Yerba mate is a medicinal plant used to prepare stimulating and invigorating teas, providing many health benefits, such as combating fatigue, lowering cholesterol, helping with weight loss and strengthening the immune system, as it is rich in bioactive compounds such as caffeine, saponins, theobromine, polyphenols and flavonoids.
Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) is It is widely consumed in South America and can be purchased in dried form or in sachets, in health food stores or supermarkets.
This plant is mainly used to prepare hot or cold drinks such as mate tea, chimarrão or tereré, and can be prepared alone or together with other herbs and natural citrus fruit juices.
Main benefits
The main health benefits of yerba mate are:
1. Promote weight loss
Yerba mate promotes weight loss, because the caffeine present in its composition has a thermogenic effect, which accelerates metabolism, causing the body to use more energy and increase the burning of body fat.
However, to help with weight loss, yerba mate must be consumed along with a healthy diet and regular physical activity. See how to follow a healthy diet to lose weight.
2. Fight fatigue
The caffeine present in yerba mate works by blocking the effects of adenosine, a substance that causes tiredness and drowsiness, in addition to increasing the release of adrenaline, norepinephrine, dopamine, glutamate and serotonin, neurotransmitters that have a stimulating effect.
Thus, yerba mate helps combat tiredness and discouragement, making it a good option to drink when waking up or after lunch. However, yerba mate should be avoided in the late afternoon and at night, as at these times it can cause insomnia and make it difficult to sleep.
3. Lower “bad” cholesterol
Yerba mate is rich in saponins, xanthines and flavonoids, bioactive compounds that prevent the oxidation of fat cells, helping to reduce levels of “bad” cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides in the blood.
However, yerba mate should not replace the treatment recommended by the doctor and/or nutritionist to reduce high cholesterol, and can be used to complement drug treatment.
4. Prevent diabetes
Yerba mate contains bioactive compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action, which maintains the health of the pancreas, which is the organ responsible for producing insulin, helping to regulate blood glucose levels and preventing the emergence of insulin resistance and diabetes.
5. Improve mood
Yerba mate helps improve mood, as it is a plant with excellent amounts of caffeine and theobromine, which are compounds that stimulate the release of serotonin in the body, a neurotransmitter that participates in the regulation of well-being, mood and sleep. .
6. Strengthen the immune system
Because it is rich in saponins and theobromine, which are bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory action, yerba mate helps to strengthen the immune system, helping to fight infections caused by viruses, bacteria and fungi. See other tips to increase immunity.
7. Prevent cardiovascular diseases
Yerba mate is rich in polyphenols with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which maintain the health of the arteries and prevent control of “bad” cholesterol levels, LDL in the blood, preventing cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis, heart attack or stroke.
How to prepare
Yerba mate can be prepared using the dried, roasted or crushed leaves and branches, or in sachet form.
This herb can be used to prepare hot or cold infusions, such as mate tea, chimarrão or tereré, being consumed alone or together with natural juices, other herbs and milk, for example.
1. Mate tea
Mate tea can be made with dried leaves and branches or with sachets, and consumed hot or iced.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon of roasted leaves, or 1 sachet, of yerba mate;
- 1 cup of water.
Preparation mode:
In a pan, add water and bring to a boil. After turning off the heat, add the yerba mate leaves, cover the pan and let it rest for 10 minutes. Strain and drink afterwards. You can drink up to 1 liter of mate tea per day.
2. Chimarrão
Chimarrão is a hot drink that can be prepared using dehydrated and ground yerba mate leaves.
Ingredients:
- ⅔ of a gourd of mate yerba mate;
- 1 liter of water.
Preparation mode:
Heat the water until it reaches between 45 and 50 ºC. Place the yerba mate halfway up the chimarrão gourd, cover the mouth of the gourd with your hand and tilt it so that the herb concentrates on one side.
Then, pour some of the hot water into the space not occupied by the yerba mate. Leave the gourd tilted for up to four minutes to firm the herb against the side of the gourd. Return the gourd to the standing position and fill the rest of the gourd with hot water. Cover the upper end of the mate bomb with your finger, fitting it on the side opposite to the herb, inside the gourd, and then drink.
3. Tereré
Tereré is a cold drink that is made with yerba mate, fruits and other aromatic herbs, such as mint and lemon balm.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of yerba mate tereré;
- 1 liter of cold water;
- Juice of 1 lemon or orange;
- Lemon or orange slices;
- Ice cubes;
Preparation mode:
Pour the yerba mate into the glass of tereré. In a thermos, make a flavored mixture with the juice, ice cubes, water and lemon or orange slices. Add this mixture to the yerba mate, let it rest for a few minutes and then drink.
Possible side effects
Yerba mate is safe when taken in moderate amounts for up to 12 weeks at a time. However, consuming more than 1 liter of yerba mate infusion per day can cause side effects such as insomnia, headache, anxiety, stomach pain and diarrhea.
When yerba mate is consumed for a long time, it can also increase the risk of developing cancer in the respiratory and digestive tracts, due to the presence of aromatic hydrocarbons, compounds that have the same effect as cigarette smoke and that can cause the formation of cells tumors.
Furthermore, yerba mate, when consumed in the form of chimarrão at 60° C or more, can promote the development of esophageal cancer.
Who cannot consume
The consumption of yerba mate is contraindicated for children, pregnant women or women who are breastfeeding. Because it contains caffeine, yerba mate should not be consumed by people with insomnia, anxiety, labyrinthitis, reflux, ulcers and gastritis.
People who use medications regularly should always consult a doctor before consuming yerba mate, as this plant can alter the effect of some medications.
Furthermore, people who have diabetes, high blood pressure, arrhythmia or irritable bowel syndrome should only consume yerba mate under the guidance of a doctor, as this herb can worsen these conditions.
