What is yerba mate?

If we wanted to quickly summarize what yerba mate is, it would be thesuper-natural energy of 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 to be consumed traditionally in a calabash (a kind of small gourd), using a bombilla (straw with filter) and adding hot water at 80 degrees Celcius.

Today, it is consumed by millions of people every day for its energizing effects and multiple benefits.

We wanted to introduce you to this naturally energizing drink, which seduced the My Caffeine team, by giving you 5 good reasons to start consuming it:

Its health benefits

Generally speaking, 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!

Yerba mate is rich in minerals, which are important for the metabolism and development of the human body. In addition, the naturally active compounds present in yerba mate have a Very high antioxidant capacitythan green tea for example. It also contains polyphenols and saponins, two molecules that have been widely studied for their anti-inflammatoryeffect, beneficial to the prevention of a wide variety of diseases, and may help strengthen the immune system and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and other chronic diseases.

It could also relieve headaches and rheumatism, fight mental and physical fatigue in the short term, lower the level 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 see, yerba mate can become your best daily health ally.

Whole leaves of yerba mate before harvest.

Its energizing effects

Yerba mate is naturally rich in caffeine and theobromine.

The caffeine contained in yerba mate stimulates the central nervous system, which enhances attention and helps fight against drowsiness and sleepiness. There is less caffeine in mate than in coffee, but a little more than in tea.

Theobromine, responsible for the bitterness of yerba mate and also found in chocolate, also actively stimulates the nervous system and acts as a natural muscle relaxant.

These two components combined offer you a unique energy comparable with coffee, but without the inconvenience that one can feel after consuming a cup of the black nectar.

Indeed, mate does not give you heart palpitations or heartburn like coffee can. Nor does it produce energy spikes like coffee does. On the contrary, theenergy remains constant for several hours. However, you should avoid consuming it at the end of the day so as not to disturb your sleep. Therefore, consume your mate preferably in the morning in order to benefit from its advantages throughout the day.

Maté ready to be infused in a gourd with bombilla.

It helps concentration

Regular consumption of yerba mate is said to help awaken body and mind, making us alert, focused and relaxed. We use the conditional because nothing has been proven by science on this side. On the other hand, you can find a multitude of testimonies praising its benefits on the brain, such as the increase of the capacity of concentration, the increase of the vigilance, the improvement of thephysical energy, and this, without the side effects often linked to caffeine.

The dose of caffeine contained in yerba mate (53mg per 100ml) is better assimilated and tolerated by the body than that contained in coffee (77mg per 100ml), which allows to wake up the organism without irritating. Therefore, where coffee can cause nervousness and hypertension, mate stimulates brain activity and promotes concentration.

This is why we recommend this infusion to students in particular, or to people with attention problems. This healthy infusion can help you stay focused for at least two hours. Indeed, studies show that yerba mate acts mainly during the next two hours after its consumption. After that, its action gradually diminishes.

Brewing yerba mate while studying or at work is a really good idea.

Its help for sport

Yerba mate is the ideal drink for physical activity!

Many athletes around the world consume it regularly and emphasize its benefits in their field. Soccer remains the sport with the most mate consumers to date. Global celebrities such as Argentinean player Lionel Messi and his French teammate Antoine Griezmann are often seen with a gourd 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 the consumption of caffeine before a physical activity is known to improve endurance and performance.

Yerba mate also contains theobromine, also found in cocoa, and various sources suggest that theobromine may play a role in vascular constriction. In other words, the vessels would widen, allowing blood and oxygen to flow 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, 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.

It is easy to understand why yerba mate seems to be the ideal drink to help you in your physical activities!

Argentina is one of the first consumers of yerba mate in the world.

Its help to lose weight

As mentioned above, yerba mate, which is a thermogenic food, can help you in your weight loss process. Indeed, it has fat burning and appetite suppressant properties.

"The consumption of yerba mate has become very popular for health, obesity prevention and body weight reduction, mainly due to its thermogenic effectiveness."
Study published in the scientific journal Nutrition & Metabolism.

Like green tea, yerba mate is a natural fat burner. And as in any good program to lose weight, it is of course necessary that the consumption of yerba mate is associated with a balanced diet as well as regular sports activity for it to be effective.

A study was conducted in 2014 in London by the University of Sheffield Sports Academy. It consisted of testing the rate of fat burned of several athletes, some who consumed mate, and others not. The results showed that the athletes who drank mate before training burned 24% more fat than the others.

So in summary, yerba mate should be considered as a long-termweight lossaid. It is not a dietary supplement or a miracle solution to lose weight. It is an infusion full of benefits, which goes perfectly well with a balanced diet and sports practice, and which can help to lose weight thanks to its appetite suppressant effect and its fat burning properties.

So, are you convinced?

Yerba mate is the best ally for long days at the office, revisions, or sports training.

It is an excellent healthy alternative to coffee, an infusion full of benefits for the body and mind.

Will you be tempted and start your initiation?