Yerba Mate: the benefits of drinking Mate!
GOT MATE?
The Guarani people discovered the powerful virtues of yerba mate -which they worshiped as a gift from the gods- and drank it to heal mind and body for thousands of years. Today, in a completely different society, perhaps with new variations and more sophisticated tools; the consumption of yerba mate is expanding more and more and could become the new trendy ‘superfood’ worldwide.
Mate & Nutrients
GOT MATE?
Nutritional Facts of Yerba Mate
One serving of yerba mate (50 gr diluted in 500 ml of water) contains approximately:
- 0 fat
- 0 sugar
- 30 calories
- 6g carbs
- 6g sodium
- 2g protein
The absence of fat and the very low content of calories, sodium and carbs makes of mate a PERFECT drink to stay hydrated and without adding unwanted calories to our diet and just to maintain a healthier lifestyle
Yerba Mate is also a source of:
- Potassium: with 547 mg of potassium per serving, yerba mate is a great source for this mineral. Health benefits of potassium include lower blood pressure, improved heart function, and regulation of water balance in the body.
- Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5 and B6: they help in the proccess of using carbohydrates as energy (a small perk if your goal is weight-loss).They also play an essential role in glucose metabolism, the nervous system, as well as the muscle and heart function. Especially Vitamin B2, or riboflavin, is one of eight B vitamins that are essential for human health. In fact, people need vitamin B2 every day, as the body can only store small amounts that dilute rapidly, so this is a great reason to include yerba mate tea in your daily routine. Other properties positively affect the digestive system and liver function.
- Magnesium: magnesium is essential for the human body to function. It is involved in over 600 reactions and processes! Among many others: it helps turn food into energy, create proteins, repair DNA, regulate the muscle and nervous system. It also helps regulate blood pressure and heart rhythm.
- Iron: another vital mineral that improves inmunity, concentration and sleep quality. Its key function is to form hemoglobin, responsible for transporting oxygen in the blood.
- Caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline: These molecules known as “Xanthines” are stimulants, and this is why Yerba Mate is a great source of energy.
- Polyphenols: these compounds act as antioxidants with many health benefits. The amount of antioxidants in Yerba Mate is even higher than in green tea.
- Saponins: yerba mate contains around 19 different saponins (responsible for those foamy bubble on the surface) with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. They also reduce bad cholesterol and increase metabolism.
- Caffeoyl Derivatives: the caffeic acid and the chlorogenic acid contained in yerba mate also add to its antioxidant and neuroprotective power, while preventing oxidative stress and DNA damage. They also regulate fat metabolism.
IS YERBA MATE BETTER THAN CAFE AND TEA?
Although these beverages have relatively the same amount of caffeine, Yerba Mate is more nutritious because it’s packed with all the elements and properties we mentioned before. Moreover, because the caffeine in yerba mate is usually more diluted than in coffee, is easier for the body to metabolize it and the stimulating effect is also smoother in yerba mate tea; according to mate drinkers.
Yerba mate a nutritional paradise with more antioxidants than green tea,. For these reasons yerba mate ranks higher than the world’s best-selling energy drink.
Mate & Antioxidants
The yerba mate infusion, in its traditional form, is a powerful antioxidant that surpasses red wine, green tea, black tea and orange juice. With its high content of polyphenols (chlorogenic and gallic acids) yerba mate is able to restore cellular balance and counteract the harmful effect of free radicals, which accelerate the aging process .
However, the mere presence of polyphenols in food or drinks does not guarantee that they can be fully assimilated by the body. So what’s the secret behind yerba mate’s great antioxidant power? According to several studies over the years, this can be due to the way we drink mate: by adding hot water (its traditional preparation) all the antioxidants are extracted efficiently. In other words, although there are other ways to drink mate like cold brew (called “tereré”) and boiled mate (in tea bags), the one that can contains up to 90% more antioxidants than the famous green tea is the traditional hot mate tea, where the largest amount of yerba mate is used.
The antioxidant power of yerba mate can also be enhanced during the manufacturing process, especially in the ‘aging’ stage where it remains carefully stored between 6 and 15 months to achieve maturity and its distinctive flavor, color and aroma. Hence the importance of choosing high quality yerba mate with a reliable production process .
Another factor that greatly affects the antioxidant properties of Yerba Mate is the addition of natural herbs such as mint, pennyroyal, peppermint and lemon balm, which add their healing properties to those of the Yerba Mate, increasing the antioxidant effect.
Antioxidants improve the body’s natural defenses and prevent cell deterioration, often accelerated by the stress of everyday life and the excess of free radicals. This is why yerba mate increases the self-protective and preventive capacity of those who drink it.