If you wanted to quickly summarize what yerba mate is, it would be the supernatural energy of the South American forests.
Yerba mate is a tree that grows in South American countries such as Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. Its leaves are picked and dried to be traditionally consumed in a gourd (a type of small flask), using a bombilla (a filtered straw) and by adding hot water at 80 degrees Celsius.
It is now consumed by millions of people every day for its energizing effects and its numerous benefits.
We wanted to introduce you to 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
Its help for sports
Its help for weight loss
Its health benefits
In general, yerba mate is excellent for your health:
super antioxidant,
rich in minerals,
anti-inflammatory...
So many benefits that it would be a shame to ignore!
Indeed, yerba mate is rich in minerals, which are important for metabolism and human body development. In addition, 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 anti-inflammatory effect, beneficial in preventing a wide variety of diseases, and which could help strengthen the immune system and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and other chronic diseases.
It could also relieve headaches and rheumatism, fight short-term mental and physical fatigue, lower "bad" cholesterol (LDL) and increase "good" cholesterol (HDL), improve short-term cognitive performance, and help with weight loss.
So, you understand, yerba mate can become your best daily health ally.
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 enhances attention and helps to combat drowsiness and falling asleep. There is less caffeine in mate than in coffee, but slightly more than in tea.
Theobromine, responsible for the bitterness of yerba mate and also found in chocolate, actively stimulates the nervous system and also acts as a natural muscle relaxant.
These two components combined offer a unique energy comparable to that of coffee, but without the drawbacks one might feel after consuming a cup of the black nectar.
Indeed, mate does not cause palpitations or heartburn as coffee can. It also does not produce energy spikes like coffee does. On the contrary, the energy remains constant for several hours. However, it should be avoided at the end of the day to avoid disturbing your sleep. Therefore, it is best to consume your mate in the morning to enjoy its benefits throughout the day.
Maté ready to be infused in a gourd with a bombilla.
Its aid to concentration
Regular consumption of yerba mate is said to help awaken body and mind, making us alert, focused, and relaxed. We use the conditional tense as nothing has been scientifically proven in this regard. However, you can find a multitude of testimonials praising its benefits for the brain, such as increased concentration, increased alertness, improved physical energy, and this, without the side effects often associated with caffeine.
The caffeine dose in yerba mate (53mg per 100ml) is better assimilated and tolerated by the body than that in coffee (77mg per 100ml), which allows the body to wake up without making one jittery. Consequently, where coffee can cause nervousness and high blood pressure, mate stimulates brain activity and promotes concentration.
This is why we recommend this infusion to students, in particular, or to people with attention disorders. This healthy infusion can help to stay focused for at least two hours. Indeed, studies show that yerba mate acts mainly during the two hours following its consumption. After that, its action gradually decreases.
Yerba mate infusion while studying or at work, a really good idea.
Its aid for sports
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 most mate drinkers to date. World celebrities like Argentine player Lionel Messi and his French teammate Antoine Griezmann are often seen with a gourd in hand before games and in locker rooms.
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 vascular constriction. In other words, vessels would dilate, 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, as it would contribute to the reduction of lactic acid accumulation and, consequently, could reduce the burning sensation in muscles during and after physical exercise. Its antioxidant effects combined with its anti-inflammatory effects would therefore aid in muscle recovery.
It is therefore easier to understand why yerba mate seems to be the ideal drink to help you in your physical activities!
Argentina is one of the world's leading consumers of yerba mate.
Its aid for weight loss
As we mentioned earlier, yerba mate, which is a thermogenic food, can help you in your weight loss journey. Indeed, it has fat-burning and appetite-suppressant properties.
"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 burner. And as in any good weight loss program, the consumption of yerba mate must, of course, be associated with a balanced diet and regular physical activity for it to be effective.
A study was carried out in 2014 in London by the Sheffield University Academy of Sport. It involved testing the fat burning rate of several athletes, some of whom had consumed mate, and others who had not. The results showed that athletes who drank mate before training burned 24% more fat than the others.
So, in summary, yerba mate should be considered as an aid to long-term weight loss. It is not a dietary supplement or a miracle solution for losing weight. It is an infusion full of benefits, which pairs perfectly with a balanced diet and sports practice, and can help with weight loss thanks to its appetite-suppressant effect and its fat-burning properties.
So, are you convinced?
Yerba mate is the best ally for long office days, study sessions, or sports training.
It's an excellent healthy alternative to coffee, an infusion full of benefits for body and mind.
