Health implications of Mate de Coca (tea)

[Dopam1ne]

Is drinking a cup of mate de coca better or worse for you than drinking regular tea, coffee, or red bull?

 

[dopemegently]

I would say not; caffeine can be terrible for the heart in the long-term. The actual cocaine content of coca tea is very small, too.

Coca could actually be good for you; I saw a piece about a colombian peasant who lived to the age of around 115 years old or more...and he chewed large amounts of coca leaf every day. The only bitch with coca tea is that it's grossly over-priced, and it's also illegal in many countries.(I managed to get some through one time only).

 

[pasha]

Basic -> Healthy Living

 

[Maya]

The leaves of the coca plant contain compounds that provide a stimulatory effect on your body which similar to caffeine, that can boost energy and mental focus, Coca tea contains a compound called Inulin which is a type of naturally occurring polysaccharide produced in some plants that provides a stimulatory effect. The stimulatory effect of coca tea is similar to coffee, but it works through a different cellular mechanism due to the lack of caffeine in the leaves of the coca plant.

Coca tea actualy contains high concentrations of vitamins that may have antioxidant properties. Vitamins A, B-2, B-6, C and E are all present in coca leaves, which may all help to boost the function of your immune system, increasing your body's ability to destroy toxic compounds in your bloodstream.

 

[dopemegently]

I didn't know that about coca tea; why the hell is it illegal and caffeine's not!?

 

[Maya]

I didn't know that about coca tea; why the hell is it illegal and caffeine's not!?

Ask the government

 

[Dopam1ne]

I didn't know that about coca tea; why the hell is it illegal and caffeine's not!?

Because governments know that it would be fairly easy to perform an extraction of cocaine! Although I highly doubt it would be illegal if it wasn't possible to isolate the coke, unless of course the media whip up the fear-factor with some exaggerated scare stories of course, like they typically do.

 

[dopemegently]

True; I don't trust governments, and I sure as hell don't trust oily politicians, especially when it comes to drugs...

RE coke extraction, I guess it could be done, but you'd need to buy a shit-load of coca tea (and it's sure as hell not cheap, either). I imagine you'd need a fair amount of chemistry training to pull it off. I guess they could process it somehow to make the cocaine difficult to extract?

 

[atara]

Coca tea actualy contains high concentrations of vitamins that may have antioxidant properties. Vitamins A, B-2, B-6, C and E are all present in coca leaves, which may all help to boost the function of your immune system, increasing your body's ability to destroy toxic compounds in your bloodstream.

To be fair, vitamins A and E are fat soluble and not likely to come out into tea. Some other teas have interesting properties as well, it's not all about Camellia sinensis.

Because governments know that it would be fairly easy to perform an extraction of cocaine! Although I highly doubt it would be illegal if it wasn't possible to isolate the coke, unless of course the media whip up the fear-factor with some exaggerated scare stories of course, like they typically do.

I think legalizing coca tea would be an excellent way to counter the black market in cocaine, without the difficult politics involved in cocaine legalization. And really, destroying a $100b illicit market and ending systematic violence that has plunged half a continent into the Dark Ages is, frankly, victory enough. If cocaine were like DMT we'd all be better off. Anywho, tangent.

 

[Foreigner]

Please let's steer this discussion away from cocaine extraction.

As for coca leaves... they still have a stimulatory effect which is bound to be down-regulating over time, but I don't know enough about it. IMO if you need any kind of stimulant to function in the world, then that should be addressed instead of constantly seeking stimulant alternatives.

In the Andes it's not used as a daily tea, but a medicine, and it's also worshiped. IIRC they use it for altitude sickness, wasting diseases, malaria, and in spiritual ceremonies. Something tells me that using it daily is not a good idea unless you live above 15,000ft.