From Sacred Foliage to Contraband: The Tale of Coca Leaf
Coca, a sacred plant with multifaceted uses, widely misunderstood as it carries the burden of being cocaine's botanical origin, yet remains deeply woven into the fabric of South American society.
Coca leaf is illegal around the world. Laws consider the plant akin to cocaine — which is just one of 14 active ingredients in the plant.
Cocaine is one of the most popular recreational drugs in the United States, with roughly 1.7% of the adult population having used it in the past year.
However, in its whole plant form, coca is sacred, a medicine, and a mild stimulant comparable to coffee.
In fact, in the Andes, they affectionately refer to it as “mama coca.”
Coca’s history of use could date back as much as 8000 years and remains engrained into South American culture today.
The coca plant (Exythroxylum coca) is a small subtropical shrub native to the Eastern slopes of the Andes. Evidence of coca use exists throughout the Andes from Chile to Colombia. The Inca saw coca as a gift from the sun god and treated it as a luxury for the ruling class.
It wasn’t until the Spanish arrived and began encouraging its use as a stimulant and appetite suppressant that working-class people began to chew coca. The Spanish wanted laborers to use the plant because it enabled them to work longer and harder.
Since then, coca has become a staple in Latin America. While the Spanish abused it by pushing workers past their limits, it remains part of Andean culture with medical, social, and spiritual significance.
Coca is often used as an offering to the ancestral spirits of mountains and lakes. It’s still part of many ceremonies today, like the Peruvian despacho.
This sacred herb is also an effective remedy for altitude sickness and a longstanding treatment for everything from fertility issues to pain.
Some suggest it also has nutritional value, and there’s little evidence that prolonged use of the raw plant causes serious side effects.
A few South American countries like Bolivia and Peru recognize its cultural significance and have passed laws allowing it to be grown, sold, and consumed openly.
Benefits of Coca Leaves & Traditional Uses
Despite hundreds of years of stigma in Western society, coca has a host of ethnobotanical uses, many of which are now backed by science.
A few of the indigenous uses of coca:
Stimulant — Coca has a long history of use in the prevention of hunger, thirst, and fatigue and for improving mood. Those who partake may chew the leaves or drink them as “mate de coca,” similar to how you might use coffee.
Altitude Sickness — Coca leaves for altitude sickness are a common remedy for travelers of the high Andes. Research has shown biochemical changes which may result in the body using fatty acids for energy, associated with improved endurance.
Anesthesia — Cocaine is a well-established local anesthetic creating numbness after consumption or topical application. The numbing sensation of coca led to the extraction of cocaine in 1860 by Albert Niemann for use as a local anesthetic.
Nutritive — Coca contains many vitamins and minerals, but one would need to consume a great deal for real benefit. However, it is a significant source of calcium and is a potential supplement for people with dairy intolerance.
Analgesic — For pain relief, people may chew coca, drink it as tea, apply it topically, or make it into a potent decoction. This is often for relief from headaches, sore throat, arthritis (rheumatism), wounds, childbirth, and broken bones.
Antimicrobial — The topical paste is also applied to open wounds and as a treatment for abscesses and boils. Ethanol extracts from coca leaves have been shown to offer notable antibacterial properties.
Fractures — Coca may be a treatment for broken bones. Modern analysis has confirmed coca has calcium and iron content, perhaps aiding bone health. Coca is also thought to keep teeth white and is even in some toothpaste.
Asthma & Colds — Coca in various forms, often mixed with other ingredients, may aid in the treatment of asthma, breathing difficulties, colds, and inflammation of the throat.
Stomachache — Typically taken as a tea, coca is widely used as a remedy for upset stomach, indigestion, and gas.
Malaria — Coca tea is sometimes given to malaria patients to reduce fever.
Aphrodisiac — Sometimes couples having difficulty conceiving take a strong decoction of coca as an aphrodisiac.
The Big Bad Coca Leaf? A Reality Check
Early reports suggest that researchers saw this plant as a potential superfood.
But that’s not how this plant is viewed today.
A significant portion of the so-called “War on Drugs” has been directed at the humble coca plant.
Here’s what is listed right now on the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) website about the coca plant:
Coca, which is mainly grown in Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia, is a highly addictive drug that is processed in jungle laboratories where the coca is extracted from the leaves to produce cocaine.
The US Customs and Border Protection says something very similar:
It is illegal to bring coca leaves into the United States for any purpose, including for use for brewing tea or for chewing. Cocaine is a Schedule II narcotic and is derived from coca leaves and grown in Bolivia, Peru and Colombia.
Regulatory agencies clearly view the coca plant and cocaine as being the same thing. But this comparison is neither fair nor accurate.
The amount of cocaine in the average amount of coca leaves is far below levels considered dangerous. The alkaloid content of coca leaves is between 0.23% to 0.96%.
At these levels, one would need to consume over 100 grams of coca to experience toxic effects. This number is over double the amount chewed on average.
Compare this to a cup of coffee, which contains roughly 80 mg of caffeine per cup. We know several cups of coffee are safe despite pure caffeine showing signs of toxicity in doses exceeding 400 mg.
Plants that affect the body as significantly as coffee or coca demand respect and should certainly not be overused — but comparing them to their pure, isolated ingredients isn’t a fair comparison to make.
How to Chew Fresh Coca Leaves
Coca leaves are readily available in markets throughout South America. The sun-dried oval leaves are easily recognizable inside small plastic bags. You can also find coca in Canada and parts of the EU.
Steps for chewing coca leaf:
Step 1: Chew the Fresh Leaf Into a Pulp — The taste of coca is fairly bitter and astringent, although not altogether unpleasant.
Step 2 (Optional): Add a Pinch of Alkalizing Agent — Many simply chew the leaves; however, to facilitate greater absorption of cocaine, some add alkaline substances. Ancient examples are lime from burning rocks, sea shells, ashes from burning tree bark, or the stalks of quinoa plants. Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) also works.
Step 3: Hold the Pulpy Wad Between the Teeth & Cheek, Then Discard — As you produce saliva, your body absorbs cocaine and other active ingredients through the mucosal membranes into the blood. The effects should kick in within about 5 minutes.
How to Make Coca Leaf Tea
Outside of South America, the most common form of coca leaf is the dried powder, which is hard to apply via chewing. Most people either encapsulate it or brew it into a tea using the following steps.
Step 1: Bring Your Water to a Boil — Coca is resistant to heat, so you can choose to boil your water or allow it to reach a more comfortable 80ºC (176ºF).
Step 2: Measure Your Dose of Coca — If using dried leaf powder, weigh out around 1 gram, then add it to a paper teabag or simply stir it into the water. Adding directly to the water maximizes the effects, but it can leave a chalky aftertaste. If you dislike this taste, teabags work just fine too.
Step 3: Allow the Coca Leaf to Steep for Several Minutes — Wait about 2 or 3 minutes for the active ingredients to diffuse into the water before you drink it. You can re-steep 3 or 4 times before the coca starts to lose its potency.
Further Reading: The Coca Plant
→ The Candy Machine: How Cocaine Took Over the World (Book by Tom Feiling)
→ The Coca Plant (Tripsitter)
→ Coca Leaf: Uses, Legalization, and More | Dr. Andrew Weil (Tim Ferriss)
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