In Ethnobotany of Pru, A Traditional Cuban Refreshment, the authors, Gabriele Volpato and Daimy Godinez, deeply analyze every aspect of the traditional Cuban refreshment (Pru) that contains such a vast array of medicinal properties produced, in part, by its decoction and fermentation with sugar. It is this fermentation process that makes the drink have such a high nutritional value and improves the digestibility of the drink. To some Cubans, it is the drink of choice but not because of its health benefits but because of lack of healthy drinking water in their area; the fermentation process kills bacteria, making it safe to drink.
      There are three main species (Smilax domingensis, Gouania polygama, and Pimenta dioica) used within the drink, each play fundamental roles in creating the medicinal properties that the drink is mainly used for. Pru is known by the Cubans to reduce high blood pressure, balance and repair stomach, and even cure diseases such as syphilis. It is also said to cause tiredness and weakness which has lead to Pru being used as a mild sedative to take right before bed.
      The drink is said to have been brought to Cuba by the French-Haitian immigrants in the 1700s. Pru stayed in east Cuban until the economic crisis in the 1990s lead to the disappearance of soft drinks and left people searching for new forms of income such as selling Pru which, eventually lead to the spread of the refreshment all throughout Cuba. It is known for being a traditional drink even though the dissemination of the drink across Cuba lead to a decrease and almost extinction of the original ethnobotanical knowledge about the drink and the species used.