tola

What is tola?

Tola is a small, sticky shrub from the high Andes. Its botanical name is Parastrephia lepidophylla. In Bolivia, Peru, Chile and Argentina, the dried twigs are brewed as a tea or used as a skin wash.

The plant grows on the altiplano, the cold high plain above 3,500 metres. It is woody, resin-coated and strongly aromatic. Andean families also burn it as fuel and as ritual incense.

Here is the honest verdict. There are almost no human studies on tola. Long use in the Andes is not proof that it works, and it is not proof that it is safe.

You will not see tola on most pharmacy shelves. It is sold mainly as loose dried herb in Andean markets, and as an extract in a few cosmetic products.

How does tola work?

No one has shown in people how tola works, or that it works at all.

Most of what is known comes from test tubes and cell dishes. In those tests, extracts of tola mop up free radicals, which are unstable molecules linked to cell damage. They also slow the growth of some bacteria and fungi in lab culture.

Lab work has also looked at markers of inflammation (swelling and irritation in tissue). In cell studies, tola extracts appear to lower some of these markers. Whether that happens in a person drinking the tea is unknown.

Some lab studies suggest the extract soaks up ultraviolet light. That is why a few skin-care makers have taken an interest. It has not been tested as a sunscreen in people.

Treat all of this as a starting point for research, not as a proven effect.

What forms does tola come in?

Tola is most often sold as dried twigs and leaves for tea.

Forms you may come across:

- loose dried herb, sold by weight in Andean markets - tea bags in regional herbal blends - a water or alcohol extract used in a few skin creams - a strong brew used as a wash or compress on the skin - incense cones and bundles for burning

Capsules and standardised extracts are rare. Products sold online are seldom tested for identity or purity.

Where it comes from:

Tola has a long and well-documented place in Andean life. Aymara and Quechua communities used it well before the Spanish arrived.

It served three roles at once. It was a fuel in a land with few trees. It was incense in offerings to the earth, and it was a household remedy.

Healers brewed the twigs for chest colds, for the headache of thin mountain air, and for aching joints. The brew was also used to wash wounds and sore skin.

Records of this use are mostly ethnobotanical surveys, not medical records. They tell us what people did, not what it achieved.

What does tola help with?

• Altitude sickness (soroche): This is the best-known Andean use. Travellers and locals drank the tea for the headache and sickness of thin air. No trial has tested tola for altitude sickness. Proven steps are slow ascent, rest and going down if you get worse. Do not rely on a tea at altitude.
• Coughs, colds and chest congestion: Healers brewed the twigs, and sometimes inhaled the steam, for winter chest complaints. Lab tests show the extract slows some bacteria in culture. That is not the same as treating an infection in a person. There is no human evidence here.
• Joint and muscle pain: Warm compresses of the brew were laid on sore joints and backs. Cell studies suggest the extract may lower some inflammation markers. Whether that reaches a painful joint through the skin has not been shown. No trials exist.
• Washing minor wounds and skin irritation: A cooled brew was used to clean small cuts and rashes. In lab tests, tola extracts slow the growth of some bacteria and fungi. Skin is not a petri dish. Clean water and proper wound care are the tested approach.
• Upset stomach and wind: The bitter aromatic tea was taken after heavy meals. This rests on tradition alone. No study has measured digestion in people who drank it. Any benefit may be the warm drink itself.

What are the side effects of tola?

• Nausea or stomach upset, especially with strong brews
• Mouth and throat dryness from the bitter taste
• Skin rash or itching where the wash is applied
• Allergic reaction in people sensitive to daisy-family plants
• Eye and airway irritation from the smoke when it is burned

Good to know:

Side effects have never been counted in a study, so no one can say how common they are.

Reported problems are mild and mostly affect the gut or the skin. The clearest real risk is allergy, because tola belongs to the daisy family. Burning it indoors makes smoke, which irritates the lungs like any smoke.

How much tola should you take?

• Recommended daily: There is no established dose for tola. No health body has set one, because the human research does not exist. Where packets carry a figure at all, it is usually about one teaspoon of dried twigs steeped in a cup of hot water, once or twice a day. That is a label custom from Andean tea sellers. It is not a recommendation for you, and it is not backed by trials. Product strength varies a lot between batches. If you choose to try it, talk to a doctor or pharmacist first.
• Best time of day: Timing does not matter much, since no effect has been proven. Tradition favoured a warm cup after meals or in the evening. The tea is aromatic and bitter, not stimulating.
• With or without food: Food makes no known difference. A bitter brew on an empty stomach can feel harsh. Taking it with or after food may be easier on your gut.
• Time to effect: Be realistic: it may do nothing at all. People who report an effect usually mean warmth and comfort within an hour. That is common to any hot herbal drink. No measurable benefit has been shown in people, at any point in time.
• How long to take it: No safe long-term period is known. Safety studies in people have not been done. Traditional use was short and occasional, usually a few days during an illness. Daily use for weeks has never been studied. Stop and seek advice if your symptom is not settling within about a week.