How Does Maca Work? Macamides, Anandamide and the Endocannabinoid System

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By Dr Corin Storkey, co-founder of Seleno Health · Updated November 2026

Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a root vegetable from the high Andes of Peru that has been used as food and traditional medicine for centuries. Much of the current research into how maca works focuses on a group of compounds found only in maca, called macamides, and how they interact with the body's endocannabinoid system (ECS). So what are macamides, how are they formed, and what does the science say?

Key takeaways

Macamides are fatty-acid compounds unique to maca, formed mainly during traditional post-harvest sun-drying.
They are structurally similar to anandamide, one of the body's own endocannabinoids.
In lab studies, macamides inhibit FAAH, the enzyme that breaks down anandamide, an indirect way of supporting the ECS.
Our University of Otago research found macamides bind cannabinoid receptors only weakly and do not activate them, supporting this indirect mechanism.
Most of this evidence is from laboratory studies; research in people is still limited.

What are macamides?

Macamides are fatty-acid amides found only in maca. Their structure is very similar to anandamide, the endocannabinoid sometimes called the "bliss molecule". Many different macamides have been identified, each with slightly different properties. Traditionally, Andean growers sun-dry maca for around three months after harvest and then cook it before eating. Research has since shown that this drying process is when most macamides form, through a biochemical reaction in the drying root. That is one reason the way maca is grown and prepared matters, and why macamide levels vary widely between maca products.

Anandamide, our bliss molecule, and Macamides have very similar chemical structures.

How do macamides work?

Macamides are best described as indirect cannabinoid modulators. Rather than acting like a cannabinoid themselves, they appear to help protect the body's own endocannabinoids. Anandamide is broken down quickly by an enzyme called FAAH (fatty acid amide hydrolase), especially during inflammation and stress. Laboratory studies have shown that several macamides inhibit FAAH (Alasmari et al., 2019), which in principle allows anandamide to stay active for longer.

Our own research with the University of Otago confirmed that our MCB Oil and purified macamides inhibit FAAH in lab assays, and found that macamides bind cannabinoid receptors only weakly and do not switch them on. Read the full findings in Maca research in New Zealand: what our University of Otago studies found.

Anandamide helps regulate the body's stress-response systems, including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This offers a plausible explanation for why maca has traditionally been valued as an adaptogen, a food that helps the body adapt to stress. Studies measuring anandamide levels in people taking maca are still lacking, so this link is an active area of research rather than a proven effect. Andean tradition puts it more poetically: maca endures extreme conditions where she grows, and offers her strength and resilience to those who eat her.

Anandamide breakdown during stress and inflammation

Anandamide protected by macamides

How much maca do people take?

There is no official recommended dose of maca or macamides. Clinical studies have typically used 1.5–3.5 g of maca powder per day for 6–12 weeks. Because macamide content varies between products, we test and list total macamide levels on our packs so you can compare. If you have a health condition or take medication, talk to your healthcare practitioner before starting maca. See how to choose the best maca powder.

What are endocannabinoids and what do they do?

Endocannabinoids are signalling molecules the body makes on demand to help maintain balance (homeostasis) when it faces physical or psychological stress. They act mainly between nerve cells, providing feedback on messages carried by neurotransmitters such as serotonin, and also on immune cells. Anandamide is one of the two best-known endocannabinoids.

Anandamide allows feedback across the neurons by binding the CB1 (Cannabinoid 1) receptor to regulate the flow of neurotransmitters into the synapse. It acts as a homeostatic regulator, however, is short lived and destroyed rapidly by FAAH.

In lab studies, macamides slow anandamide's breakdown by inhibiting FAAH, which may help it remain active for longer.

Why does anandamide matter?

Anandamide helps regulate the HPA axis, the body's central stress-response system. When this system adapts well, we tend to feel resilient; when it is under sustained strain, it can affect sleep, energy, mood, immunity and hormone balance. Maca is not a stimulant and is a traditional food, so it is generally well tolerated, which is part of why people use it daily over the long term. Researchers are still working out how much of maca's traditional reputation is explained by its effects on the endocannabinoid system.

Can we compare maca to cannabis?

Maca and cannabis both interact with the endocannabinoid system, but in different ways. THC from cannabis binds and activates cannabinoid receptors directly. Macamides appear to work indirectly, by helping the body's own anandamide last longer, and our research found they do not activate cannabinoid receptors. Maca is also non-psychoactive and is eaten as a food.

Some cannabis compounds also act indirectly. CBD, for example, mainly affects how anandamide is taken up and broken down rather than strongly binding receptors. In our lab comparisons, maca samples also inhibited a second enzyme, soluble epoxide hydrolase, which CBD did not, suggesting maca and CBD have overlapping but distinct profiles. Read more about the entourage effect.

Learn more about how maca and cannabis work

Frequently asked questions

What are macamides?

Macamides are fatty-acid compounds found only in maca. They are structurally similar to the endocannabinoid anandamide and form mainly during traditional sun-drying of the root.

Is maca a cannabinoid?

No. Maca does not contain THC or CBD. Its macamides appear to support the endocannabinoid system indirectly, by inhibiting FAAH, the enzyme that breaks down anandamide.

How long does maca take to work?

Clinical studies of maca have generally run for 6–12 weeks. Many people take maca daily as part of their routine rather than expecting an immediate effect.

Does all maca contain macamides?

Macamide levels vary widely. Fresh maca contains very little, while traditionally sun-dried maca and concentrated extracts contain much more. Look for maca that is tested for macamide content.

References

Alasmari M, et al. Inhibition of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) by macamides. Molecular Neurobiology. 2019;56(3):1770–1781.
Zhu H, et al. Macamides: a review of structures, isolation, therapeutics and prospects. Food Research International. 2020;138:109819.
Gonzales GF. Ethnobiology and ethnopharmacology of Lepidium meyenii (maca), a plant from the Peruvian highlands. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2012;2012:193496.
Thomsen L. Maca Magic webinar for Seleno Health, August 2025. Read the summary.

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