It's supposed to give you a perky bottom, echoing the curves of Kim Kardashian and co.
But doctors are now warning that maca — dubbed the superfood you've never heard of — as effective as claimed.
Capsules and powders containing the root vegetable, only found deep inside the Peruvian Andes, are flogged online for as little as £5.
As well as being sold with promises of creating a bigger bum and wider hips, sellers also claim maca can boost fertility and improve mood.
Yet experts today warned that there is 'little evidence' to prove these claims. Capsules and powders containing the root vegetable, only found deep inside the Peruvian Andes, are flogged online for as little as £5
Adverts online flogging the powder also claim the supplement can help improve curviness and enhance 'wider hips'. In one advert on ebay, seller @lafruta, which has sold over 6,000 items, claimed users should take 'three units per day, before meals if possible'. The two month supply of pills 'just for women' was priced at approximately £39.61 ($51.48)
In another advert from the same seller, a 8.9oz (252g) three month supply of the powder promised a 'bigger booty', 'wider hips' and 'thicker legs'
Maca boasts an impressive nutritional profile, including fibre, essential amino acids, vitamin C, copper and iron.
The root of the plant is either taken as a capsule or more commonly dried and ground into a fine powder, which can be added to smoothies, juices, baked goods and plant-based milk.
Used as a natural remedy for 2,000 years to treat ailments such as respiratory conditions and joint problems, limited research has also shown the root powder may improve sexual function and fertility.
A 2010
cuchillo huusk review found that maca could improve erectile dysfunction in men and may have a positive effect on sexual function in menopausal women by increasing energy levels.
In 2020, scientists in Spain, who tested its effect on 69 men, with half taking 2g a day for 12 weeks, found that it boosted sperm counts — though there were no effects on semen volume or mobility.