Dr. Oz: Medicine Hunter Chris Kilham
Dr. Oz talked to medicine hunter Chris Kilham, who brought him some energy-producing drinks from the Amazon rainforest. Dr. Oz wondered: can these drinks replace our morning cup of coffee?
Dr. Oz: What is Yerba Mate?
Dr. Oz talked to Chris Kilham, who shared some things he found in the rainforest which could replace our coffee, including Yerba Mate. (Magdalena Zurawska / Shutterstock.com)
One plant in particular, Yerba Mate, is a staple throughout Latin America. It’s rich in flavor and made into a tea. It delivers a boost of energy and other nutrients. Yerba Mate is often found in energy drinks and Chris Kilham recommended replacing your coffee totally with Yerba Mate.
Yerba Mate is rich in caffeine to stimulate you and it has a lot of beneficial compounds. It functions as a diuretic. However, Dr. Oz noted that Yerba Mate in excess can give you cancer, particularly if you’re a smoker. This is if you drink it in terms of liters a day. So Dr. Oz warned to stick to just one cup, calling it a “treat.”
So wait, why would I switch out my coffee for this again? I’m not clear on how this is more beneficial to me if it gives me cancer.
Dr. Oz: What is Guayusa?
Guayusa is another tea South Americans have loved for centuries. It’s invigorating and good for concentration. It has more caffeine than Yerba Mate, but it also promotes tranquility. It gives you a nice lift, but it doesn’t make you jittery because of the tranquility-promoting amino acids in it. Chris said it’s on its way to being a superstar.
And, bonus: although Dr. Oz noted we don’t know much about its safety, no study is saying it gives you cancer. So that’s improvement.
“I still think I’d go with coffee over that, but over time I can see evolving into that,” Dr. Oz said.
Dr. Oz: Benefits of Cocoa
Another rainforest favorite is Cocoa, which boosts energy and improves your mood, although it’s not nearly as exotic as those other two.
Cocoa powder is often called the food of the gods. It’s been used as currency and it’s considered sacred in some cultures. You can make desserts, Mexican mole sauces, and confections out of it.
Chris Kilham recommended pure cocoa powder, not the kind with sugar. You can always sweeten it later. You want organic cocoa powder and not alkalized or Dutched. If you go for chocolate, get the kind with 85 percent cocoa powder or more. Chris also said that cocoa is mood-enhancing.
“As far as I can figure, from every analysis I’ve seen, this is the single-healthiest food in the world. It smokes all the other superfoods. It embarrasses the superberries and red wine and green tea,” he said.
At the end here, Dr. Oz shared Chris’s recipe for hot cocoa, which he said could replace our coffee.
“Although, I don’t want to replace my coffee,” Chris Kilham said.
Wait. If we’re not trying to replace our coffee, then what is this segment even about? Dr. Oz took a sip of the Hot Cocoa and then a sip of coffee. He ultimately decided to just mix them together.
Dr. Oz: Chris Kilham Hot Cocoa Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons 85 Percent Cocoa Chocolate
- 1 Cup Vanilla Almond Milk
- Few Dashes of Vanilla Extract
- Few Squeezes of Honey
Directions
- Mix everything together and warm in a sauce pot on low heat.
- Enjoy! If desired, mix it with a cup of coffee.
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