Coca Brynco (the real energy drink)

[Elano]

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An energy drink made from coca leaves has given Bolivian President Evo Morales a boost as he tries to overturn a United Nations ban on the traditional Andean practice of chewing them.

Coca is the raw material for making cocaine, but Bolivians have chewed the leaves for centuries as its mild stimulant reduces hunger and altitude sickness.

The coca leaf was declared an illegal narcotic in the 1961 U.N. Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, along with cocaine, heroin, opium and morphine and a host of chemical drugs.

The last traces of it were removed from Coca-Cola more than 80 years ago, but these energy drinks such as Red Bull, which claims to 'give you wings', are common place.

The United States has filed a letter with the United Nations objecting to Bolivia's proposal to overturn the ban.

Their international lawyers claim it removes language obligating signers to prohibit coca leaf-chewing. It has urged other member states to do the same.

Coca Brynco, the pale green energy drink  launched  earlier this week, has been hailed by the Bolivian government as an important step in its efforts to promote coca's health benefits and develop legal uses for its leaves.

'We want to reaffirm with this product that the coca leaf is healthy,' Rural Development Minister Nemesia Achacollo said. 'We must defend our coca leaf and show it's not a drug.'

Bolivia is the world's third largest producer of cocaine. Morales was leader of  its coca planters who rose to become the country's first indigenous president.

Two years ago, another group of Bolivian entrepreneurs launched a coca-based energy drink called Coca Colla but it failed to make an impact.

But Coca Brynco's production manager, Jhonny Vargas, was optimistic the planned $million (£620,000) investment would pay off.

'Our aim is to cover the whole of Bolivia and start exporting to neighbouring countries,' he said, adding that the plant would initially use 500lbs of coca leaves per month.

David Choquehuanca, the foreign minister, is to stop in Britain as part of a European tour to garner support to have the ban lifted.