Why Drink Yerba Maté?

Nutrition and Health Benefits
Long ago, in South America, a secret for maintaining good health was unlocked. It was found in the healing qualities of one of their native plants, the yerba maté tree. The maté beverage made from this tree was discovered to benefit health, vitality and longevity. It has been used for centuries to boost immunity, cleanse and detoxify the blood, tone the nervous system, restore youthful hair color, retard aging, combat fatigue, stimulate the mind, control the appetite, reduce the effects of debilitating disease, reduce stress, and eliminate insomnia, promoting overall good health. In Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, the yerba maté beverage is made from leaves steeped in hot water. Properly brewed, yerba maté makes an excellent beverage that, aside from all its nutritional properties, tastes good!

 

The Healthy Energizer
The energizing effects of yerba maté last longer than traditional caffeine beverages, such as coffee, and are found by most to be free from side effects such as, the jitters, mood swings, addiction, and post stimulation fatigue. The pleasantly stimulating effect of yerba maté comes primarily from a compound called mateine. While mateine is related to caffeine, and sometimes referred to as such, the way the body absorbs it differs significantly from that of caffeine. Yerba maté affects your system by increasing your energy level slowly, and evenly. It has a long lasting effect and most people find this much more enjoyable than coffee. The bottom line; yerba maté gives you energy that really feels good.
Yerba maté has 3 xanthine alkaloids that work together with a rich host of nutritional components, creating the unique, healthy, energizing effect. The xanthines are caffeine, theobromine and theophylline. Maté is low in caffeine and theophylline, yet high in theobromine, which has less of an effect on your nervous system than caffeine. A hypothesis exists that yerba maté contains its own unique xanthine alkaloid that hasn't been clinically identified yet.


Anecdotally, the overwhelming majority have reported that yerba maté does not give them the health problems they experience from coffee. Many who have had problems with coffee, and desire to get off of it, find yerba maté to be the answer they were looking for.
What Makes Maté so Good?


Yerba Maté is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, including carotene, vitamins A, C, E, B1, B2, B-complex, riboflavin, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin C complex, magnesium, calcium, iron, sodium, potassium, manganese, silicon, phosphates, sulfur, hydrochloric acid, chlorophyll, choline, and inositol.
In 1964 The Pasteur Institute did a study on the properties of Yerba Maté. Their conclusion was: “it is difficult to find a plant in any area of the world equal to Maté in nutritional value. It has most all of the vitamins necessary to sustain life.” More Antioxidants Than Green Tea


Studies show Yerba Maté to have more antioxidants than Green Tea. And, the Pasteur Institute study indicated Yerba Maté to have a higher antioxidant value than ascorbic acid (vitamin C).
Antioxidants are the body’s main defence against free radicals! Free radicals are chemical compounds produced in the body as a result of toxic exposure to pollution, radiation, heavy metals, and pesticides. Free radicals increase the probability that affected cells will become susceptible to a wide range of infections and degenerative diseases including cancer, diabetes, heart attacks, premature aging, and strokes. Antioxidants are nutrients that seek out free radicals and neutralize their damaging cellular effects.


Yerba Maté & Weight Loss
Yerba Maté is believed to aid in weight loss and has growing interest in those studying obesity control. Studies cite Yerba Maté to potentially interfere with cholesterol metabolism and delay intestinal absorption of dietary fat. Obese men and women consuming Maté tea have shown a decrease in respiratory quotient (RQ), indicating an increase in fat oxidation. A study done in 1998 at the Foundation University of Rio Grande, Brazil, showed that Maté is capable of vaso relaxation of arterial beds, which means that it may be able to lower the risk for heart disease in the same way that red wine is believed to do. The thermogenic effect of Yerba Maté has been the source of interest to both researchers and those desiring to lose weight.


A Good Night's Rest
Maté seems to act like a tonic, invigorating a weakened and depressed nervous system and relaxing an overexcited one. We have found that Maté gives more energy and vitality; better ability to concentrate; less nervousness, and eliminates fatigue, stimulating mental and physical activity. Yet for the most part, Maté does not interfere with sleep cycles, but helps to balance them.


Good For Your Stomach
Perhaps the main area to benefit from Maté is the gastrointestinal tract. We have seen that it helps the digestion, and even seems to have the ability to repair damaged and diseased gastrointestinal tissues. Constipation, acute or chronic, can be relieved by drinking lots of Maté.
Good For Your Heart
Heart ailments of all kinds seem to be helped by drinking Yerba Maté. Maté supplies many of the nutrients required by the heart for growth and repair. In addition, it increases the supply of oxygen to the heart, especially during periods of stress or exercise.


Good For Your Immune System
Yerba maté increases the immune response of the body, stimulating natural resistance to disease.
Yerba Maté: A Key Part to Whole Body Nutrition
As part of a regular daily regime of exercise, lots of water, wholesome foods, and keeping a good conscience, you can expect to live a long life enjoying yerba maté each day. It is a wonderful beverage to drink, hot or cold, several times a day. Try it plain or with lemon and honey. Some people like it with milk. There’s almost no end to the different ways you can prepare this amazing tea. So, be creative and feel free to let us know what you think.
References:
1C.I. Heck and E.G. de Mejia; Yerba Maté Tea (Ilex paraguariensis): A Comprehensive Review on Chemistry, Health Implications, and Technological Considerations., J. Food Science 17-Oct-2007; DOI 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2007.00535.x.
2Filip R, Lotito SB, Ferraro G, Fraga CG. 2000. Antioxidant activity of Ilex paraguariensis and related species. Nutr Res 20:1437–46.
3Bixby M, Spieler L, Menini T, Gugliucci A. 2005. Ilex paraguariensis extracts are potent inhibitors of nitrosative stress: a comparative study with green tea and wines using a protein nitration model and mammalian cell cytotoxicity. Life Sci 77:345–5.
4Muccillo Baisch AL, Johnston KB, Paganini Stein FL. 1998. Endothelium-dependent vasorelaxing activity of aqueous extracts of Ilex paraguariensis on mesenteric arterial bed of rats. J Ethnopharmacol 60:133–9.
5Martinet A, Hostettmann K, Schutz Y. 1999. Thermogenic effects of commercially available plant preparations aimed at treating human obesity. Phytomedicine 6:231–8.
6Dickel ML, Rates SM, Ritter MR. 2007. Plants popularly used for losing weight purposes in Porto Alegre, South Brazil. J Ethnopharmacol 109:60–71.
7Carini M, Facino RM, Aldini G, Calloni M, Colombo L. 1998. Characterization of phenolic antioxidants from Maté (Ilex paraguayensis) by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Rapid Commun in Mass Spec 12:1813–9.

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