Yerba Mate Tea
| Posted by admin | Nutrition Tags: Aquifoliaceae, how to drink yerba mate, Ilex Paraguayensis, infusion, yerba mate, yerba mate tea
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Conflicting information
When I decided to revisit information about yerba mate tea I found a boatload of conflicting information. Everything from “it causes cancer” to “its’ benefits are better than green tea”. When I first tasted yerba mate I did some reading about it because I was trying to wean myself off from drinking coffee and at that time yerba mate was touted as not containing caffeine. It boasted the energy boosting qualities of caffeine without making you jittery.
Mate Does Contain Caffeine
During my new research into the subject I found that it does indeed contain caffeine but not in the same amounts as other drinks. The caffeine content has been scientifically identified and verified many years now. The content of caffeine is said to be somewhere between .7% and 2% or 50-100 mg in a 6 ounce cup. Just to put this into perspective the average 6 ounce cup of coffee contains 100-250 mg and the same size black tea beverage has 10-60 mg.
Nutritional Benefits
The Pasteur Institute and the Paris Scientific society stated that yerba mate contains “practically all of the vitamins necessary to sustain life.” I don’t know it I would try to live solely on mate but I might try it when I do my next longer duration fast to alternate with straight distilled water. Here is a brief list of some of the minerals, vitamins, and other compounds that yerba mate contains in a normal infusion:
- Minerals: Zinc, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Potassium,Selenium, Iron, Manganese, and Calcium
- Vitamins: A, C, E, B1, B2, Niacin (B3), B5, B Complex
- Carotene, Fatty Acids, Chlorophyll, Flavonols,15 Amino Acids, Pantothenic Acid, Tannins, Antioxidants, Trace Minerals, Inositol, and Polyphenols
Is Yerba Mate Tea?
Although we talk about yerba mate tea it is not really a tea or a type of tea but we commonly talk about beverages prepared in the same way as tea as being teas. When really they are prepared as infusions. Yerba Mate is not a member of the tea family but rather is a member of the Aquifoliaceae family, the Ilex genus and the Paraquariensis species (Ilex Paraguayensis).
It is a medium sized evergreen tree related to the Holly and has holly-like leaves. It grows at around 1500 feet abouve sea level. The tree is commonly found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. The infusion can be made from the dried stems and leaves of the tree.
How To Drink Yerba Mate
Traditionally mate was consumed in its’ native land by steeping in in a gourd (mate) and sipped through a filtered straw called a bombilla. Personally I don’t go in for a whole lot of ceremony when I drink it. I just make it in my french press and flavor it up with some fresh herbs and a couple packets of Stevia for sweetness.
There now are a whole slew of different flavors that are available at the grocery store but I usually buy the traditional unflavored kind with the stems and leaves and add my own natural flavorings to it.
Most Common Uses In The U.S.
Although yerba mate is consumed pretty much all over the world the most common uses in the United States are as follows in no particular order: appetite suppression, hayfever, stress, as a stimulant, anti-aging, arthritis, endurance, constipation, nervous system disorders, obesity, and fatigue just to name the top few uses.
Is Yerba Mate Safe?
If you are concerned with whether yerba mate is safe to consume by all means conduct a bit of a self study. In fact I recommend it. As I stated earlier, there is different information now than when I first starting drinking it. Although I did come across some negative reports I found them to be inconclusive but the positive studies I found most of the time to be sufficiently supported with ample documentation. By all means study up on other sources of food and beverages and experiment…..try new things….broaden your horizons.
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Tags: Aquifoliaceae, how to drink yerba mate, Ilex Paraguayensis, infusion, yerba mate, yerba mate tea
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