Gettin’ the Good Buzz: Yerba Maté and You

Maybe you've heard of yerba maté, but do you know what it is, where it comes from or what potential health effects are associated with it? Read on to find out.

The first time I drank yerba maté was in college at a music festival. It was served to me by a quiet member of a religious cult, and I’ve loved it ever since (though I still wonder about the many young men and women who, I was told, joined this particular group with “nothing more than a toothbrush and the clothes on their backs… and most of the girls seem to be pregnant.”) Despite this relatively disturbing information, I wanted to know more about this delicious drink.

Over the years, I’ve learned that it has close to nothing to do with that Christian cult in the northeastern US, but there is a lot of ceremony that surrounds it in its native Brazil. It’s valued by millions of people worldwide for its taste, for the traditions that surround it, and for its highly-prized stimulant qualities.

Tea or not?

Traditional yerba mate tea

Maté is a tea brewed from the leaves and stems of the yerba mate or caá plant, which also goes by the scientific botanical name Ilex Paraguariensis. Okay, technically it’s actually an infusion or tisane, as are all “teas” brewed from herbs and plants other than the tea plant. It also isn’t really an herb. Even though it’s called “yerba,” the maté plant is a subtropical tree that can grow to be nearly fifty feet tall.

The resulting drink is slightly astringent and bitter, due to a high concentration of tannins. You can drink it hot or iced, as a latte with added milk or flavored with fruit or other types of tea. I prefer the sweetened, milky variety when it’s hot or the fruity, herbal variety when it’s iced, but you can really take maté in endless directions, depending on your tastes. All in all, it tastes a lot like green tea.

Super Stimulating

Close up of calabash cup with spill of yerba mate tea and straw

Though yerba maté’s not related to black or green tea, it still contains caffeine and is known for providing vitality and energy. Native Brazilians have been making tea from these leaves for hundreds of years. Rather than being an energizing drink that’s gulped on the run like most of us do with our coffee today, it’s traditionally consumed around the fire as part of a longstanding social event, drunk from a small gourd that’s passed around and shared.

A Storied History

According to one version of a Brazilian legend, yerba maté was first introduced to the Guarani tribe long ago. Seemingly out of boredom, the goddesses of the moon and the clouds decided to visit Earth in the hopes of finding something to do. While walking through the forest, they were attacked by a jaguar, but a Guarani elder showed up to save the day. As a reward, the goddesses gave the old man a new plant, which they called the “drink of friendship.”

When the Portuguese eventually colonized Brazil, they loved yerba maté. When Jesuit missionaries arrived in Brazil in the 17th century, they domesticated the maté tree in addition to spreading their religion. I still haven’t figured out how to connect this back with the cult at the music festival, but there must be something there….

This traditional way of drinking yerba maté, known as the Chimarrão circle, has become known today as a sort of safe space where all southern Brazilian people may be united despite age, race or creed—according to the marketing provided by at least one brand of mate, that is.

Should You Consume It?

Yerba maté in a traditional calabash gourd

In addition to relieving fatigue and serving as a sort of social lubricant, experts in traditional medicine and others claim maté can have various healing effects including benefitting heart health, relieving depression, promoting weight loss and easing headaches. According to the Mayo Clinic, none of this has been medically proven though.

Unfortunately, the Mayo Clinic also claims that chronic maté drinkers have actually been shown to have an increased risk of certain types of cancer, including that of the mouth, esophagus and lungs. It’s thought that this may be because maté contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (or PAHs), which are known carcinogens. You’ll also find PAHs in tobacco smoke or grilled meat. Don’t worry: the Mayo Clinic claims drinking maté occasionally is fine if you’re a healthy adult and a non-smoker.

Personally, I found this information to be a bit alarming, but there are also studies out there that that show coffee can have adverse effects on human health after long-term use, and I drink coffee every day.

The problem with this statement is, of course, the “every day” part. Most doctors and nutritionists will tell you that the best way to stay healthy is not only to eat a healthy diet that’s rich in plant-based foods, but also to eat a varied diet.

Due to modern-day contamination from pesticides, unregulated food processing practices, the inability to keep foods at the right temperatures, food intolerances and allergies, and other problems related to our modern food system, variety is your best bet in all cases. Too much of a good thing really can be a very bad thing in the long run.

It’s not all bad, though—yerba maté also contains antioxidants, amino acids, polyphenols, and some important vitamins and minerals. Though you probably won’t consume very much of any of these since you’re drinking a tincture (the tea) rather than eating the leaves directly (which, trust me, you don’t want to do), there are still various potential health benefits.

Some people think that the antioxidants in maté can help to boost the immune system, and others believe all of the potentially beneficial items mentioned above (like the polyphenols) help to “balance” the caffeine, supposedly sparing those who consume it from any of the negative effects sometimes associated with caffeine use, like jitters and stomachaches. The jury’s still out on these claims.

Maté is also known—by practitioners of traditional medicine in Brazil—to help with stomach ailments. It is said to aid digestion by increasing the production of bile and gastric acid. Because it contains caffeine and caffeine is a stimulant, it can also help to curb appetite, which may lead to weight loss when combined with a healthy diet and an active lifestyle.

What’s your favourite way to drink maté? Do you enjoy it for its taste, buy into the health claims or drink it for other reasons? Let me know in the comments!

About the author

Allison M. Sidhu

With a master’s degree in gastronomy, this girl’s got food on the brain! Allison’s a Philly native and recent transplant to LA. When she’s not exploring the local food scene, she loves snacking on homemade goodies in front of the TV with her husband.

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