Is maca root safe during pregnancy?

What does the evidence say about maca root during pregnancy?

1. Maca has been used for centuries in the Andes for nutrition and to support fertility in humans and animals, and macamides, described as compounds unique to maca, haven't been found in any other plant species, though this ethnobotanical review contains no pregnancy-specific safety studies. 1
2. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 175 adults over 12 weeks found maca extract well tolerated with no serious adverse effects reported in any group, but the trial explicitly excluded pregnant women, so it offers no pregnancy-specific reassurance. 2
3. Acute toxicity testing of a pre-gelatinized maca extract in mice and rats found an LD50 above 15 grams per kilogram of body weight, classifying it as practically non-toxic, though the study covered only acute oral toxicity and did not include teratogenicity or mutagenicity testing. 3
4. A comprehensive review of maca's chemistry and pharmacology describes an overall good safety profile with no fatal adverse effects reported in the literature, but it does not address pregnancy or breastfeeding directly and concludes there's insufficient evidence to support use in those populations. 4
5. The same maca safety trial that found the extract well tolerated in adults over 12 weeks reported that dropout rates were similar between placebo and maca groups, with most discontinuations happening in month one for reasons unrelated to health, reinforcing that its tolerability data comes entirely from non-pregnant participants. 2

Is maca root safe in each trimester?

• First trimester. Maca is traditionally taken for energy and hormone support, but since no pregnancy-specific safety studies exist for any trimester, there's no first-trimester dosing evidence to point to. Discuss continuing it with your provider once you know you're pregnant.
• Second trimester. The same research gap applies. If you were taking maca before pregnancy for fertility support, it's worth a conversation with your provider about whether to keep taking it.
• Third trimester. No late-pregnancy data exists either. Animal toxicity testing hasn't specifically evaluated third-trimester exposure, so there's nothing in the research to reassure on either way.