Ilex guayusa
It is a leaf of the Amazonian holly, containing natural caffeine, theobromine and polyphenols. The polyphenols slow caffeine absorption — hence the smooth onset without a crash. The same polyphenols are also powerful antioxidants — dampening 60–80% of oxidative stress.
Today the foundation of AINI and your deep focus.
Wayusa is an Amazonian leaf that Ecuador has brewed as a stimulating infusion for more than a thousand years. In Europe people reach for it as a natural alternative to coffee and energy drinks: a serving carries roughly as much caffeine as a cup of filter coffee, but without the bitterness and without the taurine and artificial sweeteners energy drinks are built on. AINI is ready-made wayusa in a can — 330 ml, 99 mg of caffeine, 330 mg of ashwagandha and 4 g of sugar per 100 ml.
Every day at 3 a.m., Kichwa families in the Ecuadorian Amazon rise. They sit in a circle around the fire, drink wayusa, and share dreams from the night before. A quiet ritual, over 1,000 years old. Before the world wakes, they already know where they're going.
Wayusa grows under the canopy of rainforest trees. It needs no plantations, pesticides, or monoculture fields. Shuar farmers grow it in a way that doesn't destroy the rainforest, because they live from it. Picking leaves is hand work. Slow, careful, no shortcuts.
Wayusa leaves travel from the Ecuadorian rainforest through a processing center to Europe. Every batch is traceable. No anonymous supply chain — we know who grew the wayusa, when they harvested it, how it dried, and how it traveled all the way to our production.
Wayusa, passionfruit, lime juice, sugar, ashwagandha. Five ingredients, no chemistry. Natural caffeine with a smooth onset. A format that makes sense to your day — and tastes seriously good.
Composition
Seven scientifically grounded statements. The complete wayusa leaf supplemented with ashwagandha and passionfruit — not isolated extracts, but synergy.
Wayusa contains a natural combination of caffeine (1.7–3.5% dry matter) and theobromine. Caffeine boosts alertness; theobromine acts as a vasodilator — opens blood vessels and balances stimulation.
Helwig et al. (2024): RCT — 600 mg of wayusa extract significantly improved psychomotor performance. PubMed (opens in a new window)
Caffeine in wayusa is surrounded by polyphenols (chlorogenic acid, ~14 mg/g) and theobromine, which modulate absorption and ensure a gradual onset.
Theobromine simultaneously dilates blood vessels; a longer half-life (~7–12 h vs. ~3–7 h for caffeine). PMC (opens in a new window)
Ashwagandha statistically significantly reduces cortisol levels and perceived-stress scores. Passionfruit flavonoids act on GABA-A receptors — calm without drowsiness.
Meta-analysis of 15 RCTs (n=873) in BJPsych Open (2024): cortisol −2.36, PSS −4.88, HAM-A −3.52. PMC (opens in a new window)
Wayusa contains 0.7–1% ursolic acid, which activates the TGR5 receptor. It increases GLP-1 secretion — the hormone responsible for glycemic regulation.
21-day study — slower glycemic deterioration, weight maintenance. PMC (opens in a new window)
Wayusa delivers 60–80% protection against oxidative stress — comparable to green tea. Chlorogenic acid, quercetin, kaempferol, catechin.
Study on the Caco-2 cell model (Food & Function, 2017). PubMed (opens in a new window)
Wayusa improves working memory and processing speed within 60 minutes of consumption. Ashwagandha increases memory capacity and attention accuracy under stress.
La Monica et al. (Nutrients, 2023): RCT with 650 mg of wayusa extract. PMC (opens in a new window)
Complete genotoxicity and 90-day subchronic toxicity tests — not a single adverse effect. FDA GRAS status. Kichwa, Achuar, and Shuar peoples have been drinking wayusa daily for thousands of years.
FDA GRAS Notice 835 (2020). Archaeology: Wassén (1972). FDA GRAS Notice 835 (opens in a new window)
All the ingredients work together — caffeine and theobromine give focus, polyphenols set the pace, ashwagandha and passionfruit keep you calm.
Starter Pack
No aggressive sales. Just three mornings, three cans, and one simple ritual that changes how your day starts.
249 CZK
The people behind wayusa
Edwin lives with his family in the Ecuadorian Amazon, where he runs the family wayusa farm. He works with the Shuar communities, supporting them. He grows wayusa the way his grandparents did — under the rainforest canopy, by hand, without chemicals.
He is not an anonymous supplier with a fair-trade label. He is our friend, with whom we work directly. He harvests, dries, and ships the wayusa for AINI.
“When you protect the tree, the tree protects you.”— Edwin, Raywana farm
Comparison
Crash index. Caffeine dose. Stable focus duration. Three visualizations, six drinks at a comparable caffeine dose — and one clear sweet spot.
01 — Scatter plot
| Substance | Onset | Stable focus duration | Crash index |
|---|---|---|---|
| AINI | 20–30 min | 2–3 h | 1.5 / 10 |
| Wayusa | 20–30 min | 2–3 h | 2.0 / 10 |
| Yerba Maté | 20–40 min | ~2,5 h | 2.5 / 10 |
| Matcha | 30–45 min | ~2,5 h | 2.2 / 10 |
| Coffee | 15–30 min | ~2 h | 7.0 / 10 |
| Energy drink | 10–15 min | ~2 h | 6.8 / 10 |
02 — Energy curve
“Stable focus duration” = the time caffeine stays at 100–70% of its peak — modeled from pharmacokinetics (absorption rate + half-life). Coffee and energy drinks spike sharply; the window is narrow. Wayusa absorbs more slowly, holding a plateau for ~3 h. After 4 h caffeine is only fading — that is not focus.
03 — Metrics
Effects
Wayusa contains natural caffeine, theobromine and polyphenols. That trio defines its effect: caffeine wakes you up, while theobromine and polyphenols slow its onset and stretch it out.
Energy from wayusa builds smoothly over 20–30 minutes and lasts 2–3 hours — without the sharp spike and crash you know from coffee or energy drinks. The polyphenols also act as potent antioxidants.
In the Ecuadorian Amazon, wayusa has been drunk before dawn for centuries — for calm, focused wakefulness, not a quick jolt. That energy profile is exactly why it's the base of AINI.
Ritual
Traditionally, the dried wayusa leaves simmer in a pot of water for a few minutes. The result is a smooth, slightly sweet brew without the bitterness of yerba mate or oversteeped green tea. Amazonian communities drink it in the dark before sunrise, together around the fire.
At home, prepare wayusa as a traditional infusion: a spoonful of dried leaves, water around 90 °C, five minutes of steeping. And when there's no time for the ritual — AINI is ready-made wayusa in a can. Chilled, lightly sparkling and ready right away.
Caffeine
A serving of wayusa in the current AINI recipe contains exactly 99 mg of caffeine — about the same as filter coffee (~95 mg) and more than matcha (~65 mg). What matters more than the number is the curve: thanks to the polyphenols, caffeine from wayusa absorbs more slowly, so energy rises and falls gradually.
| Drink | Caffeine | Onset | Duration | Crash (0–10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy drink | 80 mg | 10–15 min | ~2 h | 6.8 / 10 |
| Coffee | 95 mg | 15–30 min | ~2 h | 7.0 / 10 |
| Matcha | 65 mg | 30–45 min | ~2,5 h | 2.2 / 10 |
| Yerba Maté | 80 mg | 20–40 min | ~2,5 h | 2.5 / 10 |
| Wayusa | 99 mg | 20–30 min | 2–3 h | 2.0 / 10 |
| AINI | 99 mg + ashwagandha | 20–30 min | 2–3 h | 1.5 / 10 |
Values are indicative — caffeine content varies by variety, serving size and preparation. See the charts above for the detailed comparison.
FAQ
Wayusa (also spelled guayusa, Latin Ilex guayusa) is an evergreen tree from the Ecuadorian Amazon and a close relative of yerba mate. For centuries its leaves have been brewed into an infusion with natural caffeine, theobromine and polyphenols. AINI turns wayusa into a ready-to-drink sparkling deep focus drink in a can.
A wayusa brew is smooth, slightly sweet and free of the bitterness typical of yerba mate or green tea. AINI combines wayusa with citrus — the result is a fresh, clean taste with low sugar.
A serving of wayusa in the current AINI recipe has exactly 99 mg of caffeine — about the same as filter coffee (~95 mg) and more than matcha (~65 mg). Thanks to the polyphenols, the caffeine absorbs more slowly, so energy comes on smoothly instead of dropping off a cliff.
Both plants belong to the holly genus Ilex. Wayusa (Ilex guayusa) grows in the Amazon and has a mild, slightly sweet taste without bitterness; yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) comes from southern South America and is noticeably more bitter. Their caffeine content is comparable, but wayusa carries a higher share of polyphenols, which smooth out the onset of energy.
Starter Pack
No aggressive sales. Just three mornings, three cans, and one simple ritual that changes how your day starts.
249 CZK
