Annoying bush or healthy tea? Yaupon can be both

Long before Earl Grey, Darjeeling and oolong reached our shores, there was yaupon.

Tea brewed from the leaves of the yaupon holly has been part of the North American diet for more than 1,000 years, consumed by Indigenous tribes as a stimulant, a medicinal remedy and a ceremonial drink.

Early European settlers and Black communities drank it as well, mainly in the southeastern United States, where yaupon – believed to be the continent's only native plant containing caffeine – grows wild as a bush or a small tree with oval, dark green leaves. But the arrival of imported tea and coffee, among other factors, usurped the native tea – until recently.

"Historians and botanists have always known about yaupon," said Dr. Christine Folch, who has studied and written about the plant. She is the Bacca Foundation Associate Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

"The consumption is very well-documented in archival literature of North America," she said. "It kind of got lost in the 19th century. And in the 20th century, it was just shrubbery. But now in the 21st century, there's been real interest."

A few small companies process and market yaupon, mainly in specialty stores and online, while some people harvest their own. It's still a mere drop in the U.S. tea market, which is estimated to top $16 billion this year, according to the market research firm Statista. But that could change.

"It's a very pleasant beverage to drink, and it hits all the right notes as a caffeinated beverage," Folch said. Unlike most teas, which are grown elsewhere and imported, it's also good for the environment, she said. For some people, "you can literally get it outside your door. But if you buy it, it doesn't come from abroad, so it has a really low carbon footprint."

Many teas claim health benefits, with studies suggesting that compounds in tea may help lower the risk of diabetes, heart disease, some cancers and other ailments. So where does yaupon blend in?

"I'm very careful about making any kind of health claim because you always need more research. But it's delicious," said Dr. Stephen Talcott, a professor of food chemistry at Texas A&M University in College Station.

Although yaupon contains caffeine, Talcott said amounts vary depending on how and where the plant is cultivated, so companies can control the buzz factor. It also contains polyphenols, which are micronutrients that fight inflammation and act as antioxidants with the potential to reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

Talcott, who researches how the body absorbs the compounds in yaupon, said the only possible downside is for people who are sensitive to caffeine. However, he said, don't be put off by yaupon holly's scientific name: Ilex vomitoria.

That unpalatable appellation dates from 1789. Possible explanations include that the tea was used along with other concoctions in Native American cleansing ceremonies, and that English tea traders wanted to discourage competition.

"Yaupon holly does not contain compounds that could induce an emetic response," Talcott said, using a medical term for throwing up.

Botanically, he said, yaupon is a cousin to yerba mate, a tea dating back to Indigenous tribes in South America, where it is still popular. It's gaining acceptance in North America and elsewhere as well.

Folch recently published a book about the history of yerba mate and said its leaves and twigs are usually smoked, imbuing an earthier flavor that can be an acquired taste.

"Yaupon's different," she said. "If you enjoy a black tea or green tea, this is going to feel shockingly familiar."

You can buy yaupon as loose or bagged tea, advertised as equally good hot or cold. Or if you live in an area roughly stretching from Texas to Florida and up to Virginia, yaupon will likely come to you.

"I've taken students around campus to forage for it," Folch said. "You take the leaves – not the berries – and toast them in a nonstick pan on your stovetop, probably five minutes on a low temperature to turn them from green to brown. Then you crush them, put them in hot water, and you have your beverage."

As gardeners know, yaupon is a hardy plant, often invasive, drought resistant and hard to get rid of. That, said Talcott – who roasts the leaves in the oven – can infuse the tea with a sweet note of revenge.

"People say, 'I've been cutting that stuff down in my backyard forever,'" he said. "I tell them you can make tea out of that. They're like, 'You kidding me?' And then they call me back a week later and say, 'Darn, that was good!'"

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Eat It or Leave It? is an American Heart Association News series that takes a closer look at the health benefits and drawbacks of specific foods and drinks.

American Heart Association News covers heart and brain health. Not all views expressed in this story reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved.