What is the yerba mate?
The word 'yerba' means 'herb'.
'Mate' has 2 meanings:
the drinking vessel
the drink from the Ilex paraguariensis
The leaves, however, are called yerba.
The evergreen mate shrub (Ilex paraguariensis) belongs to the holly and looks like a tree (it reaches up to 15 meters in height). His home is the jungle of the Río Paraná (Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina). Finely chopped and dried, the leaves and their stems are the raw material of the mate.
In Europe this drink is called mate tea, which is actually wrong because it means a tea made from the Camelia sinensis plant.
Why should we drink yerba mate at all?
We start to take care of our health (fight with cholesterol and obesity), and for this the Yerba Mate has proven to be an era discovery.
It is also an element to open up to the world, to the new and so far (almost) unknown, in the culinary, taste and cultural sense.
Yerba Mate has a specific taste, it usually takes some time to make friends with and accept it. Finally, if we don't like the yerba mate, despite the addition of sugar, herbs, etc., there is nothing you can do and there is no obligation to drink it.
Yerba Mate is recognized worldwide as a drink against depression and fatigue. The intensity of life has caused people to need a lot of energy to stay in shape. Living in big cities, we are exposed to high loads. This drink is a perfect protection against negative influences of modern civilization, cleanses the body of toxins including carcinogenic heavy metals like cadmium, lead and mercury.
In addition, the Yerba Mate increases mental alertness and cures from anemia, nervous exhaustion, improves mood during depression.
Yerba Mate is a drink that has no negative side effects. Stimulating the body and mind, Yerba Mate is also a vital well for health:
with mental and physical fatigue
to treat astenia and depression
slows down the aging process and strengthens the immune system
improves hair, nails, skin
stimulates the mind and strengthens the nervous system
controls appetite and improves digestion
to relieve stress
for athletes and students who demand mental and physical endurance in their work.
Yerba Mate contains all the essential vitamins and minerals:
Vitamins A, all B, C, E, H, K, PP
Minerals: calcium, manganese, iron, selenium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, silicon, phosphorus, zinc
others: carotene, polyphenols, theobromine, saponin, phosphates, inositol, choline, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid, fiber
Caffeine and xanthine.
It does not contain fat, cholesterol or gluten.
Xanthine / Matein ...
ensures relaxation of the muscles
helps against respiratory diseases and asthma
supports a peaceful sleep
has a draining effect,
normalizes blood pressure by relaxing the blood vessel environment
and improves psychomotor skills.
Gastrointestinal tract
The gastrointestinal tract benefits the most from the mate: Improves digestion until the regeneration of sick gastric and intestinal mucosa. In the case of acute or chronic constipation, mate can help quickly.
Nervous system
Matein has the ability to increase mental alertness without side effects. After enjoying mate, more energy and vitality, improved ability to concentrate, less nervousness and mood enhancement can be observed (especially for depression).
Heart and vessels
Mate contains many substances that are important for regulating the cardiovascular system. In addition, it increases the oxygen supply for the heart, especially in times of stress and physical exertion.
immune system
Mate consumption also strengthens the immune system and natural defenses.
Not recommended for gastric swelling and high blood pressure.
Pregnant and stylish women should not drink Yerba Mate because of the caffeine, because it penetrates into the milk and thus gets into the child's body.
(Source: "Yerba Mate - Para una Salud Mejor", by Daniel Mowrey, Ph.D.)