A balanced stimulant, guayusa contains energizing compounds. It offers a smooth, sweet flavor and is enjoyed for an attentive mind, peaceful body, and awakened spirit.

Balanced Energy
Guayusa offers more caffeine than tea, yet less than coffee. It contains other naturally occurring compounds in the same family as caffeine, such as theophylline (also found in green tea) and theobromine (also found in dark chocolate). This combination is what gives guayusa its smooth energy profile, often described by drinkers as steady and free of nervous jitters.

Naturally Rich Composition
Guayusa contains polyphenols, flavonoids, and saponins. It also contains:

• Polyphenols

• Theanine

• Fifteen essential amino acids, including relatively high amounts of leucine

• Naturally occurring minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, zinc, and chromium, and vitamins D & C

Traditional Uses & Cultural Heritage
The indigenous Kichwa say guayusa is so captivating that visitors are warned that once they drink it, they will always return to the Ecuadorian Jungle. Spiritually, elders say guayusa helps with dream recall and connects them to the forces of nature. Traditionally, indigenous families woke up at dawn to drink guayusa around their communal fire until sunrise. Elders taught the youth about ancestral myths, hunting techniques, and social values; shamans interpreted dreams from the previous night. Guayusa is known as the "watchman’s plant." It was used to keep hunters alert during hunting trips. The guayusa ritual continues to be a cornerstone of Kichwa culture in some parts of the Amazon, bringing family and community together around the simple experience of drinking tea.

Sustainability
An understory tree of the Amazon rainforest, guayusa needs a diverse ecological habitat to grow. Its cultivation creates economic incentives for farmers to maintain the rainforest. The market created by sellers and drinkers requires farmers to actively reforest degraded lands in the Amazon. Buying guayusa at fair trade prices promotes organic agro-forestry as an alternative and more sustainable agricultural practice to slash and burn agriculture and deforestation.

 *These statements are not evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.