Aguaje vs Maca: Which Peruvian Herb Is Right for Women?

May 20, 2026

Both get pitched to women. They work in almost opposite ways.

Walk through any market in Iquitos and you'll see Aguaje sold by the bucket, the orange scaly fruit soaking in tubs of water. Climb to a highland town in Junín and the shelves are stacked with Maca instead, dried and milled into tan powder. Two of Peru's most famous "women's" herbs, and shoppers mix them up constantly.

Here's the short version. Aguaje carries plant compounds shaped like estrogen. Maca carries none. That one difference decides which fits you.

What Aguaje actually is

Aguaje (Mauritia flexuosa) is the fruit of a tall Amazon palm, sometimes called moriche or buriti. The flesh is packed with beta-carotene, the orange pigment your body converts into vitamin A. It's often cited as holding more beta-carotene by weight than carrots, which is part of why the pulp is such a deep sunset orange.

The reason it shows up in women's supplements is its phytoestrogens. Those are plant compounds that loosely mimic the shape of estrogen and can latch onto the same receptors in your body. In Peru, Aguaje has a long folk reputation for a fuller, more feminine figure. That reputation runs well ahead of the science, so treat the curves talk as tradition, not a promise.

What holds up better is the nutrition. Aguaje is rich in vitamin C, vitamin E, and oleic acid, the same heart-friendly fat found in olive oil. People take our Aguaje capsules mostly for skin, for a bit of cycle and menopause-era smoothing, and for the antioxidant load.

What Maca actually is

Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a root, not a fruit. It grows on the bare plateau above 4,000 meters in the central Andes, one of the few crops that survives that cold, thin air. Andean farmers have eaten it for centuries before long rides and hard physical work.

Maca is an adaptogen, which is a fancy way of saying people use it to steady their energy and handle stress. The key point: it contains no plant hormones at all. It doesn't add estrogen to your system. Researchers think it works further upstream, nudging the glands that signal your hormones, though the exact mechanism is still unsettled.

A couple of small trials are worth knowing. A 2008 study in the journal Menopause found Maca eased some menopausal symptoms and low mood in a small group of women. A 2010 review in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine found limited evidence that it improves sexual desire. These are early and small, not the final word, but they lean in a consistent direction. Our Maca capsules are the gelatinized kind, gently cooked to remove raw starch so they sit easier in your stomach.

The real difference, side by side

Strip away the marketing and the choice comes down to one question. Do you want estrogen-like support, or not?

Reach for Aguaje if you're after phytoestrogens for skin, cycle smoothing, or menopause-era changes, with a heavy dose of vitamin A and antioxidants on the side.
Reach for Maca if you want energy, stamina, libido, and mood support without adding any plant hormones to the picture.

They aren't really rivals. Plenty of women in Lima take both, Maca in the morning for drive and Aguaje for its nutrient profile. The two simply answer different questions.

If hormones are the worry

This is where the difference matters most. Because Aguaje acts on estrogen receptors, anyone with an estrogen-sensitive condition should be careful with it. Maca, carrying no plant hormones, is often the gentler starting point for women who've been told to avoid estrogenic foods. That's still a conversation for your doctor, not a blog.

How women actually take them

Aguaje comes as capsules, powder, or the raw fruit if you can find it. Capsules are the simplest route. The pulp tastes mild and slightly sweet, easy to blend into a smoothie if you buy the powder.

Maca powder has an earthy, malty flavor that some people love stirred into oatmeal and others can't stand. If the taste puts you off, capsules skip it entirely. Start low, around a teaspoon of powder or one to two capsules a day, and give it two to three weeks. Maca is slow. It is not a same-day pick-me-up.

For the energy angle, our Energy & Vitality collection groups Maca with other Andean staples. If cycle and hormone support is your focus, browse the Hormone Balance collection, and our Femenina women's tea blends several traditional herbs for that purpose.

A few cautions

Pregnant or breastfeeding? Skip both unless your doctor says otherwise, and be especially wary of Aguaje because of the phytoestrogens. If you're on hormone therapy, take thyroid medication, or live with a hormone-sensitive condition, ask a professional before starting either one. We sell these herbs and we read the research, and the honest summary is that the human studies are still small. The tradition is long. The rigorous trials are short.