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Cha de Bugre Powder
This product is no longer sold by Raintree Nutrition, Inc. See the main product page for more information on why. Click on one of the product search links in the left margin of this page to find other available products. You can also see the rainforest products page to find other companies selling rainforest herbal supplements or rainforest plants in general.
Chá de bugre (Cordia salicifolia) products are highly commercialized as a weight loss aid in Brazil where tea bags, capsules, and extracts of chá de bugre are commonly seen in pharmacies, stores, and even in the beach-front eateries and refreshment stands along Rio de Janeiro's beaches.* It has long been a popular weight loss product which has been marketed as a diuretic, appetite suppressant, and believed to help prevent or reduce fatty deposits and cellulite.* Please remember however... there is no magic bullet for weight loss that will allow you to eat anything you'd like and still lose weight. Chá de bugre is not a magic bullet either. The only way to lose weight is to follow a sensible, well-balanced diet that lowers caloric intake and/or to increase your physical activity to burn off the calories you are consuming. Chá de bugre might be helpful since it can reduce appetite... BUT you still have to remember to put the fork down when you feel full, as well as to eat a sensible and well-balanced diet.
For more complete information on this unique rainforest plant, please see plant database file on chá de bugre. To see pictures of chá de bugre, click here.
Traditional Uses:* for weight loss (as a appetite suppressant); as a mild diuretic; for cellulite; to tone, balance, and strengthen heart function; for herpes simplexSuggested Use:This plant is best prepared as an infusion (tea). Use one teaspoon of powder for each cup of water. Pour boiling water over herb in cup and allow to steep 10 minutes. Strain tea (or allow settled powder to remain in the bottom of cup) and drink warm. It is traditionally taken in 1 cup amounts, ½ to 1 hour before meals. For more complete instructions on preparing herbal infusions see the Methods for Preparing Herbal Remedies Page.
Contraindications: None reported.
Drug Interactions: None reported.
Published Research on Cha de Bugre
All available third-party research on cha de bugre can be found at PubMed. A partial listing of the published research on cha de bugre is shown below:
Wound Healing Actions:
Saito, M. L., et al. "Morfodiagnose e identificacao cromatografica em camada delgada de chá de bugre - Cordia ecalyculata Vell." Rev. Bras. Farm. 1986; 67: 1-16.
Antimicrobial & Cytotoxic Actions:
da Silva, C., et al. "Evaluation of the genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of crude extracts of Cordia ecalyculata and Echinodorus grandiflorus." J. Ethnopharmacol. 2009 Oct 27
Menghini, L., et al. "Phytochemical investigation on leaf extract of Cordia salicifolia Cham." J. Med. Food. 2008 Mar; 11(1): 193-4.
Hayashi, K., et al. "Antiviral activity of an extract of Cordia salicifolia on herpes simplex virus type 1." Planta Med. 1990; 56(5): 439-43.
Arisawa, M., et al. "Cell growth inhibition of KB cells by plant extracts." Natural Medicines 1994; 48(4): 338-347.
Cardiotonic Actions:
Matsunaga, K., et al. "Excitatory and inhibitory effects of Paraguayan medicinal plants Equisetum giganteum, Acanthpspermum australe, Allophylus edlis and Cordia salicifolia on contraction of rabbit aorta and giunea-pig left atrium." Natural Medicines 1997; 51: 478-481.
Chelating Actions:
Frydman, J., et al. "Assessment of effects of a Cordia salicifolia extract on the radiolabeling of blood constituents and on the morphology of red blood cells." J. Med. Food. 2008 Dec; 11(4): 767-72.
Chemicals Identified:
de Carvalho, P., et al. "Determination of six pesticides in the medicinal herb Cordia salicifolia by matrix solid-phase dispersion and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry." J. AOAC Int. 2009 Jul-Aug; 92(4): 1184-9.
de Carvalho, P., et al. "Two-dimensional coordination polymer matrix for solid-phase extraction of pesticide residues from plant Cordia salicifolia." J. Sep. Sci. 2009 Jun; 32(12): 2132-8.
Menghini, L., et al. "Phytochemical investigation on leaf extract of Cordia salicifolia Cham." J. Med. Food. 2008 Mar; 11(1): 193-4.
Non-Toxic Actions:
da Silv,a C., et al. "Evaluation of the genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of crude extracts of Cordia ecalyculata and Echinodorus grandiflorus." J Ethnopharmacol. 2010 Feb 3;127(2):445-50.