Just asked gemini about the ingredients of Coca Cola. It turns out one of the ingredients used is decocainised coca leaves. Coca Cola is the only company that can legally use these.
Coca leaves are used in traditional native American medicine. From gemini:
In countries like Peru and Bolivia, chewing whole coca leaves or drinking them as a tea (mate de coca) is a daily practice used to treat several ailments:
- Altitude Sickness (Soroche): This is the most famous use. The leaf contains alkaloids that improve oxygen uptake and blood flow, helping the body adapt to high, thin mountain air by relieving headaches, nausea, and dizziness.
- Digestive Relief: Coca tea acts as a powerful gastrointestinal stimulant. It fast-tracks digestion, calms stomach spasms, and treats nausea.
- Energy and Fatigue: The leaf contains natural stimulants. Chewing it provides a steady, mild boost in energy and alertness—similar to a strong cup of coffee—without the jittery “crash” associated with refined stimulants.
- Appetite and Pain Suppression: Traditionally, miners and laborers used it to stave off hunger and mask physical pain or exhaustion during long, grueling work shifts.


