Lepidium meyenii, known commonly as maca, is a plant and root vegetable native to the high Andes of Peru and Bolivia. It is the root which is used in Food Supplements. The rich soil located at these high plateaus of Peru (where it is very cold and oxygen poor), may account for its properties which, it is claimed, helped the local native population thrive where they live. The nutritional value of dried maca root is high, similar to cereal grains such as rice and wheat. The average composition is 60% carbohydrates, 10% protein, 8.5% dietary fiber, and 2.2% fats.