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.
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, 1,500 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 — Průběh energie
“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 — Metriky
Starter Pack
No aggressive sales. Just three mornings, three cans, and one simple ritual that changes how your day starts.
249 CZK
