Cha de Bugre grows in Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. It is very popular in these regions for its uses as a diet aid and general stimulant. Studies that have been conducted on it show its efficacy as a diuretic, stimulant, heart tonic, and anti-cellulite agent. The tree produces a red fruit which is similar in appearance to the coffee bean and it is used as a coffee substitute in the regions where it grows. It is commonly sold in Rio De Janeiro's beach side stands, pharmacies, and nutrition stores as a weight loss aid. A in the 90’s demonstrated Cha de Bugre’s remarkable effect upon the Herpes virus. In a Japanese study it was shown that an extra of Cha de Bugre reduced the Herpes virus’ ability to infect healthy cells by over 99% when the cells were pre-treated with a leaf extract! Not only has Cha de Bugre been proven to drastically reduce the infiltration of the Herpes virus, but another study demonstrated that it inhibited the growth of cancer cells by 40%! It is also used for healing external skin wounds thanks to the high allantoin and allantoic acid content of the leaves and branches. Further research suggests that Cha De Bugre is an effective appetite suppressant which can give one a feeling of being full after only a few morsels of food.