Do you know what is yerba mate? Well, if you will ask me, I will describe it as healthy, euphoria, and energy in just a cup. I may sound a bit weird, but this is true! In the actual fact, the yerba mate is a traditional beverage in South America, which is gaining fame all over the world in today’s day and time. You may want to learn more about it, don’t you? If yes, then continue reading this article, as you will get to know about the health benefits of yerba mate, as well as a lot more information about it!
Yerba Mate: What is this?
As a matter of fact, the yerba mate is an herbal tea, which is made from the twigs and leaves of the holly tree liex paraguariensis plant. Typically, the leaves are dried with fire, then soaked in hot water in order to produce the tea.
Traditionally, the yerba mate is consumed from a certain container, known as the gourd. You may also sip it using a metal straw that has a filter on its lower end. This filter is what strains out the leaf fragments. Moreover, there are some who take the yerba mate through the mouth in order to improve the mood, as well as the depression. It is also beneficial in treating a lot of illnesses.
The tea is popular in various countries in Southern America, including Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and parts of Brazil. Furthermore, the rejuvenating benefits of the yerba mate are what pleases the Ache Guayaki tribe to consume it for a very long time. In addition, in the year 1964, the Pasteur Institute even found that the yerba mate possesses all of the essential vitamins significant to sustaining life. This is what makes it amazing in its very own right.
It is also thought that when you share the drink from the gourd, it is a sign of bonding and friendship.
Yerba Mate: What makes it healthy?
The mate infusion has a lot of phytochemicals like saponins, caffeoyl derivatives, xanthines, and polyphenols. All of these are essential for the body. Essentially, the yerba mate is made with the ilex stems and leaves, which are extensively processed and dried on a wood smoke. This is what gives the drink an amazingly unique woody flavor.
Lots of South Americans drink this particular infusion in a gourd that is filled with dried stems and leaves. They add water on it, and use a metallic straw known as bombilla or bomba to drink it even when it’s still hot.
Yerba Mate: Nutritional Content
Aside from the phytochemicals, the yerba mate is rich in some other vitamins and minerals. 8 ounces of yerba mate may contain the following essential nutrients:
- 37 milligrams of vitamin C
- 33 milligrams of caffeine
- 79 milligrams of pantothenic acid
- 35 milligrams of iron
- 2 milligrams of calcium
- 27 milligrams of potassium
- 8 grams of carbohydrates
- 25 percent of proteins
- 6 calories
The aforementioned data may vary from a species to another. Nevertheless, it is still comparable in most of the parameters.
Apart from the aforementioned nutrients, the yerba mate is also rich in lead, manganese, nickel, copper, chromium, aluminum, chlorine, magnesium, zinc, and vitamins A and B complex.
Health Benefits of Yerba Mate
Here are some of the most astounding health benefits of yerba mate:
- Helps in improving the coordination and cognition. The leaves of the yerba mate contain caffeine, as well as other neuro-stimulating alkaloids and phytochemicals. These are beneficial in protecting the action centers of the brain, just like the cerebellum, cerebral cortex, and hippocampus.
- Helps in increasing the bone density. For those women in the postmenopausal period, drinking yerba mate is beneficial in increasing the bone density. This is since the yerba mate is rich in minerals like phosphorus, iron, potassium, as well as fat-soluble vitamins.
- Helps in providing clean energy and keep you alert. Yerba mate is a refreshing infusion that provides a gentle, clean, and calm energy that is similar to that of the cuppa. Nonetheless, this has no side effects at all. Moreover, it is also the same with the phytochemical composition like the black or green tea.
- Helps in preventing and treating cancer. This is one of the best health benefits of yerba mate. The phytochemicals in the yerba mate are essential in exhibiting the cytotoxicity to the tumor cells. These phytochemicals also inhibit the enzymes that are responsible for the development and growth of cancers on the gastrointestinal tract, mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, and the likes.
- Helps in boosting the immune system. The antioxidant properties of the yerba mate are essential in eliminating the toxic and free radicals from the blood. Moreover, the caffeoylquinic and saponins and other polyphenols in the beverage is beneficial in stimulating the operation of our immune system.
There is no denying that this drink is really astounding. Its benefits are really unique and astounding. Not just that, they are all for the betterment of various conditions, and the health in general. So, if you want to put your health into the next level, try this out!
