The improvement of daily fatigue in women following the intake of maca (Lepidium meyenii) extract containing benzyl glucosinolate | Functional Foods in Health and Disease - Online ISSN: 2160-3855; Print ISSN: 2378-7007 Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer Open Menu Functional Foods in Health and Disease - Online ISSN: 2160-3855; Print ISSN: 2378-7007 Home Food Science Publisher Functional Food Center Current Archives About About the Journal Aims and Scope Contact Editing Services Editorial Team Express Peer Review Graphical Abstract Journal Insights Privacy Statement Submissions Announcements Search Search Register Login Home / Archives / Vol. 12 No. 4 (2022): April 2022 / Research Articles The improvement of daily fatigue in women following the intake of maca (Lepidium meyenii) extract containing benzyl glucosinolate Authors Atsushi Honma Kinos, Inc., 1-3-17 Shinkawa, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0033, Japan Yumi Fujiwara Department of Kampo Pharmaceutical Science, Nihon Pharmaceutical University, 10281 Komuro, Ina-machi, Kitaadachi-gun, Saitama 362-0806, Japan Shin Takei Kinos, Inc., 1-3-17 Shinkawa, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0033, Japan Takao Kino Kinos, Inc., 1-3-17 Shinkawa, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0033, Japan DOI: https://doi.org/10.31989/ffhd.v12i4.912 Abstract Background: Daily fatigue is a problem for many people because of its association with other illnesses. Maca has lately attracted considerable attention as a food for recovering from fatigue. Maca is high in benzyl glucosinolate which improves endurance capacity by preventing glycogen depletion. However, its effect on fatigue has not been investigated in clinical trials on humans. Objective: The main objective of this study is to investigate the effects of maca supplements on reducing fatigue. Methods: This study evaluated the effect of the consumption of maca extract containing benzyl glucosinolate (9.6 mg/day) on fatigue in adult women. This randomized, placebo–controlled, parallel–group double–blind study enrolled 60 subjects who were allocated to consume maca extract or placebo for 4 weeks. A visual analogue scale (VAS) for fatigue was used to evaluate the results. Blood variables and adverse events were used to assess safety. Results: In both groups, the VAS of fatigue was decreased after 4 weeks compared with that before consumption. On stratification analysis, in subjects younger than 45 years, the VAS was significantly lower in the maca group, and the change between before and after supplementation was significantly larger in this group.  Conclusions: It was suggested that intake of maca extract containing benzyl glucosinolate may have anti–fatigue effects in young women. So, maca supplements containing benzyl glucosinolate represent a food and drug candidate for reducing fatigue. Keywords: maca, Lepidium meyenii, benzyl glucosinolate, daily fatigue, visual analogue scale Downloads [Abstract] [Full Article] Published 2022-04-28 Issue Vol. 12 No. 4 (2022): April 2022 Section Research Articles License Authors retain the copyright of their articles and grant the Functional Food Center (FFC) and its journals the right of first publication under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, including commercial use, provided the original author(s) and source are properly credited. Authors may post and share their published work freely, provided that the original publication in this journal is acknowledged. By submitting to this journal, authors confirm that their manuscripts are original, not under consideration elsewhere, and that they hold the necessary rights to grant this license. The Functional Food Center encourages open scientific exchange and allows derivative and extended works, provided attribution to the original publication is maintained. About the Journal      Editing Services      Graphical Abstract      Journal Insights        Submissions        Editorial Team       Privacy Statement        Contact        Current        Archives   Open Journal Systems Hosting and Support by: OpenJournalSystems.com