When you see a person with his thermos, prepared with an infusion that he drinks through a kind of metal straw, called a bulb, you know that he is drinking yerba mate. It is a very popular drink in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and other South American countries where the plant is natively produced. So much so, that when you talk to an Argentine about mate, they tell you that it is much more than just having a drink and is almost a social act. Beyond what mate means from a cultural point of view in these countries, we wanted to delve into its health benefits.
You have to start, of course, by knowing what exactly mate is. “The name yerba mate refers to the product made up exclusively of the dried leaves, lightly toasted and crumbled from the plant Ilex paraguariensiswith fragments of young branches, petioles and flower peduncles. However, and although it is not permitted by local regulations, other species of Ilex are usually used sporadically to make commercial mate,” the pharmacist tells us. Mar Sieira.
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Nutritional composition of mate
Regarding its composition, the pharmacist tells us that it is important to point out that yerba mate contains more caffeine (approx. 70 mg) than a tea infusion (55 mg) or coffee (35 mg) (1).
“The leaves have also been analyzed, seeing in their composition vitamins A, B, C and E, tannins, chlorogenic acids (mainly chlorogenic, isochlorogenic and neochlorogenic acids), numerous triterpene saponins, derived from ursolic acid (matesaponins), ursolic acid, trigonelline, and flavonoids, of which the most important is kempfero. The medicinal properties of yerba mate are attributed to all these components,” the expert tells us.
© Adobe StockA stimulating infusion
The infusion of leaves and small branches (“sticks”) is used as stimulant and diuretic. “Mate is basically a stimulating drink, and helps reduce fatigue, stimulating mental and physical activity. Yerba mate is a rich source of antioxidants due to the presence of substances such as xanthines, caffeoyl derivatives and saponins. However, some of the components that make yerba mate so powerful, such as its high caffeine content, can also create health problems for some people,” he details.
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Types of preparation of yerba mate
- With the name of “Yerba Mate” or “Yerba” The product formed by the dried leaves, lightly toasted and crumbled of Ilex paraguariensis exclusively, mixed or not with fragments of young dry branches, petioles or flower peduncles, without prejudice to authorizing the inclusion of other species of the same genus.
- “Yerba Mate Canchada” It is the dried and roughly crushed herb.
- “Elaborated Yerba Mate” It is the grass that has been subjected to sifting, crushing and grinding processes.
- “Yerba Mate Made with Stick” It is the brewed yerba mate that contains no less than 65% of dried, broken or pulverized leaves and no more than 35% of coarsely and finely crushed palo.
- “De-stemmed or Prepared Yerba Mate” It is the herb that contains no less than 90% of dried, broken or pulverized leaves and no more than 10% of coarse or finely crushed palo, chips and fibers thereof.
- For “Composite Yerba Mate”, The product will be understood to consist of “Destemmed Prepared Yerba Mate” added to one or more aromatic herbs such as mint, thyme, sage, pennyroyal, rosemary… These herbs may be added from a minimum of 5% to a maximum of 40% in total.
Read also: Are all infusion combinations good?
Health benefits of drinking mate
Mar Sieira tells us that studies have shown a series of possible health benefits from drinking yerba mate:
- Greater energy. Yerba mate provides a boost of energy due to its high caffeine content, which is linked to increased alertness, better concentration, reduced fatigue, and improved physical performance.
- Improves mood. Drinking yerba mate can be useful in the treatment of mental disorders such as attention disordersdepression, mood disorders, eating disorders and substance abuse.
- Weight loss. Preliminary studies have shown that yerba mate can help stimulate fat oxidation due to its high saponin content and promote the feeling of satiety, helping to lose weight in some patients.
- Antioxidant action. Yerba mate offers a powerful blend of antioxidants that can help protect against certain types of inflammatory and oxidative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and liver diseases.
“In conclusion, we can affirm that the available literature shows that yerba mate can be used within a balanced and healthy diet for the prevention and adjuvant treatment of chronic diseases,” he indicates.
© Getty ImagesPotential risks of yerba mate
Of course, it does issue a warning about its consumption. And yerba mate contains a high caffeine contentits high consumption being harmful to health. “In the case of children and pregnant or breastfeeding women, its consumption is not recommended. Nor should it be consumed in patients who have hypertension or cardiac arrhythmias,” he points out.
REFERENCES
- José MFB, Machado RP, Araujo PAB, Speretta GF. Physiological effects of yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis): a systematic review. Nutr Rev 2023 Aug 10;81(9):1163-1179. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuac109. PMID: 36647770.
- Liza Ghassan Riachi, Carlos Alberto Bastos De Maria. Yerba mate: An overview of physiological effects in humans,Journal of Functional FoodsVolume 38, Part A,2017,Pages 308-320,ISSN 1756-4646,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2017.09.020
