boosters PMID 37697053) and a meta-analysis found no clear effect on semen quality (PMID 36110519). This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA; these products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.",
  "headline": {
    "productsCompared": 3,
    "studiedMgPerDay": 3000,
    "lowTrialMgPerDay": 1500,
    "colorSpecified": 1,
    "colorUnspecified": 1,
    "thirdPartyCertified": 0,
    "cheapestPerDay": 0.35,
    "cheapestBrand": "Nutricost",
    "priciestPerDay": 0.75,
    "note": "At 3,000 mg/day a 750 mg capsule is four capsules, so a \"180 servings\" bottle is a 45-day supply. 0 of 3 tracked products carry any third-party certification."
  },
  "columns": [
    "brand",
    "product",
    "slug",
    "form",
    "verdict",
    "mgPerServing",
    "servings",
    "price",
    "costPerServing",
    "capsulesPerStudiedDose",
    "costPerDayAtStudied",
    "costPerDayAtLow",
    "daysPerContainer",
    "thirdParty"
  ],
  "units": {
    "mgPerServing": "mg maca root per serving (disclosed)",
    "price": "USD",
    "costPerServing": "USD/serving",
    "costPerDayAtStudied": "USD/day to reach 3,000 mg",
    "costPerDayAtLow": "USD/day to reach 1,500 mg",
    "daysPerContainer": "days per container at 3,000 mg/day"
  },
  "citations": [
    {
      "claim": "Sexual desire improved from week 8 at 1,500 or 3,000 mg/day; serum testosterone and estradiol were no different from placebo.",
      "source": "Gonzales GF, et al. 2002, Andrologia",
      "pmid": "12472620"
    },
    {
      "claim": "Systematic review of maca for sexual function: only 4 RCTs, limited evidence, too few trials and too small a sample to draw firm conclusions.",
      "source": "Shin BC, et al. 2010, BMC Complement Altern Med",
      "pmid": "20691074"
    },
    {
      "claim": "3.0 g/day improved SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction scores where 1.5 g/day did not (dose-finding pilot, n=20).",
      "source": "Dording CM, et al. 2008, CNS Neurosci Ther",
      "pmid": "18801111"
    },
    {
      "claim": "Most marketed \"testosterone boosters\", maca included, do not raise serum total testosterone.",
      "source": "Systematic review, 2024, Int J Impot Res",
      "pmid": "37697053"
    },
    {
      "claim": "Meta-analysis found no clear effect of maca on sperm concentration (WMD 2.22, 95% CI -2.94 to 7.37, p=0.4).",
      "source": "Lee HW, et al. 2022, Front Pharmacol",
      "pmid": "36110519"
    },
    {
      "claim": "Maca colour phenotypes differ in phytochemistry; colour, origin and post-harvest processing affect composition, and research separating the colours remains limited.",
      "source": "Nutrients 2024, \"Not All Maca Is Created Equal\"",
      "pmid": "38398854"
    }
  ],
  "products": [
    {
      "brand": "Nutricost",
      "product": "Maca Root 750 mg (180 Capsules, 180 Servings)",
      "slug": "nutricost-maca-750",
      "form": "Capsule",
      "mgPerServing": 750,
      "servings": 180,
      "price": 15.95,
      "costPerServing": 0.09,
      "capsulesPerStudiedDose": 4,
      "costPerDayAtStudied": 0.35,
      "costPerDayAtLow": 0.18,
      "daysPerContainer": 45,
      "verdict": "unspecified",
      "thirdParty": "None claimed"
    },
    {
      "brand": "NusaPure",
      "product": "Maca Root Black, Red & Yellow 750 mg (180 Vcaps, 180 Servings)",
      "slug": "nusapure-maca-tricolor-750",
      "form": "Vegetarian capsule",
      "mgPerServing": 750,
      "servings": 180,
      "price": 30,
      "costPerServing": 0.17,
      "capsulesPerStudiedDose": 4,
      "costPerDayAtStudied": 0.67,
      "costPerDayAtLow": 0.33,
      "daysPerContainer": 45,
      "verdict": "tri-color",
      "thirdParty": "None claimed"
    },
    {
      "brand": "NusaPure",
      "product": "Peruvian Black Maca Root 750 mg (200 Veg Capsules, 200 Servings)",
      "slug": "nusapure-black-maca-750",
      "form": "Vegetarian capsule",
      "mgPerServing": 750,
      "servings": 200,
      "price": 37.5,
      "costPerServing": 0.19,
      "capsulesPerStudiedDose": 4,
      "costPerDayAtStudied": 0.75,
      "costPerDayAtLow": 0.38,
      "daysPerContainer": 50,
      "verdict": "black",
      "thirdParty": "None claimed"
    }
  ]
}