Coca Leaves For Preventing Altitude Sickness, Breathe Better, Nausea Reduction, and More Benefits.

Something that may surprise you, but that you will most certainly encounter on your visit to Cusco, is the open sale of coca leaves and coca tea (mate) in markets, cafes and even supermarkets.
More importantly, though Coca leaves are indeed the basic ingredient for cocaine, they are NOT in any way addictive (unless you were to consume them by the ton!) or bad for your health. A good analogy is that coca leaves are to cocaine what poppies are to heroin.
Coca leaves were sacred to the Incas, and since then have been used as a natural remedy for many ailments, including a headache, sore throat and stomach upsets. Today, the coca leaf is a vital part of the Peruvian national identity.