Maca capsules or maca powder: which form should you choose?

Short answer: Maca capsules and maca powder contain the same ground maca root (Lepidium meyenii). The difference lies in how much you take per day and in convenience. With our capsules that is 1.5 to 2 grams of maca a day without any taste, with our powder 3 to 6 grams that you stir into food or drinks. Choose capsules for convenience and on the go, and powder if you want maca in your breakfast or smoothie.

Last updated: November 5, 2026 · Written by Florian Fermin

Maca capsules, maca pills, maca supplement: online these words are used interchangeably. We at GOYU sell maca as powder and as capsules, in yellow and in black. Below we compare the forms honestly, including what is on our own labels. What maca is and what research says about it is covered in our article on maca.

What is the difference between maca capsules and maca powder?

The difference lies in the amount per day, the taste and the convenience. What is inside is the same: dried, ground maca root.

So the capsule label states less maca per day than the powder label. That is not a mistake: 6 grams of maca in capsules would mean 12 capsules a day. If you want more grams per day, powder is more practical. In both cases, do not go above the daily dose on the label.

Are maca capsules as good as maca powder?

Yes, as far as the content goes: it is the same ground root. The only real difference is the amount you take per day. We are not aware of studies comparing maca capsules and maca powder with each other.

In studies in humans, participants usually took 1.5 to 3.5 grams of maca per day, for example 1.5 or 3 grams a day for 12 weeks (Gonzales et al., 2002) or 3.5 grams of powder a day for 6 weeks (Brooks et al., 2008). These were small studies with products other than ours; they say nothing about what our maca does for you. More about amounts in maca dosage.

Maca pills, tablets or extract: what should you check?

"Maca pills" can mean anything: capsules with ground root, tablets or capsules with an extract. The label tells you what you are buying.

1. Ground root or extract. An extract should state a ratio or content, for example 4:1. That means 4 grams of root were used for 1 gram of extract. So do not simply compare "maca extract 500 mg" with 500 mg of ground maca.
2. Tablet or capsule. Tablets often contain binders and lubricants. An HPMC capsule is plant-based, a gelatine capsule is not.
3. Colour. Is it yellow, black or red maca, or a mix? Once ground, you can no longer tell from the powder.
4. Organic and origin. Maca comes from the Andes in Peru. An organic product carries the EU organic logo with the code of the control body.
5. Analysis. In France, maca in supplements must be shown by analysis to contain less than 10 ppm of certain alkaloids (derived from methyltetrahydrocarboline) (Compl'Alim). Feel free to ask the seller for such an analysis.
6. Warnings. A good label says to talk to your doctor first if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, take medication or have a medical condition.

The maca tuber is listed in the European Commission's Novel Food Catalogue as a regular food (entry Lepidium meyenii, POL-NF-09281). So ground maca root may simply be sold in the EU.

When should you choose maca capsules?

• You want maca without any taste.
• You take it to work, the gym or on your travels.
• You want exactly the same amount every day, without measuring.
• The amount on the capsule label is enough for you.

You take our Organic Maca Capsules 500 mg once a day, 3 to 4 capsules with water, preferably during or directly after a meal.

When should you choose maca powder?

• You want to add maca to your breakfast, smoothie, coffee or cocoa.
• You want more grams per day than fit into a few capsules.
• You want a single ingredient, without a capsule shell.
• You like the nutty taste.

Of our Organic Maca Powder you take 3 grams once or twice a day. Ideas for smoothies, coffee and oats are in how to use black maca powder; they work just as well with yellow maca.

How do you take maca capsules?

1. Take 3 to 4 capsules at once, once a day, with a glass of water.
2. Preferably do so during or directly after a meal, as the label says.
3. Choose a fixed moment, for example with breakfast. Then you are less likely to forget.
4. If you also use maca powder, add up the amounts and stay within the daily dose.

Can you open a capsule? Yes, the capsule shell is HPMC and the content is simply ground maca. If you want to stir it into your food every time, powder is handier.

Yellow or black maca capsules?

It is the same plant in a different colour. In a capsule you do not taste the difference, so the choice is mainly about preference and price: black maca is rarer and a little more expensive. The label of our black maca capsules states its own dose of 3 to 6 capsules a day. Everything about the difference is in black maca vs yellow maca.

Who should not take maca capsules or powder?

Are you pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or do you have a medical condition? Then talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using maca, in any form. That is also stated on all our maca packs.

Summary in 3 points

• Maca capsules and maca powder contain the same ground root; the difference lies in grams per day, taste and convenience.
• Our capsules provide 1.5 to 2 grams a day without taste, our powder 3 to 6 grams in your food or drinks.
• With maca pills and extracts, check root or extract, colour, organic, analysis and warnings on the label.

Frequently asked questions

Are maca capsules as good as maca powder?

As far as the content goes, yes, it is the same ground root. According to our label, you take fewer grams per day with capsules than with powder. Choose on convenience and taste.

How many maca capsules per day?

Of our yellow maca capsules you take 3 to 4 capsules once a day, of our black maca capsules 3 to 6. Take them with water, during or directly after a meal.

What is the difference between maca pills and maca capsules?

"Pills" is a catch-all term for capsules and tablets. Tablets often contain additives to press the powder together. Check the ingredient list to see whether it contains ground root or an extract.

Can you open maca capsules?

Yes. The content is simply ground maca that you can stir into yoghurt or a smoothie. If you do that every day, maca powder is more practical.

How long does a pot of maca capsules last?

A pot of 100 capsules lasts 33 days at 3 capsules a day and 25 days at 4 capsules.

Sources

1. Gonzales GF, Córdova A, Vega K, et al. Randomised, placebo-controlled study with 1.5 or 3 g maca per day in healthy men, 12 weeks. Andrologia. 2002;34(6):367-372. doi:10.1046/j.1439-0272.2002.00519.x. PubMed 12472620
2. Brooks NA, Wilcox G, Walker KZ, et al. Randomised crossover study with 3.5 g maca powder per day in 14 postmenopausal women, 6 weeks. Menopause. 2008;15(6):1157-1162. doi:10.1097/gme.0b013e3181732953. PubMed 18784609
3. Compl'Alim (French government). Lepidium meyenii Walp.: permitted in food supplements (root and tuber), alkaloids derived from methyltetrahydrocarboline below 10 ppm, to be shown by analysis. Accessed November 5, 2026. compl-alim.beta.gouv.fr
4. European Commission. Novel Food Catalogue, entry Lepidium meyenii Walp. (POL-NF-09281): tubers "not novel in food". Accessed November 5, 2026. ec.europa.eu
5. GOYU, labels and product pages of Organic Maca Powder, Organic Maca Capsules 500 mg, Organic Black Maca Powder and Black Maca Capsules 500 mg Organic (ingredients, use, contents and warnings), accessed November 5, 2026.

You will find all colours and forms of our maca on buy maca.

This article is for informational purposes and is not medical advice. Dietary supplements are not a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. If in doubt, during pregnancy, or when taking medication, consult your doctor or pharmacist.