Studies have shown Potential Benefits:
Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, boosts weight loss, mood, alertness, clarity, metabolism, & energy.
Guayusa
(gwhy-you-sa) What is it?
Guayusa comes from the leaves of a holly tree native to the rainforests of South America. Guayusa delivers balanced energy without the jitters or crash associated with energy drinks. Containing antioxidants, vitamins, and amino acids, Guayusa is considered a sacred and rare gift. Guayusa is fundamental to the indigenous families along the Ecuadorian Rainforest. Guayusa is a symbol of sharing culture, knowledge, spirit, and dreams of the local Indigenous people. Today Guayusa provides a source of Income and Abundance for the Native people.
History
Guayusa, herbal tisane, has been valued and enjoyed for thousands of years. Traditionally, Guayusa is featured in spiritual and ancient traditional rituals with the Indigenous families. Indigenous families awake before sunrise and sip Guayusa with their Shamans and communities. It is believed to give them the ability to dream. Abundance realized.
Legend
In ancient times the Indigenous tribes along the Amazon Rainforest prayed for a plant that would teach them how to dream.
The legend passed down generation to generation that two twins set out on a quest to help save their people. As they rested one night along the trip a, “Spirit Village manifested in their dreams. The twins walked to the “Spirit Village” greeted by their ancestors. The Ancestors gifted the twins with the Guayusa Plant stating, “This is a plant that connects our people to the dream world.” When the twins awoke the next morning, they were holding the “Guayusa Plant.” Today Guayusa is a central part of the culture and provides an abundant lively hood to sustain the local farmers and families.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6265843/ – Safety. People have harvested the Guayusa (Ilex guayusa) holly tree leaves which is native to the Amazon rainforest since ancient times for their health benefits,
including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This Amazonian plant is rich in antioxidants and caffeine that promote weight loss, blood sugar regulation, and improved mood and alertness. Guayusa, along with other natural caffeinated harvested natural deliver health benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, lipid-reducing, regulation of gut microbiota, anti-cancer, cardiovascular protective, anti-obesity, anti-diabetic, neuroprotection, etc.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29134218/ – antioxidant (high polyphenol content) & anti-inflammatory
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28906554/ – Seven carotenoids were quantified, lutein being the main compound
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Juan_Duenas3/publication/295085067_Amazonian_Guayusa_Ilex_guayusa_Loes_A_Historical_and_Ethnobotanical_Overview/links/5b3cdfaa4585150d23f8be13/Amazonian-Guayusa-Ilex-guayusa-Loes-A-Historical-and-Ethnobotanical-Overview.pdf – Historical & Ethnobotanical review of Guayusa
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26811391/ Safety –Guayusa (Ilex guayusa) has a long history of consumption by Ecuadorian natives where the plant is indigenous. It contains the methylxanthines caffeine and theobromine as well as chlorogenic acids, flavonoids, and sugars.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6155401/ – Catechins: benefits to Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6265843/#B36-nutrients-10-01682 – Catechin, epicatechin, epicatechin gallate, epigallocatechin, and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) caffeine, theobromine & theophylline were found. in I. guayusa leaves
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1091581815625594 – Polyphenols, such as catechin, epigallocatechin (EGC), epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), and theanine, as well as methylxanthines, such as caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline were found in Guayusa leaves
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31366209/ – Safety, anti-oxidant and novel food
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12587987/ – Catechins, Polyphenols: health effects, metabolism & antioxidant functions
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5927356/ – Oxidative stress aging & diseases and why antioxidants are important for long term health
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2743711/ – In a 28-day study in non-diabetic mice, guayusa supplements were shown to significantly decrease blood sugar levels, suppress appetite, and reduce body weight
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30335479/ – Overall, the current meta-analysis demonstrated that caffeine intake might promote weight, BMI and body fat reduction.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7369170/ – Natural caffeine like found in guayusa stimulates the metabolic rate in both control and obese individuals; however, this is accompanied by greater oxidation of fat in normal weight subjects.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28446037/ – Caffeine & appetite control
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0963996918307920?via%3Dihub – its potential health benefits for diabetes include a study that looked at a component of guayusa called urolic acid, which activates the TGR56 receptor that is involves with reducing blood glucose levels, regulating energy expenditure and insulin sensitivity.
Ursolic acid was identified as the responsible for the activity of maté and guayusa extracts in the activation of TGR5, a nuclear receptor of relevance for the prevention and management of diabetes and metabolic syndrome because of its involvement in the regulation of energy expenditure and insulin sensitivity.
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/10/11/1682/htm – Guayusa is a top source of antioxidants, vitamins, and amino acids.
It contains theobromine (a substance also found in cocoa and thought to offer mood-enhancing effects). Some proponents suggest that sipping guayusa on a regular basis helps reduce your risk for diabetes and heart disease. It’s also suggested that drinking guayusa can help promote weight loss.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10408398.2019.1643286?journalCode=bfsn20 – guayusa leaves have a well-documented chemical composition and history of safe use, which are key considerations for authorization as a novel food in the EU.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21513732.2017.1303646 – Since guayusa is typically grown on small family farms and cultivated according to environmentally friendly methods, it’s thought that increased demand for guayusa may support the sustainability of the rain forest as well as help farming communities to thrive.
https://ascpt.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cts.12403 – When compared to other types of caffeinated beverages, guayusa is believed to provide mental alertness without negative side effects including jitters or a post-caffeine “crash.”
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2017/FO/C7FO01067B#!divAbstract – Studies have confirmed the antioxidant properties of guayusa. Antioxidants are compounds that help prevent cell damage from oxidation in the body.