Famously, the main source plant for the Cocaine Drug, Coca (Erythroxylum coca) is native to the Andean region of South America.
The Andean regions of the countries of Colombia, Peru and Bolivia are responsible the vast majority of the land production of Cocoa.
Besides the use of Coca for cocaine production, Coca is considered a sacred plant among several native cultures of South America, and there is evidence of human consumption that spans 4000+ years!
The Cocaine alkaloid was first isolated in 1859. The Coca leaf itself averages only a very small percentage of the Cocaine alkaloid (less than 1%), and when the leaf is used traditionally in its natural form, it does not normally cause the addictive problems we see with the purified compound.
When traveling to high altitude regions of the Andes, the tourist might find shocking that Coca leaf tea drinking is encouraged for combatting high-altitude sickness, and that it is even sometimes available in airports!
Coca leaf tea (mate de coca) is a popular beverage in Andean cultures that provides mild stimulation and relief from altitude-related ailments.
Though use of Coca leaves has spanned such a long history, it didn’t become popular in the West until the 19th century when an Italian neurologist wrote a paper detailing its beneficial effects on cognition.
This spurred its use in a number of products, among them the original version of Coca-Cola.
These products then became illegal in the 20th century, after their addictive use became apparent.
In recent times, several of the countries in the native range of Coca have defended its traditional use. Its traditional medicinal use is as a stimulant for aiding both mental and physical fatigue, as an anesthetic and analgesic, and also for treating bleeding (as it constricts blood vessels). Other traditional uses exist, such as for headaches, asthma, malaria, for digestion, and as an aphrodisiac.
Coca is still used today in many household products, and enjoyed by all levels of society.
Coca has also long-held (through present times) an important place in the religious cosmology & rituals of the Andean peoples.
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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.
Sacred Stimulant.
