Billions of people around the world start their day with a nice, hot drink that sweeps through their bodies, stimulating the mind and boosting energy to prepare for the day ahead. Many of us think of coffee or tea, but in South America, a traditional brew called yerba mate has been a lifestyle staple because it’s been known to pack the strength of coffee that kickstarts the day, the health benefits of tea, and the pleasure derived from consuming chocolate.
Yerba mate tea is made from the dried leaves of evergreen hollies native to South Americas. It’s taste comes off as grassy, similar to green tea, and could start out as an acquired taste for some who are just starting to try it out and explore the health benefits associated with it. Yerba mate’s commonly known health benefits include: increased energy and enhanced mental clarity, alertness, focus, and concentration. It’s both a cultural and health staple, and it’s for good reason. Here, we’ll learn why.
Nutritional Powerhouse
Yerba mate packs so many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants – basically containing all the essential micronutrients that sustain life. These include vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, C and E, calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sodium, sulfur, and zinc. It also has phytonutrients, such as trace minerals, chlorophyll, tannins, flavonoids, and a whopping 15 amino acids. Lastly, yerba mate packs 11 polyphenols, exhibiting more antioxidant power than any other tea.
A Smooth Increase in Energy
As opposed to coffee that many of us drink to instantly wake up, and in the process experience some palpitations or pounding sensations, yerba mate can boost your energy in a gentle, calm and clean way, making the boost more balanced. It provides the same state of alert wakefulness like coffee, but without the side effects, such as sleep interference and jitters. This is because while both contain caffeine, yerba mate only packs 85mg of caffeine per 8-ounce cup, which is more than what a regular serving of tea has, but much less than a cup of coffee.
Digestive and Elimination Tonic
Yerba mate has been known to treat digestive problems such as indigestion, constipation, and diarrhea. It also has natural antibacterial properties that shield the body from E. coli, regarded as the most common cause of food poisoning. One of the saponins found in yerba mate also destroys intestinal parasites, and it’s been discovered to be effective in preventing and treating both urinary tract infections and stones in the bladder and kidney.
Medicinal Uses
Yerba mate has been used as a stimulant; general nerve tonic for pain, fatigue, and depression; part of a weight loss regimen; for digestive aid and an overall tonic; and for relieving allergies and sinusitis.
Fight Cancer
Yerba mate contains many cancer-fighting compounds, such as ursolic acid, chlorogenic acid, chlorophyll, rutin, tannin, and saponins. In a study, yerba mate extract was added to human colon cancer cells in a test tube, and upon exposure to the extract, the cancer cells quickly self-destructed.
Immune System Boost
Yerba mate is rich in the compound saponins, which are natural emulsifiers that boost the immune system. This is a great source for antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients, properties that greatly benefit the immune system and keep it healthy. Yerba mate packs potent antioxidants called polyphenols, which are plant-based compounds that greatly aid in relieving seasonal allergies, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Shed Off the Pounds
Maintaining a normal weight is a key factor in staying healthy, and regular consumption of yerba mate may help with that, as recent studies show. There’s evidence suggesting that yerba mate tea can aid with weight loss by increasing the amount of energy you expend, reducing appetite, burning stored fat, and improving your sensitivity to insulin – all pointing towards burning more calories that help keep the pounds from piling on.
Strong Bones
Regularly drinking yerba mate tea can greatly increase bone density, which serves as a good supplement to those who lack exercise. While caffeine is associated with bone mineral loss, and exercise is critical for building strong bones, a study on postmenopausal women at high risk for osteoporosis showed that drinking yerba mate tea showed an increased bone density in their spines compared to those who didn’t drink it.
A Healthy Heart
Yerba mate has been shown to help in relieving and treating heart-related ailments, such as irregular heartbeat, heart failure, and low blood pressure. As mentioned, it also has a lot of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, greatly helping in keeping the heart and the entire cardiovascular system healthy. All this is made possible by theobromine in yerba mate, which relaxes the blood vessels and helps blood flow better throughout the body.
Complete Mental Boost
Everyday living requires us to be focused, smart, productive and creative – and getting the right supplements from our food and drink can help us achieve this lifestyle goal. Yerba mate has a good amount of caffeine, making it an optimal psychoactive to help us stay alert and awake. Caffeine also enhances mood and memory, making us feel more motivated and productive with the stimulation of dopamine, a neurotransmitter. This is made possible by two compounds in yerba mate, theobromine and theophylline, to provide unique, mild stimulant effects, like in green tea, and without the crash and addictive properties common in coffee.