Want a drink that will make you feel happy, energized, and healthy? Try Yerba Mate! This healthful drink is said to have some serious benefits. But first, consider if it is right for you before you buy it.
Yerba Mate leaves are dried over a fire and then steeped in hot water to make the tea. Traditionally, you sip it from a gourd and use a metal straw with a filter to keep the leaf fragments from getting into your mouth.
And to share from the gourd, say traditions, is to promote friendship.
Contents
Here are some of the great benefits you get from drinking Yerba Mate.
- They are loaded with Nutrients and Antioxidants - Xanthines, which are stimulants found in coffee, chocolate, and tea, are found in yerba mate. Polyphenols, which are antioxidants, are also part of the drink. Saponins, which have properties known to be anti-inflammatory and cholesterol-lowering, are also found in this beverage.
- It Can Help with Focus - You can enjoy 85mg of caffeine per cup of yerba mate. It is less than coffee and great to keep you in the recommended daily limit of caffeine, which is 400mg. As a result, your energy levels get a boost, and you feel less fatigued. You may also feel quite alert but without the jitters.
- May Help at The Gym - Caffeine is a big helper in reducing fatigue and improving how muscles contract. Therefore, drinking Yerba Mate might help you achieve better physical performance. One study conducted showed participants burning more fat during exercise after taking a 1g capsule of ground-up yerba mate.
- Could Help You Lose Weight - Studies conducted on animals indicate that yerba mate boosts the metabolism and helps reduce appetite. Research on humans indicates that it can burn more stored fat for energy. And in one instance, overweight adults were given 3g of yerba mate powder per day and ended up losing 1.5 lbs., and losing belly fat.
Are There Any Risks to Yerba Mate?
If you drink Yerba Mate on an occasional basis, it is unlikely to cause you harm.
If you do drink it regularly, you may be at risk for the following:
- Cancer: Some studies indicated that cancers of the mouth, esophagus, and lungs were more likely in people that consumed large amounts of yerba mate over prolonged periods of time.
- Drinking very hot yerba mate at temps of 149 degrees F or warmer (65 C) is connected to higher cancer risks. It may be due to the fact that yerba mate contains PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) which are carcinogenic.
Please see this article from Mayo Clinic for more details.
You may also experience side effects of too much caffeine if you drink high amounts of Yerba Mate, such as migraines, high blood pressure, and not being able to sleep.
Pregnant women should speak to their doctors before drinking yerba mate. Too much caffeine increases miscarriage risk and also the risk of low birth weight.
Top Yerba Mate Brands in 2024
Brands | Price | Rating | |
---|---|---|---|
Taragui | $$ | ||
Guayaki | $$ | ||
Rosamonte | $ | ||
Cruz de Malta | $ | ||
The Mate Factor | $ |
1. Taragui
It is a great brand to start with if you're new to the world of Yerba Mate. You can easily fight off tiredness, help your body feel balanced, and enjoy all the benefits with this brand.
It is loaded with antioxidants and is nutritious in its contents. You can also use it to help control your appetite if weight loss is a goal and stimulate brain activity in the process.
You can buy this in multi-packs, so if you have a family that enjoys Yerba Mate, it's a great option.
Pros
Cons
2. Guayaki
Guyaki is a brand that many people who like yerba mate trust. They not only make the bagged tea that we feature here, but there are also canned versions of the drink you can purchase.
It is a naturally caffeinated, certified USDA organic NON-GMO product. You get 40mg of caffeine per serving so that you will be well within limits for the daily recommended intake.
All you have to do is place the bags into a cup of hot water. And then steep for 5 to 10 minutes. You can even make a latte simply by adding milk and sweetener to the cup of brewed yerba mate. It tastes great hot or iced.
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3. Rosamonte
The reviews really spoke for themselves on this particular brand of Yerba Mate. It is an inexpensive brand that features a great smoked flavor. Some brands are dried with natural gas while this one is dried with firewood.
This brand is best for users with a tea infuser. One person found the flavor to be so strong they could use the infuser up to four times with the same yerba mate inside.
People who took this tea found it made them feel alert and awake. Don’t drink before bed! Our only complaint was that this is not an organic tea.
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4. Cruz De Malta
For an absolute beginner to Yerba Mate, try out this brand. It is an excellent bagged tea brand, which is great especially if you don't want to monkey around with a tea infuser.
You can easily keep this at work or on the countertop, grab a tea bag, and enjoy your yerba mate wherever you go. You get 50 tea bags for a great price!
You can easily prepare the yerba mate any way you like; cold, hot, or made into a pitcher of iced tea.
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5. The Mate Factor
If you want to shake up your yerba mate and try it with some different flavor infusions, this is your brand. These teas provide the energy you need to kick the day off right, but not in a boring, flavorless way.
If you liked the way Yerba Mate made you feel, but you found the taste to be a bit much, try out this brand. There are ten different types to choose from. This brand is particularly popular in Canada!
This brand features leaves that are unsmoked and unaged. Everything is fresh and natural. The teas are Brazilian grown and then exported to Canada.
No flavors are added. It's natural, delicious, and you will love it. We chose the Dark Roast as our favorite, but experiment and see which one you like best.
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Final Words
Go forth and pick out the Yerba Mate that appeals most to you! We loved the traditional Yerba Mate and also the flavored varieties, too. The flavors are smooth, and the energy we get is unbeatable!
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I’m Daniel. Just an average guy trying to share his love for nootropics, biohacking, and life optimization. Follow me on my journey to learning how I use nootropics on a daily basis.