Men's Journal August 2007 "The drink that makes you feel so damn good is actually good for you, with evidence going back long before 1964, when France's Institut Pasteur reported that maté has "practically all of the vitamins necessary to sustain life". " - see article
Yerba Maté' rejuvenates not by the false hopes of caffeine, but simply through the wealth of its nutrients.
By Daniel Mowry, PhD
Researchers at the University of Illinois (2005) found Yerba Maté to be "rich in phenolic constituents" and to "inhibit oral cancer cell proliferation"
Dr. Jose Martin, director of the National Institute of Technology in Paraguay: "New research and better technology have shown that while mateine has a chemical consistency similar to caffeine, the molecular binding is different."
Woman's World magazine names Yerba Maté "America's Weight Loss Tea." Article 1 | 2 | 3
No surprise, Yerba Maté is loaded with Polyphenols Kawakami, A. Kabayashi 1991.
The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro discovered that açaí extract can be used to fight infections.
Ancient Chinese Proverb, "Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one."
Life Sciences, (2005) laboratory tests confirm Yerba Maté can provided "the highest concentration of polyphenols, followed by red wines and green tea."
"A diet high in antioxidants may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease." Robert P. Friedland, MD, chief of the neurogeriatrics laboratory at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2000.
Thomas Bartram's Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine lists Yerba Maté as a reliever of "Physical exhaustion from stress."
Yerba Maté Tea
Yerba Maté is a South American herb that has won many admirers in wide-ranging parts of the world. In the search for a natural stimulant devoid of side effects and toxicity, Yerba Maté currently holds the most hope. An invigorator of the mind and body, a natural source of nutrition, and a health promoter par excellence, yerba maté deserves the attention of every person interested in optimum health.
Induces mental clarity- Improves digestion
- Regulates appetite
- May help burn fat
- Fights bad breath
- Increases endurance
- Sustains energy levels
- Helps relieve allergies
- Detoxifies the body
- Aids in colon cleanse
- May help reduce blood pressure
- Retards aging
- Tones the nervous system
- Prevents over stimulation of the nervous system
- Contains 15 amino acids, 24 vitamins / minerals and 11 polyphenols
- Contains xanthines, chemicals that boost your metabolic rate by 10%!
Nutritional Powerhouse - “the Drink of the Gods”
When you start adding up the ever growing list of benefits of drinking Yerba Maté, it is not hard to see why it got the name of "the Drink of the Gods.” We will get to the origins and the stories behind this amazing tea shortly, but first let us look at some of the nutritional value.
Yerba Maté contains numerous vitamins and minerals: carotene, vitamins A, C, E, B-1, B-2, and B-complex, riboflavin, biotin, magnesium, calcium, iron, sodium, potassium, manganese, silicon, phosphates, sulfur, chlorophyll, choline, and inositol, to name a few! There are a total of 15 amino acids, 24 vitamins and minerals and 11 polyphenols, making Yerba Maté a healthy addition to your diet.
"What are antioxidants?
Antioxidant compounds in food play an important role as a health-protecting factor. Scientific evidence suggests that antioxidants reduce risk for chronic diseases including cancer and heart disease. Primary sources of naturally occurring antioxidants are whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Plant sourced food antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E, carotenes, pholenic acids, phytate and phytoestrogens have been recognized as having the potential to reduce disease risk. Most of the antioxidant compounds in a typical diet are derived from plant sources and belong to various classes of compounds with a wide variety of physical and chemical properties.
The main characteristic of an antioxidant is its ability to trap free radicals. Highly reactive free radicals and oxygen species are present in biological systems from a wide variety of sources. These free radicals may oxidize nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, or DHA and can initiate degenerative disease. Free Radicals are a part of our lives. Our bodies normal operation will create free radicals. Having a good diet is part of the natural way to rid your body of free radicals. There are many things in life that create even more free radicals. That would range from the pollution we breath everyday to more exercise.
There are a number of clinical studies suggesting that the antioxidants in fruits, vegetables, tea and red wine are the main factors for the observed efficacy of these foods in reducing the incidence of chronic diseases including heart disease and some cancers. The free radical scavenging activity of antioxidants in foods have been substantially investigated and reported in the literature.
Yerba Maté has significant antioxidant activity, demonstrated in numerous studies. Its high antioxidant values are linked to rapid absorption of known antioxidant plant chemicals found in the Yerba Maté leaves.
"Recent studies from the U.S. indicate that polyphenols are powerful antioxidants that strengthen the organism´s natural defenses, and protect it against the cellular destruction that cause physical deterioration and the development of sicknesses." (J. Carper 1988). No surprise, Yerba Maté is loaded with Polyphenols (Kawakami, A. Kabayashi 1991).
Oregon State University Lab results show benefits from "green and black tea have been found to have cancer preventive activity in a variety of animal models of cancer, including cancer of the skin, lung, mouth, esophagus, stomach, colon, pancreas, bladder and prostate. In most cases, flavonoids appear to contribute substantially to the cancer preventing effects of tea. Currently Oregon State University scientists are focusing their attention on the potential for tea flavonoids to modulate cell signaling pathways that promote the transformation of healthy cells to cancerous cells.
More Yerba Maté Benefits
Researchers in Switzerland performed a study in 1999 that indicated Yerba Maté could be beneficial as a weight-loss aid. They noticed a thermogenic effect in healthy individuals indicating a rise in the proportion of fat burned as energy.
Clinical studies indicate Yerba Maté leaf inhibits lipoxygenase, an enzyme involved in inflammation and inflammatory diseases. Yerba Maté extracts also have been shown to relax smooth muscle, to increase bile flow, and inhibit vasoconstriction.
A recent (2002) U.S. patent cites Yerba Maté for inhibiting monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity by 40-50% in vitro, reporting that it might be useful for a variety of such disorders as "depression, disorders of attention and focus, mood and emotional disorders, Parkinson's disease, extrapyramidal disorders, hypertension, substance abuse, eating disorders, withdrawal syndromes and the cessation of smoking."
Xanthine vs. Caffeine
Yerba Maté produces an energy like coffee, but without the muscle tension allowing you to stay relaxed yet alert. In addition to many nutrients, Yerba Maté contains a substance belonging to a specialized class of chemical compounds called xanthines. Though only small amounts of these substances occur in Yerba Maté, their presence has generated a huge amount of attention. The primary xanthine in Yerba Maté is called Mateine.
Some xanthines are obviously less desirable, such as caffeine. Others, such as theophylline and theobromine, have specialized action and a characteristic set of side effects. Although the xanthines have similar chemistries, each has a unique set of properties. Researchers at the Free Hygienic Institute of Hamburg, Germany, concluded that even if there were caffeine in Yerba Maté, the amount would be so tiny that it would take 100 tea bags of Mate in a 6-ounce cup of water to equal the caffeine in a 6-ounce serving of regular coffee. Consequently, the active principle in Yerba Maté is not caffeine!
Some members of the scientific community still resort to calling mateine a South American term for caffeine, or that the two substances are so chemically similar that they must have the same properties. Slowly, they are being forced to acknowledge the distinction between mateine and caffeine. Stereo-chemical and clinical work on xanthines in the last couple of decades have shown that, though similar in structure, the members of this class have widely varying pharmacology.
In fact, there is only one effect that seems to be shared by all trimethyl xanthines: smooth muscle relaxation. It is this action that makes them with the exception of caffeine, whose smooth muscle relaxant effects are diminished by other side effects, good clinical dilators of the bronchi and hence useful in the treatment of asthma.
"Over the past year, I have been giving the Yerba Maté tea to my patients who need to stop using caffeine-containing products for health reasons. I have had good feedback on the results. I like having a healthful substitute for coffee, tea and colas to offer them." K.L.P., M.D.
Mateine appears to possess the best combination of xanthine properties possible. For example, like other xanthines, it stimulates the central nervous system, but unlike most, it is not habituating or addicting. Likewise, unlike caffeine, it induces better, not worse, attributes of sleep.
It is a mild, not a strong, diuretic, as are many xanthines. It relaxes peripheral blood vessels, thereby reducing blood pressure, without the strong effect on the medulla and heart exhibited by some xanthines.
Summarizing the clinical studies of France, Germany, Argentina and other countries, it appears that we may be dealing here with the most powerful rejuvenator known to man. Unlike the guarana of the Tupi, the coca of the Incas, the coffee of India, or the tea of China, mate' rejuvenates not by the false hopes of caffeine, but simply through the wealth of its nutrients.
By Daniel Mowry, PhD
The Yerba Maté Tree
In the wild, the tree needs about 25 years to develop completely, reaching a height of up to 15 meters. When cultivated, the Yerba Maté trees are pruned to a height of 3-5 meters to allow for harvesting. In the wild it grows near streams, and thrives at 1,500-2,000 feet above sea level. It has graceful, full-leafed branches, and white flowers that produce small red, black, or yellow berries.
Yerba Maté is in the holly family, and bears holly-like leaves that are quite stiff and leathery. It is these tough, leathery leaves that are used medicinally and as a natural, refreshing tea beverage throughout South America. Yerba Maté is indigenous to Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay; however, it is now cultivated in many tropical countries to supply a world demand for its leaves. The harvesting of the leaves and tender stems begins after 3-4 years of age. Harvest takes place annually between May and July in most regions. The tree can produce for about 40 years (with some claims at 100 years) making it a perfect crop when harvested in a sustainable manner.
Jesuit Priest Began the Yerba Maté Trade
Jesuits tried to ban the brew for they considered it addictive. They came up with several names for the tea, including Devil’s Tea. Their efforts were never all that effective. The local people continued to drink the tea. After the Jesuits realized that natives would actually work longer and better when drinking Yerba Maté, they abandoned the idea. In fact, they decided to start its massive cultivation as opposed to picking up the leaves in the wild. They studied the plant in-depth and it soon became a major crop in all of the 30 villages they were controlling.
Ironically, Yerba Maté never caught on in Spain, homeland of the Jesuit missionaries who cultivated it, however, in France and Belgium it was consumed like tea and marketed as the "elixir of the Jesuits" for its energizing properties.
After Jesuits were expelled from the colonies and replaced by the religious order of Franciscans the crops were somewhat abandoned, but the demand never stopped and was actually satisfied by crops from other regions. Much later, in 1876, it was the state of Corrientes who issued reglamentation to regulate its production... and a whole industry was born. The drinking of Yerba Maté had become such a social symbol that not accepting a sip, provided you are in a typical 'mate setting', may be viewed strangely.
Missions today devotes 180,000 hectares to its crop and Corrientes, in turn, devotes 21,000 hectares.
THE MAGICAL PLANT (a Guarani Indian legend)
Long ago a tribe of people traveled across a vast ocean to settle in the tangled forests and uncharted lands of South America. There, in the lands we know as Paraguay and Brazil, these travelers cleared the forests, planted crops and became fine craftsmen.
Fair-skinned, gentle and quiet, the people hoped only to make a home in this new land, planting manioc and corn and living together in peace and happiness. The flutes and drums they played expressed their pleasure in the sounds of the birds and beasts surrounding them. The rugs and baskets they wove and the pots they molded celebrated all the forest creatures -- the sheen of the snake, the strength of the jaguar, the bright colors of the parrots.
Still, as time passed, life became difficult; after years of planting corn and manioc, the soil grew thin and weak. Drought and plague threatened to destroy them, and so some of the people began to drift away, becoming nomads, searching for new ways to survive.
But some decided they could not move on. They had lived in this place for a long time and believed the gods would one day bring relief. Among those who chose to remain were an old man and woman, who begged their daughter to depart with the others. She deserved a new life.
She refused. "I would never leave you," she told her parents. "I love you, and I will stay with you for as long as you need me."
And so she did. Years passed.
One night the old man was walking home from the fields when in the distance he suddenly saw the tall and striking figure of a woman. His heart began to pound. Surely this must be a goddess, he thought.
And then he saw another sight that caused his heart to beat harder still. A jaguar was about to pounce upon her.
Without hesitation, the old man shot an arrow at the jaguar and pierced his side. The wounded beast bounded into the undergrowth. Startled by the commotion, the woman turned around. When she realized what had happened, she ran toward the man, praising his courage and thanking him for saving her.
He bowed. "Who are you?" he asked. She smiled and said, "I am a visitor from far away."
The old man nodded. "Then you must be tired and hungry," he said, and with that he invited her to come to his home. Though the place was small and simple, when he opened the door, the woman could feel the warmth and love in every corner of the home, in the smiles of the old woman and her husband, in the gentle touch of their daughter's hand in hers.
The sun was setting, and so the couple invited their visitor to stay the night. The next morning, when it was time to leave, the old man walked with her toward the path leading out of the forest.
"Why do you stay here?" she asked him.
"I love this place," he said, "and I hope that my daughter is learning the ways I learned when I was young -- the ways of my people. I pray we will survive."
At the end of the path, he and the woman parted ways.
That night the family went to sleep, pleased that they had had an opportunity to welcome a stranger into their home.
The next morning when they awoke and looked out the window, they were amazed at the sight before them: a field that had been bare was now filled with trees, leaves startlingly green, flowers white and plentiful. The daughter wept with joy at this miracle.
As they stared in wonder, the woman they had met the night before suddenly appeared before them again. "I am Yari, the moon goddess," she told them, "and I have given you a gift for your faith and hospitality. This is a new plant called the Yerba Maté, and if you drink a tea made from its leaves, you will find new strength, much peace and pleasure."
The old man and woman were overjoyed, but the goddess was not finished. "And your daughter," she said, taking the girl by the hand, "will live forever, and will never lose her goodness or her innocence. She will be the keeper of the Yerba Maté." With that Yari taught them how to make and drink the bittersweet green tea from this plant.
The old man and women introduced their people to the Yerba Maté. Strength and joy returned to the land, and when the old man and woman died, their daughter and the people carried on their work.
When the daughter had completed her time on Earth, she did, as Yari had promised, become the keeper of the Yerba Maté, and some say when they walk through yerba fields, they see a beautiful girl whose eyes remain forever innocent. And to this day, the peoples of Brazil and Paraguay, of Argentina and Uruguay, drink the tea made from the Yerba Maté plant.
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