Coca tea, also called mate de coca, is a tisane (tea) made using the leaves of the coca plant. It is made either by submerging the coca leaf or dipping a tea bag in hot water. The tea originates from the Andes mountain range, particularly Peru and Bolivia.

If a person is expecting an experience like cocaine, think again. This will never happen.

Coca tea provides a source of energy similar to coffee. The tea is often sold commercially in filtering bags, each of which usually contains approximately one gram of the coca leaf.

Though also known as mate, the mate de coca is not drunk through a straw like with mate of yerba mate, but as a tea.

The tea is greenish yellow color, and has a lightly earthy flavor, somewhat similar to that of chamomile but with a slightly more naturally "grassy" taste.

The consumption of Coca teaincreases the absorption of oxygen in blood, which helps combat altitude sickness, and has a marked digestive and carminative action (relaxing stomach spasms).

It is a totally natural product and is non-addictive.

Benefits of Coca Tea

• Revitalizes restores and energizes


• Elevates brightens and controls moods


• Controls your need for sleep


• Helps digestive processes


• Regulates the metabolism of carbohydrates


• Acts against fatigue and altitude sickness

Coca and Cocoa are two words that look very similar but mean vastly different things. In the US, we are much more accustomed to seeing Cocoa than we are Coca (save the stuff called Coca-Cola). I wanted to expore the difference between the two since from a syntax standpoint, it is certainly easy to confuse them:

What is Cocoa?
Cocoa is the dried and partially fermented fatty seed of the cacao tree from which chocolate is made. "Cocoa" can often also refer to cocoa powder, the dry powder made by grinding cocoa seeds and removing the cocoa butter from the dark, bitter cocoa solids.

A cocoa pod has a rough leathery rind about 3 cm thick (this varies with the origin and variety of pod). It is filled with sweet, mucilaginous pulp called 'baba de cacao' in South America, enclosing 30 to 50 large almond-like seeds (beans) that are fairly soft and pinkish or purplish in color.

What is Coca?
Coca is a plant in the family Erythroxylaceae, native to north-western South America. The plant plays a significant role in traditional Andean culture. It was used by ancestor cultures as the Inca's Empire of Peru as a gift from the Gods, but is best-known in modern times for the stimulant drug cocaine that is extracted from its new fresh leaf tips in a similar fashion to tea bush harvesting. The Coca leaf is also used to make Coca Tea which is not the same as Cocaine.

The plant resembles a blackthorn bush, and grows to a height of 2-3 m (7-10 ft). The branches are straight, and the leaves, which have a green tint, are thin, opaque, oval, more or less tapering at the extremities. A marked characteristic of the leaf is an areolated portion bounded by two longitudinal curved lines, one line on each side of the midrib, and more conspicuous on the under face of the leaf.

The flowers are small, and disposed in little clusters on short stalks; the corolla is composed of five yellowish-white petals, the anthers are heart-shaped, and the pistil consists of three carpels united to form a three-chambered ovary. The flowers mature into red berries.

I have discovered my own technique that I wanted to share in this blog with my readers. This makes me feel revived, abates my hunger and hydrates me:

I use a large mug (mine is 12 ounces). I take 2 Inka Tea bags (these tend to have a little more lasting power than Lupi or Windsor for some reason) and steep them in piping hot water. I enjoy a first cup with teabags kept inside the cup. This one is usually quite strong and refreshing. I continue to drink the tea down - I can get 3 to 5 cups from the same two bags and they will get progressively weaker. I drink all the cups successively while I go about my day. I repeat the process twice in a day.

The cleanse clears my system, energizes me, keeps me from binging and snacking and sharpens my mind.

The nutritional properties of Coca Tea are quite impressive. Check them out:

(taken from CocaMama.com)

Vitamins

Vitamin A............. 14.000 UI.
alfa carotene..........2,65 mg.
B1 (tiamine)....... ...0,68 mg.
B2 (riboflavine).......1,73 mg.
B6 (piridoxine)........0,58 mg.
beta carotene.........20 mg
C (ascorbic acid)....53 mg.
E (tocoferol)...........44,1 mg.
Nicotinic acid.........5.0 mg
H (biotine)............... 0.54I.
G (niacine)

Serving size 1 coca tea bag (1gm)

Calories = 0
Total Fat = 0
Calcium (Ca) = 18.0 mg
Phosphorus (P) = 6.4 mg
Magnesium (Mg) = 2.1 mg
Potassium (K) = 30.0 mg
Sodium (Na) = 0.0 mg
Protein = 0 g
Total Fat = 0 g

From a very personal standpoint I am a woman with multiple sclerosis who deals with an intense amount of fatigue. My fatigue is so bad that I take medication for it (Modafinil - Provigil) in order to function most days. I do find that my rounds of Coca Tea help me so much that there are many, many days that I do not have to take my Provigil. This is a good thing. I have heard that there are some studies going on regarding this very fact. I hope it appears in the literature soon.

Take care -- enjoy the Coca Tea.

I have had several people contact me regarding purchasing small amounts of Coca Tea and asking me if they would get in trouble with the US Mail system if they purchased Coca tea. The answer is no. I purchase my coca tea openly from Peru and Bolivia in small amounts and it is declared openly with no question. It passes through Customs, is often opened by Customs and I continue to have no problems.

The one issue I would ask a buyer to think about is their employment situation and if random drug testing is a part of their employment. As stated in another module, coca tea can alter a urine assay that targets cocaine use (this works the same way with Poppy seed bagels and heroine). It is up to the consumer to decide risk factors and disclosure of coca tea consumption.

Naturally, if cocaine is part of your history and you are being drug tested after an offense -- do not drink coca ... your alibi would probably have a slim chance of holding :)

For the rest of the world, enjoy!!!

The Coca plant is the "most wanted" plant in the world. We try to shed a different light on this wonderful medicinal plant. You will find information about how to grow the Coca from Seed to Plant and how to enjoy her.

The plant or tree of the coca (Erythroxylon Coca) is cultivated in the western part of South America, that is form by the north of Colombia, the region of Cochabamba in Bolivia and Peru, its Andean hillsides thru all the Pacific Ocean, where its 200 varieties can grow wildy.

The Coca leaf was used by the Incas for its stimulant properties, but only by the religious caste and the privileged social classes in religious ceremonies. Coca leaf reduces the appetite and increases the yield of the indigenous at work, in this way the Coca consumption was generalized between the population, losing its magic - religious character and also used as payment as part of the salary of the workers of the mines.

The practice of growing the coca plant has its early traditions in ancient Inca Empire.
The Peruvian Incan Indians grew coca for medicinal purposes as well as for use in religious rituals in which respect was given for "Pacha Mama" or "God of Earth".

The Incas practiced chewing coca leaves as a method of easing hunger, protection from cold in the high Andean altitudes and for creating a state of well-being.

It is assumed that up to 70 distinct folk medicines are based on one use or another of coca leaves and over 80 percent of the rural high-Andean population use the coca leaf for some form of healthcare purposes.

South American Indians have used coca leaf as a remedy for thousands of years. Coca might be useful as a treatment for gastrointestinal ailments and motion sickness, as a fast-acting antidepressant medication, as a substitute stimulant for coffee in certain cases, and as an adjunct in programs of weight reduction and physical fitness.

In leaf form, coca does not produce toxicity or dependence. Its effects are distinct from those of cocaine, which is but one of a number of active compounds in the leaf. Coca can be administered as a chewing gum containing a whole extract of the leaf, including alkaloids, natural flavors, and several nutrients.

You can visit & register with Cocamama.com and learn more

"Coca tea can be ingested by adolescents, adults and old people in the approximate quantity of three bags per day to receive its benefits. The low incidence of cardiovascular diseases among the indigenous chewers of Coca leaf is notorious. The low incidence of dental decay is also well known. Coca tea is used a lot for its digestive, circulatory, anti-fatigue and calming qualities. It also has light but significant stimulating effects for one's mood. It can be taken at any hour of the day, preferably after meals as an aid to digestion and is also advised in cases of indigestion, colic and diarrhea.

Mate de coca is indeed an agreeable and invigorating mood-brightener.

High Blood Pressure, THE BEST!!!
Altitude illness, THE BEST !!
Gastrointestinal, Excellent
Motion sickness GOOD
Fatigue, Excellent, THE BEST
Antidepressant, Excellent !!
Anxiety, Excellent !!
Fitness Program Excellent !!
Tooth ache, Super

Mate Coca isa medicinal tea made from the leaves of the Coca plant (Erythroxylum). This tea has been used for over four thousand years by the people of South America. Coca was and is still considered a sacred aspect of the Andean culture. It is only in this past century that the chemical configuration was changed to make the drug cocaine. Since then, the rest of the world has seen Coca as the raw material for the drug cocaine and not as the medicinal plant used for thousands of years.

Coca was and is still used at every stage of the Andean peoples lives. Before giving birth, a woman drinks and chews Coca to hasten the labor and ease the pain. When a child is born, relatives celebrate by chewing the Coca leaf together. When a young man wants to marry a girl, he offers Coca to her father. And when somebody dies, Mate De Coca is drunk at the wake and a small pile of leaves are placed in the coffin before burial. From ancient times, these rituals were considered sacred, and as such, the Coca leaf continues to have a great significance in the culture of the Andean people."

More than any other Natural product:

Vitamins
Vitamin A............. 14.000 UI.
alfa carotene..........2,65 mg.
B1 (tiamine)....... ...0,68 mg.
B2 (riboflavine).......1,73 mg.
B6 (piridoxine)........0,58 mg.
beta carotene.........20 mg
C (ascorbic acid)....53 mg.
E (tocoferol)...........44,1 mg.
Nicotinic acid.........5.0 mg
H (biotine)............... 0.54I.
-----------
G (niacine)

Serving size 1 coca tea bag (1gm)

Calories = 0
Total Fat = 0
Calcium (Ca) = 18.0 mg
Phosphorus (P) = 6.4 mg
Magnesium (Mg) = 2.1 mg
Potassium (K) = 30.0 mg
Sodium (Na) = 0.0 mg
Protein = 0 g
Total Fat = 0 g

-----------------------

PHYSICAL EFFECTS

The physical effects of Mate de Coca are as follows

- Increased stamina
- Ability to go long periods of time without food
- Blocked sense of fatigue and cold
- Decreased need for sleep
- Mood elevation

MATE DE COCA is a traditional remedy for:

- Altitude or mounain sickness
- Stress (excellent!!)
- Treating gastrointestinal disorders
- Alleviating irritation and infection of the vocal cords and larynx
- Preventing vertigo
- Regulating arterial pressure and the metabolism of carbohydrates
- Alleviating diarrhea
- Improving sexual prowess.
- Relieving colds, bruises, sore joints, muscles
- Swollen feet and headaches

---------------------------------

The above information was taken from Cocamama.com. Although I can attest to many of these affects, I would expect that each person is different and will experience Mate de Coca differently. Regardless, it is delicious and helpful beverage throughout my day.

Similar to the way Poppy seeds can affect urinalysis results, so can Coca Tea. I am providing the following abstract for your information.

* Mazor SS,
* Mycyk MB,
* Wills BK,
* Brace LD,
* Gussow L,
* Erickson T.

Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Seattle, Washington 98105, USA. suzan.mazor@seattlechildrens.org

BACKGROUND: Coca tea, derived from the same plant that is used to synthesize cocaine, is commonly consumed in South America and easily obtained in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether consumption of coca tea would result in a positive urine toxicology screen for cocaine metabolites.

METHODS: Five healthy adult volunteers consumed coca tea and underwent serial quantitative urine testing for cocaine metabolites by fluorescence polarization immunoassay. The cutoff for a positive assay was chosen at 300 ng/ml, the National Institute on Drug Abuse standard.

RESULTS: Each participant's urine cocaine assay was positive (level exceeding 300 ng/ml) by 2 h after ingestion. Three out of five participants' samples remained positive at 36 h. Mean urine benzoylecgonine concentrations in all postconsumption samples was 1777 ng/ml (95% confidence interval: 1060-2495).

CONCLUSIONS: Coca tea ingestion resulted in a positive urine assay for cocaine metabolite. Healthcare professionals should consider a history of coca tea ingestion when interpreting urine toxicology results.

PMID: 17091055 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Andean entrepreneurs are pushing coca beyond cola, in new teas, toothpaste, shampoo, liquor and more.

By Jimmy Langman
Newsweek

Oct. 30, 2006 issue - Bolivian president Evo Morales recently implored the United Nations to give the coca leaf a new life. A former coca farmer himself, Morales asked the General Assembly to focus on coca's possible future as the raw material for a lucrative consumer-goods industry-not its nefarious present, as the source of the international cocaine trade. "This is the coca leaf, it is green, and not white like cocaine," Morales lectured, waving one limp little leaf at the hall of surprised dignitaries. Why, he demanded, is it "legal for Coca-Cola" but not other consumer or medicinal uses?

Morales is campaigning to roll back a 45-year-old U.N. ban on trade in coca. He wants to expand trade in legal, nonnarcotic coca products, from tea to shampoo and soda pop. Under pressure from the United States, which has spent billions to eradicate coca as part of its war on drugs, Morales has reluctantly destroyed more acres of coca than his predecessors. While the Bush administration says he's still not doing enough, Morales wants to double to 59,000 acres the amount of land that Bolivia set aside long ago to grow coca for legal uses. Armed with scientific studies, Bolivian officials are attacking the impression that coca itself is harmful to health. They argue that legal products could be a viable alternative to growing the plant for use in cocaine, and far more effective than trying to wipe out the hoja sagrada, or sacred leaf, that has been a staple of Andean daily life and religious rituals since ancient times.

Meantime, in the Andean countries of Bolivia, Peru and Colombia, dozens of businesses are developing new coca-based goods. In Bolivia, industrial production of coca tea began in the 1980s, and since 2000, small companies have put out some 30 different products-coca bread and pastas, toothpaste and shampoo, ointments, candies, liquors. The Morales government recently set aside $1 million to further develop legal coca products. One company now has a soft drink called "Evo Cola" in the works.

In Peru, the state coca company, Enaco, has been turning out local teas for years and is now expanding...

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