Yerba Mate

[Tyler1]

Invalid Link Removed

Anybody ever try this tea? I read an article about it in Men's Journal, I might give it a try.

 

[DR.D]

Invalid Link Removed

Anybody ever try this tea? I read an article about it in Men's Journal, I might give it a try.

It's been quite popular at times, it's a high caffeine tea. It used to be included in a lot of supps stacked with ephedra.

 

[Tyler1]

I did a bit more digging on it. The article hyped up the health value, with little research behind it. Thanks for the info DR.D. I for sure won't be stacking it with ephedra...those days are long gone .

 

[Lacradocious]

I like the stuff. I have only tried the Guayaki brand that they sell at Whole Foods. It is an acquired taste, but I prefer it to coffee (and I refuse to drink Soda). I like the energy it gives, but I am probably more sensitive than most to caffeine. It's good energy, and it isn't overpowering like coffee can be.

 

[Nabisco]

It is a common drink in South America. Especially Argentina. They drink it as a social norm. I brought some back from Argentina a few months back. It's bitter, but I like it.

They also brew it a little differently than regular tea. They pack a special cup full of the dry Mate and pour steaming hot water into it, then drink out of a metal straw that has a filter at the bottom. It's hot as hell and I constantly burned my mouth until I grew accustomed to it, then when they are finished they just pour more water and pass it around (hence the social aspect). I'm not really sure about any health benefits, other than drinking normal tea would provide (other than the high caffeine content already mentioned).

Trust me, it's an acquired taste.

 

[dpfisher]

It's really hard to make. I bought a bunch of the bulk dried and powedered leaves, like 2 kilos for $5, and it never came out right. The leaves always left little chunks no matter how I strained it. Maybe boiling water, bringing it down to temp, then straining through a coffee filter would work but who has the time?

 

[ILiftBig]

Invalid Link Removed

Anybody ever try this tea? I read an article about it in Men's Journal, I might give it a try.

Yerba Mater - Ilex paraguayensis

Since my wife is from Argentina, yes. I spent some time in Buenos Aires and trained with some guys there who drank it between sets. My wife drinks it all day still. I prefer espresso myself but mate isn't bad. Drinking it between sets while you train will give you a pretty good boost of energy to say the least.

In Argentina they use a mate gourd to drink the tea. The fill about half the gourd with mate and then pour hot water over it. Do not boil the water, just get it very hot. You drink the mate from a bombillas. Its a straw with a filter to keep the solids from coming up. Some also put sugar and milk on top before the hot water is poured in. Drinking mate is a social thing where every on drinks from the same gourd. People in Argentina drink mate all day and usually keep a thermos of hot water as well as mate, a gourd and bombilla with them. Its also pretty popular in Paraguay, Uruguay and Southern Brazil.

I hear there are parts of LA where it has become popular, but other than Argentine communities I have not seen too many other places where it is common in the US. We do have grocery stores here that carry different brands of yerba mate.

Main Actions
# increases energy
# burns fat
# suppresses appetite
# cleanses blood
# stimulates digestion
# cleanses bowels
# stimulates heart
# fights free radicals
# enhances memory

Other Actions
# relieves pain
# mildly laxative
# increases bile
# promotes perspiration
# enhances immunity

Active Constituents: Caffeic acid, Chlorogenic acid, 3,4-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid and 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid) and Flavonoids (quercetin, rutin and kaempferol)

Contains the following:
Vitamin E
Carotene
Vitamin B-1
Vitamin B-2
B Complex
Riboflavin
Nicotinic Acid
Biotin
Pantothenic Acid
Iron
Magnesium
Calcium
Sodium
Potassium
Manganese
Silicon
Phosphates
Sulfur
Hydrochloric Acid
Chlorophyll
Choline Inositol

Mate Gourd
Invalid Link Removed

Bombilla
Invalid Link Removed