Yaupon (Ilex vomitoria) is North America’s only known caffeine-producing species used traditionally as a stimulant tea.
Native Americans traditionally consumed a tea from the Yaupon which contained caffeine, and today the plant is often used as an ornamental in landscaping. The fruiting branches are also sometimes used as holiday decorations.
The Yaupon is a Holly species that can reach up to about 20 feet tall, though there are a number of cultivars with different growth habits, including weeping, compact, and columnar.
Yaupon produces white flowers and a small round, shiny fruit (drupe). This fruit is an important food source for many types of wildlife, including birds, armadillos, foxes, raccoon, and skunks.
Despite its scary-sounding species name, “vomitoria”, the normal preparation of the Yaupon tesa doesn’t cause vomiting. Early colonists and Native Americans drank a tea from Yaupon, and it was also traded as a valuable commodity.
As a close relative of both Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis) and Guayusa (Ilex guayusa), Yaupon produces both caffeine and theobromine, and today is finding a market for consumption of the tea.
The tea has a similar flavor to Yerba Mate and is said to be harder to over-steep. The main bioactive compounds in Yaupon are polyphenols and alkaloids. Chlorogenic acid, rutin, neochlorogenic acid and cryptochlorogenic acid were found to be the main polyphenols.
Yaupon contains caffeine, theobromine and theophylline, but their concentration differs depending on the growing environments.
Through scientific investigation, Yaupon has been found to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective activities.
A 2020 study focused on Ilex vomitoria’s antioxidant and neuroprotective properties, particularly regarding cognitive function. The research found that the tea made from its leaves significantly reduced markers of oxidative stress in neural cells, suggesting potential benefits for cognitive health and even neurodegenerative conditions.
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**This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician.
North America’s Caffeinated Native!
