Does maca root help with mood swings during perimenopause?

Mood swings during perimenopause can be some of the most disorienting symptoms of the entire transition. Going from calm to tearful to irritable in the span of an afternoon, without a clear reason, is exhausting for you and the people around you. These shifts are driven by fluctuating estrogen and progesterone levels, which interact directly with the brain systems that regulate emotion. Maca root is one supplement that has genuine clinical evidence supporting its role in psychological symptom improvement during this time.

What the research shows

Stojanovska et al. (2015) conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in which postmenopausal women taking 3.5g of maca per day showed statistically significant reductions in anxiety and depression scores compared to the placebo group. This was a well-designed study, and its psychological findings are among the more compelling in the maca literature. Meissner et al. (2006) also found that maca supplementation reduced overall menopausal symptom scores versus placebo, with psychological symptom improvement as part of the benefit. Brooks et al. (2008) noted improvements in psychological wellbeing in postmenopausal women using maca. Across these trials, the pattern of psychological benefit is reasonably consistent.

It is worth noting that most of these studies were conducted in postmenopausal rather than perimenopausal women. The hormonal environment of perimenopause, with its unpredictable fluctuations, is somewhat different from postmenopause. But the mechanisms involved suggest the findings are likely relevant to the perimenopausal stage as well.

How maca affects mood

Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is not an antidepressant and it is not estrogenic. It does not work by raising estrogen or serotonin directly. Research points to its effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which governs your cortisol and adrenal hormone output. When the HPA axis is dysregulated, as it commonly is during perimenopause, it amplifies the emotional reactivity that comes with hormonal fluctuations. By helping normalize HPA signaling, maca appears to reduce the intensity of this reactivity. The result is not emotional blunting, but a smoother baseline from which mood fluctuations are less extreme.

Maca's active compounds, including glucosinolates, macamides, and macaenes, also appear to influence energy metabolism and neurotransmitter signaling, though the precise mechanisms in humans are still being studied.

Dose and form

Studies have used doses of 1.5g to 3.5g per day, delivered as powder, capsules, or liquid extract. The most significant psychological effects in clinical trials appeared at around 3.5g per day over 6 to 12 weeks of consistent use. Talk to your healthcare provider about the right dose for your situation. If you have a thyroid condition, note that maca contains goitrogens at higher amounts, so provider guidance is particularly important.

Tracking your response

Mood is highly variable day to day, which makes it hard to assess whether a supplement is helping without some structure. Using PeriPlan to log your mood, energy, and stress levels daily gives you an objective pattern to look back on after 6 to 8 weeks. You may find the shifts are real but gradual, something that would be easy to miss without a record.

Other approaches that support mood during perimenopause

Maca is most useful as part of a broader approach to emotional regulation during perimenopause. Regular aerobic exercise has some of the strongest evidence for mood improvement in this population. Good sleep hygiene matters enormously since sleep deprivation amplifies emotional reactivity. Stress management practices like mindfulness and therapy address the psychological dimension that hormones alone cannot explain. Some women benefit significantly from hormone therapy or low-dose antidepressants, and both are worth discussing with a provider if mood swings are significantly impairing your daily life.

When to see a doctor

If your mood swings are severe, if you are experiencing persistent depression or anxiety, or if you have had thoughts of self-harm, please contact your healthcare provider promptly. Maca root is not a treatment for clinical depression or anxiety disorders, and these conditions deserve professional assessment and care. Even if your mood changes feel hormone-related, a provider can help you understand your options and determine what level of support is appropriate for your situation.

This content is for informational purposes only and does not replace medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider about your specific situation.