The plant had a small amount of the alkaloid, roughly 0.5 to 1 percent dry weight, a modest concentration that was benignly absorbed through the mucous membrane of the cheek. But it also contained a considerable range of vitamins, and more calcium than any plant ever studied by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which made it ideal for a diet that traditionally lacked a dairy product. It was also suggested that the leaves produced enzymes that enhanced the body’s ability to digest carbohydrates at high elevation, ideal for the potato-based diet of the Andes.
I am approx. 3% Peruvian.
I am fat. I also love potatoes & don't like dairy.
Obviously, I need to include more coca leaves in my diet.
