Natural health: Hormones

Q. I have read a lot of information about using maca as a supplement to help with hormone health. I bought the powder, but it tastes awful. Is there any way I can disguise the taste?

A. Maca root (Lepidium meyenii) has a long standing reputation in balancing hormones in males and females but, as you have discovered, it doesn’t have a pleasant taste.

You have a few options. The first is to add it to smoothies — it mixes particularly well with rich natural foods such as bananas, dates, cinnamon, and cacao powder.

A nutty base (almond milk, or tahini with water) also works well. Although you will have a recommended daily dose, it is often advisable to work up to this in small increments. Even the small amounts will be doing some good, and adjusting your tastebuds to the new flavour along the way.

The second option is to make energy balls or raw fudge with the maca included. It is more difficult to work out the exact dosage but it can be done by calculating the total weights of the ingredients and working out how much is in each portion.

MACA ENERGY BALLS

* Mix a tablespoon of maca root powder with ½ cup of any nut or seed butter. Add ¼ cup of soaked dates (or you can use fresh dates, such as Medjool), ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, and 2-3 tablespoons of coarsely chopped apricots. Blend the mixture together in a food processor and when it is combined, roll it into bite-sized balls and coat these in dried coconut, hempseed meal, or sesame seeds. This makes about six balls.

RAW MACA FUDGE

* Use the same recipe as above, but instead of the apricots and cinnamon, add 2-3 tablespoons of whole goji berries, and 2 tablespoons of cacao powder.

You can also add a drop of peppermint or spearmint essential oil for an extra zing. Blend together along with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and then press the mixture into a flat square. Refrigerate, and then cut into squares.

Your third option is to invest in an encapsulating device and fill your own capsules with the maca. Size “0” capsules usually hold about 500mg. The two best ones on the market are The Capsule Maker and the Cap’M’Quik. This second machine is widely available on the internet !for around €15.

Q. I recall you recommending one of the B vitamins for relief of tinnitus some time ago, but I cannot remember which one I need to take and what dosage?

A. Tinnitus is an incredibly frustrating condition where the sensation of a sound in the ear or head appears without any external cause. It is usually described as a high-pitched ringing or buzzing noise, but can vary between individuals.

The B vitamin which I have recommended in the past is vitamin B12, which you will need to take as two doses of 1000mcg (micrograms; also written as ug or µg), for a total daily dosage of 2000mcg. Take this amount for a month, and then reduce the dosage to 1 x 1000mcg tablet per day.

This therapeutic dosage works because B12 is important in the production of the myelin sheaths which protect the nerve cells of the inner ear. Research has shown that most tinnitus sufferers are B12 deficient. Solgar make a 1000mcg vitamin B12 which costs €12.21 for 100 nuggets from health food stores.

* For further support and information contact the Irish Tinnitus Association on 01-8723800.