Replied By K In L.a. (Los Angeles, Ca) on 04/26/2014
[YEA] I'm in my early 40's and started getting the feeling of being zapped in the middle of my body and then it would spread from head to toe for about 15 seconds. I believe it's a pre-menopause "hot flash" but for me it wasn't hot, just like being hit with an odd energy flow. I did some reading and tried a few things, then started taking 1000mg of Maca root when I wake up in the morning. Those zaps went away but my monthly cycle was more painful than before. I was craving chocolate a lot and read that it may be a sign of the need for magnesium. So I started taking slow release (SRT) magnesium, 500mg per day and after a few months my cycle became more comfortable than before.
I believe the Maca root helps with natural hormone balance, when the imbalance is mild. That is why I took it over black cohosh. I've read black cohosh adds estrogen which could cause your body to produce less, whereas the Maca root encourages your pituitary gland to produce balance in whatever is needed more. It's a facilitator more than a supplement. Not sure if that's true but I can take Maca root with less concern and it works for me.