Cha' de Bugre (Cordia salicifolia) is a powerful addition to any weight loss program. Well known in Brazil for its stimulant effects, it is traditionally brewed and served as tea. Cha' de bugre is considered a safe and healthy drink with positive benefits for the heart unlike ephedra. It is also said to reduce fatty deposits.

In Brazil it is called Café do Mato, or coffee of the woods. It is brewed in large drums at times of festival in Brazil and the people drink it through the night. Cha' de bugre is sold in great quantities in the cities of Bahia, Goias, and Minas Gerais. In the more remote areas in the interior of Brazil, Cha' de bugre is highly regarded for its medicinal properties, and used in abundance by the indigenous people as a circulatory stimulant, mild diuretic, for the treatment of arthritis, cellulite, gout, rheumatism, cough, fevers, kidney stones, against obesity and as a source of energy. It is not commercially grown for use, as a result it is highly sought after and sold for high prices in the cities along the coast to the elite of Brazilian society.

Recent laboratory analysis finds Cha' de bugre to contain caffeine, potassium, allantoin, and allantoic acid and various plant sterols. Allantoic Acid is reported to help reduce body fat in overweight. The allantoin and allantoic acid may explain the positive impact on cellulite. In 1997, researchers using a leaf extract validated the traditional use of the plant as a heart tonic increasing cardiovascular actions. Research suggest that the combination of  caffeine and plant sterols may give Cha' de bugre its clean energizing effect without the negative side effects commonly associated with common caffeine, or ephedra.

*"These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products sold are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease."