Yerba mate is a beverage similar to tea that has long been consumed in great quantities by the indigenous people of many South American countries. Increasingly, it is becoming consumed by more people throughout worldwide as well, as they discover its distinctive properties, and as doctors become interested in possible health benefits.
Origin
Yerba mate is made from the Ilex paraguariensis plant which grows in the subtropical rainforests of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uraguay. Ilex paraguariensis is a species of holly endemic to South America that grows as a shrub or small tree. It has evergreen leaves, tiny greenish-white flowers, and red fruit. The leaves and stems of the plant are harvested and dried to make the beverage.
Preparation
Yerba mate literally translates to "cup herb," as it is basically an herb that is traditionally drunk out of a special cup with a straw filter called a bombilla. To enjoy yerba mate as it is traditionally enjoyed in the South American culture, you must begin by preparing the cup from which you are going to drink the herb. The cup is made out of a hollow vegetable gourd that has been dried and carved by an artist. Once you have your gourd cup ready, you should pack it half full with loose yerba mate, insert the bombilla, and manipulate the gourd so that some of the larger stems of the plant cover the bottom of the bombilla to make a filter. Now you are ready to add cool water to your gourd to moisten the mate and protect its flavor and nutrients. After a few minutes, when you see that the yerba mate has absorbed the cool water, you can add hot water and drink.
Culture
Similar to the way going out for coffee can be social activity in the U.S., drinking yerba mate is a social activity in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Southern Brazil, where it is the national drink and it is consumed six times more often than coffee. In these places, you would drink yerba mate by filling your gourd repeatedly with hot water and sharing it with others in a kind of ceremony in which everyone is seated in a circle. This circle of yerba mate allows individuals to connect and nourish their relationships along with their bodies.
Benefits
Yerba mate contains 24 vitamins and minerals, 15 amino acids and many antioxidants. It is so rich in nutrients that Argentine cowboys refer to it as their "liquid vegetable" and indigenous people call it the "drink of the gods." Some South American governments have recommended supplementing children's diets with yerba mate to ensure they are well-nourished, and herbalists use it to make remedies because they believe the yerba mate enhances the healing powers of other herbs.
Western medicine recently become quite interested in studying the herb because of its stimulant effects. Yerba mate is a central nervous system stimulant that does not have the same deleterious effects as coffee for people who are sensitive to caffeine. This is because the herb naturally contains a blend of three xanthines: theophylline, theobromine and caffeine. These three stimulants combine with the other nutrients to produce a balanced, sustainable energy that does not cause anxiety.
A obesity study performed in 2000 by the Charlottenlund Medical Center in Denmark found that consuming a combination of yerba mate and two other herbs (guarana and damiana) led to healthy weight loss, as it made overweight people feel more satiated and induced significant weight loss. In addition to its beneficial stimulant effects, the herb has been found to aid in digestion and prevent bacterial growth.
Warnings
More research still needs to be done on yerba mate to understand all of its health benefits and consequences. Although it has many known health benefits, it also may cause detriment. The International Agency for Research on Cancer performed a study that found a high rate of between oral cancer among people who drink large quantities of yerba mate, however results of this study were deemed inconclusive. More research on this subject is still necessary, because it is not understood whether the herb, the very hot temperature of the beverage, combination of these two factors, or another variable is to blame.
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