Maca root is a unique, complete food. It is in the same botanical family, the brassicas, as broccoli and kale but with maca the root is consumed, like radishes. It shares with other brassicas a content of glucosinolates, sulfur containing compounds with potent adaptogenic effects. Maca is rich in the dietary minerals calcium and potassium (with low content of sodium), and contains the essential trace elements iron, iodine, copper, manganese, and zinc, as well as both essential and non-essential fatty acids, and 19 amino acids.