Coca Leaves: Benefits, Uses & Side Effects - A Comprehensive Guide

What is present in the coca plant that works as a stimulant and can ward off fatigue? Why is the coca plant useful in medicine?

From time immemorial, we have been using plants as both food and medicine. Treatments for many ailments have relied on herbs since centuries. Today, modern medicine too has delved into the secrets of remedies used by ancient civilizations, and has taken a leaf out of their knowledge to employ it in modern day pharmaceuticals.

The coca plant is legendary in that sense. With as many as 250 varieties and being a native to western South America, the coca plant has lent itself useful in the realm of nutrition, healing, and health.

Interested to know more? Keep reading!

Coca Unplugged:

Coca, botanically called Erythroxylum coca, belongs to the family Erythroxylaceae, and appears like a blackthorn bush. The plant usually grows to a height of 7ft to 10 ft. The leaves are oval in shape and are rich in several alkaloids. Nicotine, hygrine, cocaine, cinnamate, ecgonine, truxilline, benzoylecgonine, and hydroxytropacocaine are some of the alkaloids present in the coca leaf.

The world famous illegal drug, cocaine, is also derived from the coca plant, which, when injected, smoked, or used nasally can really alter the working of the mind. Cocaine can also be prescribed as a medicine by a health care provider as it is an FDA-approved Schedule C-II drug (1). But, of course, this is a process that is strictly controlled. Cocaine is intensely addictive. It can also trigger an increase in brain activity. It can even numb pain and act as an anesthetic.

Uses Of Coca:

1. Coca can have a stimulating effect and can keep a person active. It can enhance physical performance.
2. It can relieve pain and tiredness and can suppress hunger too.
3. Coca can relieve high altitude sickness⁽²⁾.
4. Coca extracts, after removing cocaine, have also been used to flavor food items and cola drinks.
5. Coca can cause sedation and improve stomach function. It is also used as pain relief, especially to numb the pain in the throat, eyes and the nose.
6. Coca can boost physical performance and increase the heart rate.
7. Coca extracts have been employed to treat colds, asthma, and other ailments.

Side Effects Of Coca:

The cocaine in coca is not safe when it is inhaled or taken orally. Even a mere ¼ of a teaspoon can be extremely lethal. It is an illegal drug and can trigger many health complications like stroke, heart attacks, seizures, high blood pressure, restlessness, and hyperactivity. It can trigger severe migraine headaches and can also cause liver and kidney failure. Cocaine is also highly addictive.

1. Cocaine in coca can actually increase the symptoms of asthma and worsen the condition.
2. The cocaine in coca can increase the risk of heart disease.
3. Cocaine in coca can actually elevate blood sugar levels.
4. It can elevate the risk of stroke.
5. In some severe cases, the cocaine in coca can also cause seizures and even death.
6. Pregnant women must never consume coca in any form. It can increase the risk of birth defects.
7. Breastfeeding women must completely avoid coca in any form as infants can also experience the harmful effects of cocaine.

Nutritional Benefits Of Coca Leaf:

A study published by the Food & Nutrition Bulletin in 2009 found that the coca leaf can be a crucial supplement to a diet. An earlier study also revealed its high nutritional content. The nutritional content per 100g is as follows:

• Protein (19.9 g)
• Fiber (14.2 g)
• Carbohydrates (44.3 g)
• Vitamin B6 (0.58 mg)
• Vitamin C (1.4 – 53 mg)
• Vitamin D (trace amounts)
• Vitamin B1 (0.58 – 0.68 mg)
• Vitamin B2 (1.73 mg)
• Fat (3.3 g)
• Vitamin A (10,000 – 14,000 IU)
• Iron (26.8 – 45.8 mg)
• Magnesium (197 – 225 mg)
• Zinc (2.63 – 3.8 mg)
• Copper (1.1 mg)
• Vitamin E (16.72 mg)
• Calcium (990.18 – 1749 mg)
• Phosphorus (637 mg)

Health Benefits Of Coca Leaves:

A 1981 study published in the Journal of Ethno Pharmacology has revealed the benefits of coca in alleviating motion sickness and gastrointestinal ailments. It can also give a thrust to weight reduction programs and improve physical fitness. Coca can be a good antidepressant (3).

It is important to use coca with the advice of an expert as it is a very powerful medicine. Therefore, if used properly, it can heal. Otherwise, it can only cause harm.

1. The coca leaf has analgesic properties, so it is good for relieving pain. It can stimulate energy levels and improve cognitive function. It can improve concentration too.
2. It is crucial to never mix coca with alcohol. Since they are rich in several alkaloids, the manner in which it is used will influence the outcome – benefit or harm.
3. Dried coca leaves are also consumed in the form of a herbal tea and can be beneficial to health.

Health Benefits Of Coca Tea:

Also known as mate de coca, coca tea is made using raw and dry leaves of coca plant soaked in hot water. This enables the effective extraction of phytonutrients from the leaf making it a powerful brew.

1. The abundant alkaloids in coca tea assist in weight loss (4). The alkaloids give a thrust to metabolism and keep muscle glycogen intact. They also improve the body’s natural capacity to burn fat.
2. Coca leaves enable stimulation and can improve energy levels, lower fatigue and improve mood.
3. Increased concentrations of vitamins and antioxidants in coca plant improve the working of the immune system.
4. The presence of many alkaloids and B vitamins help increase blood flow and oxygen assimilation, especially in high altitudes.

If the coca plant is used with medical advice and in moderation, it can be a powerful medicine with the potential to heal. Misusing this plant can turn a good medicine into a lethal poison, so how we use the coca plant is entirely in our hands!

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