What is yerba mate?
If we wanted to quickly summarize what yerba mate is, it would be:supernatural energy from the forests of South America.
Yerba mate is a tree that grows in South American countries such as Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. Its leaves are picked and dried for traditional consumption in a calabash (a kind of small gourd), using a bombilla (straw with filter) and adding hot water at 80 degrees Celsius.
It is now consumed by millions of people every day for its energizing effects and his multiple benefits.
So we wanted to present to you this naturally energizing drink, which has won over the Ma Caféine team, by giving you 5 good reasons to start consuming it:
Its health benefits
Its energizing effects
Its help with concentration
His help for sport
Its help to lose weight
Listen to our podcast about yerba mate:
Its health benefits
Generally speaking, yerba mate is excellent for health: super antioxidant, rich in minerals, anti-inflammatory... So many benefits that it would be a shame to ignore!
In fact, yerba mate is rich in minerals, which are important for the metabolism and development of the human body. Additionally, the naturally active compounds present in yerba mate have a very high antioxidant capacity, higher than green tea for example. It also contains polyphenols and saponins, two molecules widely studied for their effect anti-inflammatory, beneficial in the prevention of a wide variety of diseases, and which could help strengthen the immune system and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and other chronic diseases.
He could also relieve headaches and rheumatism, combat short-term mental and physical fatigue, lower the rate of " bad » cholesterol (LDL) and increase the level of " Good » cholesterol (HDL), improve cognitive performance in the short term, or even help with weight loss.
So you will have understood, yerba mate can become your best health ally on a daily basis.
Whole yerba mate leaves before harvest.
Its energizing effects
Yerba mate is naturally rich in caffeine and theobromine.
The caffeine in yerba mate stimulates the central nervous system, which strengthens attention and helps to fight against drowsiness and falling asleepThere is less caffeine in mate than in coffee, but a little more than in tea.
Theobromine, on the other hand, responsible for the bitterness of yerba mate and also found in chocolate, also actively stimulates the nervous system and also acts as a natural muscle relaxant.
These two components combined give you a unique energy boost comparable to that of coffee, but without the drawbacks that one can feel after consuming a cup of the black nectar.
In fact, mate does not cause palpitations or heartburn like coffee can. It also doesn't produce energy spikes like coffee does. On the contrary, L'energy remains constant for several hours. However, it is necessary to avoid consuming it. at the end of the day so as not to disturb your sleep. So consume your mate preferably in the morning in order to benefit from its benefits throughout the day.
Mate ready to be infused in a gourd with bombilla.
Its help with concentration
Regular consumption of yerba mate is said to help awaken the body and mind, making us alert, focused, and relaxed. We use the conditional tense since nothing has been scientifically proven in this regard. On the other hand, you can find a multitude of testimonials praising its benefits for the brain, such as increasing the ability to concentration, the increase in the vigilance, the improvement of thephysical energy, and without the side effects often associated with caffeine.
The caffeine content of yerba mate (53mg per 100ml) is better absorbed and tolerated by the body than that of coffee (77mg per 100ml), which helps to wake up the body without causing nervousness. Therefore, where coffee can cause nervousness and hypertension, mate stimulates brain activity and promotes concentration.
This is why we recommend this infusion, especially for students and people with attention deficit disorder. This healthy infusion can help you stay focused. for at least two hours. Indeed, the studies carried out show that yerba mate acts mainly over the next two hours that follow its consumption. Then, its action gradually decreases.
Yerba mate infusion while studying or at work is a really good idea.
His help for sport
Yerba mate is the ideal drink for physical activity!
Many athletes around the world consume it regularly and highlight its benefits in their field. Soccer remains the sport with the highest number of mate users to date. Global celebrities like Argentinian player Lionel Messi and his French teammate Antoine Griezmann are often spotted with a calabash in hand before games and in the locker room.
Yerba mate contains vitamins (A, C, E, B1, B2), magnesium, potassium and phosphorus, but also caffeine.And caffeine consumption before physical activity is known to improve endurance and performance.
Yerba mate also contains theobromine, also present in cocoa, and various sources suggest that theobromine could play a role in the vascular constrictionIn other words, the vessels would widen, allowing blood and oxygen to circulate more freely throughout the body.
Also, Thanks to its high antioxidant content, mate plays an important role during training, since it contributes to the reduction of lactic acid buildup and, therefore, could reduce the burning sensation in the muscles during and after physical exercise. Its antioxidant effects combined with its anti-inflammatory effects would therefore help muscle recovery.
We can therefore better understand why yerba mate seems to be the ideal drink to help you with your physical activities!
Argentina is one of the world's leading consumers of yerba mate.
Its help to lose weight
As we mentioned above, yerba mate, which is a food thermogenic, can support you in your weight loss process. Indeed, it has properties fat burner And appetite suppressant.
"Yerba mate consumption has become very popular for health, obesity prevention, and body weight reduction, mainly due to its thermogenic efficacy."
Study published in the scientific journal Nutrition & Metabolism.
Just like green tea, yerba mate is a natural fat burnerAnd as with any good weight loss program, it is of course necessary that the consumption of yerba mate is associated with a balanced diet as well as regular physical activity for it to be effective.
A 2014 study was conducted in London by the University of Sheffield's Academy of Sport. It involved testing the fat-burning rate of several athletes, some of whom had consumed yerba mate, and others who had not. The results showed that athletes who drank yerba mate before training burned 24% more fat than those who had not.
So in summary, yerba mate is to be considered as help to weight loss in the long term. This is not a dietary supplement or a miracle solution. to lose weight. It is an infusion full of benefits, which combines perfectly with a balanced diet and sports practice, and which can help you lose weight thanks to its effect appetite suppressant and its fat-burning properties.
So, convinced?
Yerba mate is the best ally for long days at the office, revision, or even sports training.
It is an excellent healthy alternative to coffee, an infusion full of benefits for the body and mind.
Are you going to be tempted and begin your initiation?
Yerba mate, a healthy infusion
Yerba Maté (pronounced yèr-ba ma-té) is a tree native to South America Sud.yerba-mate-tree Its infusion, similar to tea, is distinguished by its nutritional profile, its taste and its ceremonial way of drinking it. It is also the first drink consumed in South America, a traditional drink shared for centuries, and imbued with Latin culture.
