Cha de Bugre is a small tree that grows twelve to sixteen inches. It is indigenous to Brazil, and is found mostly in the Brazilian States of Goais, Acre and Bahia. Brazilians often call Cha de Bugre, Café de Mato, as it produces a real fruit similar to a coffee bean that can be roasted and used as a coffee substitute. In Brazil, Cha de Bugre is drunk as a coffee or as a tea. It is said to have both weight loss and appetite reducing effects. In the ingredient listings of many weight loss products, you will often see Cha de Bugre listed as an ingredient, paired with Hoodia Gordonii. Manufacturers of weight loss products will often include Cha de Bugre and Hoodia Gordonii together, as they claim that the Cha de Bugre increases the potency of the Hoodia Gordonii. There are a number of testimonials online written by people who have used products containing Cha de Bugre. These testimonials are mixed, and it seems that a number of people have found the product helpful, whilst others have complained of side effects such as dry mouth, anxiety and insomnia. Dr. C.L. Cruz in his book, Dictionary of the Plants Used in Brazil, recommends chá de bugre as an excellent diuretic and weight loss aid as well as a good general heart tonic which can help stimulate circulation. It is also used in Brazil and Haiti as a tea to help relieve coughs, regulate renal function, reduce uric acid and externally to heal wounds. Cha de Bugre is known to contain caffeine, potassium, allantoin and allantoic acid. The red fruits or berries of cha de bugre (resembling a coffee bean) contain caffeine. The allantoin and allantoic acid may explain the traditional use of the plant for wound healing. The main plant chemicals include allantoin, allantoic acid, caffeine, potassium. In 1990 however, a Japanese University discovered some new uses for cha de bugre. They showed that Cha de Bugre leaf extract reduced herpes virus penetration by 99% when they pre-treated cells with the extract. In 1994, they showed that the Herpes virus yield was reduced by 33% with as little as 0.25 mcg/ml and also discovered that it had toxic activity against cancer cells (demonstrating a 40% inhibition) utilizing an extract of the branches and leaves. Then in 1997, research with rabbits and guinea pigs validated the traditional use of the plant as a heart tonic when they reported cardiotonic and increased cardiovascular actions using a leaf extract. Cha de Bugre is a great appetite suppressant, but rather than stopping appetite completely (then causing intense hunger when it wears off at the wrong time) it gives one a sense of being full and satiated after eating only a few bites of food. This seems to promote much smaller meals, more often, which is what many practitioners believe is better for sustained weight loss and keeping the metabolism going throughout the day. It works best if taken 30 minutes to one hour prior to a meal. Although a fair number of people have experien