Cha de Bugre is a plant used in Brazil for appetite suppression and weight loss. Little human research is available regarding its benefits as a supplement. There are other herbs and supplements that are promoted for weight loss or appetite suppression as listed below. It would be interesting to see future research regarding Cha de Bugre in humans to determine whether it is effective for weight loss and whether it has any side effects of concern.
   For an effective natural appetite suppressing product that I have formulated, see Diet Rx. Just about everyone who has used this product has noticed appetite suppression without any untoward side effects.

Diet Rx does not have Cha De Bugre herb
If you would like to eat less, consider a product called Diet Rx. This natural appetite suppressant works without stimulants. Diet Rx has no added caffeine, ephedra, ephedrine alkaloids, synephrine, hormones, guarana, ginseng, or stimulating amino acids.

Benefits of Diet Rx
All natural appetite suppressant, decreases appetite so you eat less
Helps you maintain healthy blood sugar levels
Helps you maintain healthy cholesterol and lipid levels
Provides a variety of antioxidant from two dozen herbs and nutrients
Provides healthy fiber
Improves energy
Balances mood
Improves mental concentration and focus
Improves will power and choice of food selection

You can get a FREE bottle of Diet-Rx and see a list of hundreds of high quality natural supplement products
Subscribe to a FREE Supplement Research Update newsletter. Twice a month you will receive an email with a review of several new studies on various supplements and natural medicine topics, including cha de bugre studies, and their practical interpretation  by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Additional supplements that could suppress appetite or help with weight loss, as found in Diet Rx
Ginger root (Zingiber officinalis), Green-Tea-Extract (Camellia sinensis, standardized to contain 50% polyphenols), Spirulina (Spirulina platensis), Hoodia-Extract (Hoodia gordonii, 20 to 1 extract), Cinnamon root (Cinnamomum cassia), Apple Cider vinegar, Apple pectin, Garcinia Cambogia CitriMax HCA-600 SXS (standardized to contain 60% hydroxycitric acid), Glucomannan konjac 4 to 1 extract, Grapefruit extract (Citrus paradise, 4 to 1 extract), Acetyl-l-Carnitine, Alpha lipoic acid, Banaba extract (standardized to contain 1 % corosolic acid), 5-HTP, Choline bitartrate, Inositol, Carnitine (Hcl), Pomegranate (standardized to contain 40 % ellagic acid), Bitter melon extract (Momordica charantia), Psyllium husk, Coleus forskohlii (standardized to contain 10 % Forskolin), Fenugreek seed extract 4 to 1 (Trigonella foenum), Guggul herb (standardized to contain 10 % guggulsterones), and Inulin.
 

Cha de Bugre plant
Cha de Bugre is a plant found in the Amazon rainforest. Cha de Bugre grows in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. Also known as Porangaba, cha de bugre is a small tree that normally grows to a height of 20 to 40 feet. The tree produces a small red fruit that resembles a coffee bean that can be roasted to make a coffee substitute. Cha de bugre apparently has caffeine.

High Quality products formulated by a medical doctor
Mind Power Rx for better mental focus, concentration, and mood; Diet Rx which helps you eat less. It really does curb appetite; Good Night Rx for better sleep; Eyesight Rx for better vision, often within days; MultiVit Rx, a daily comprehensive multivitamin for more energy and vitality; Joint Power Rx for healthy joints; Prostate Power Rx for a healthy prostate gland; and Passion Rx for sexual enhancement, better libido, and improved performance and stamina in men and women.

Cha de Bugre availability
Raw material suppliers cha de bugre powder and cha de bugre extracts. One common cha de bugre extract is a 10 to 1 concentration.

Compounds in Cha de Bugre
These include caffeine, allantoin, and allantoic acid.

Cha De' Bugre Research
One study done in Japan shows this plant extract to have anti herpes virus type I activity.

Antiviral activity of an extract of Cordia salicifolia on herpes simplex virus type 1.
Planta Med. 1990 Oct;56(5):439-43.
A partially purified extract (COL 1-6) from whole plant of Cordia salicifolia showed an inhibitory effect on herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). The activity of COL 1-6 on different steps of HSV-1 replication in HeLa cells was investigated. Under single-cycle replication conditions, COL 1-6 exerted a greater than 99.9% inhibition in virus yield when added to the cells 3 h or 1.5 h before infection, and even when added 8 h after infection the extract still caused a greater than 99% inhibition. The extract has been shown to have a direct virucidal activity. And also, analysis of early events following infection showed that COL 1-6 affected viral penetration in HeLa cells but did not interfere with adsorption to the cells.

Cha De Bugre emails
Q. Hi, I am a health food store owner and recently received an email regarding Cha De Bugre 10:1 extract exclusively from Stella Labs. It said, "Cha De bugre is served in beach-front restaurants and refreshment stands along the coast of Rio de Janeiro, where beauty is defined as how you look in a bikini. In the words of G.L. Cruz, a leading Brazilian Botanist: Cha de bugre is very popular plant in Brazil. It contains caffeine and various plant sterols effective in fighting obesity and preventing the formation of fatty deposits. It is a healthy drink, historically used as a heart tonic due to its ability to stimulate blood circulation. Translated from Dictionario das plantas uteis do Brasil. 2ed. RJ 1982."
   Can you tell me if Cha De Bugre works for energy, appetite suppression and heart health?
   A. I don't have any personal experience with Cha De Bugre, but a few people have told me that it gives extra energy, but then again many herbs such as ginseng, maca, suma, etc, also give energy. As to appetite suppression, the feedback has been mixed. I am concerned about using stimulants for heart health since many of them can speed heart rate which is not a good thing for heart disease patients. I don't know if Cha De Bugre speeds heart rate since I have not taken it and there are no human studies that I could find on this herb.

Q. I read your email about cha de bugre on your website and wanted to let you know that I am also a manager of a vitamin store and received this promotional material: "Cha de bugre 10:1 extract is unlike anything else for energy on the market. In Brazil it is called café do mato, or coffee of the woods for it's powerful stimulant effects. It is brewed in large drums at times of festival in Brazil and the people drink it to sustain their energy thru the night. Cha de bugre is a very clean energy, the caffeine levels are surprisingly low."

Cha De Bugre press release from Nutraceuticals International
Nutraceuticals International has Cha De Bugre 10:1 extract, the new energy from Brazil. In Brazil Cha de bugre is called cafe do mato, or coffee of the woods for it's powerful stimulant effects. It is brewed in large drums at times of festival in Brazil and the people drink it to sustain their energy thru the night. Cha de bugre has small amounts of caffeine. Cha' de bugre 10:1 extract is a potential addition to combination supplements for energy and weight loss. Many manufacturers are finding that it is a potential product to mix into formulations for energy and weight loss, since effectiveness of other products seem to be intensified when mixed with stimulants like Cha de bugre 10:1.
   Comments by Dr. Sahelian: I would like to see a couple of human studies, or at least reports from long time users to determine if Cha de bugre has any side effects. I personally have not tried a Cha de Bugre supplement.

This cha de bugre page was last updated in 2008.