What is yerba mate, you may ask? If you live in South America, you already know the answer to that question, of course, as it is as popular or even more than coffee is in America. But the drink is gaining worldwide popularity and health benefits are clearly one of the reasons why.
What is yerba mate?
The yerba mate is said to have the strength of coffee, the health benefits of tea, and to bring as much joy as chocolate. Taragui invites you to live the mate experience for 7 days, so you can try it for yourself. You’ll discover that mate is a delicious and nutritious infusion made from the leaves of Ilex Paraguariensis, a tree that grows in the subtropical regions of South America. And like so many people from Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil, you may grow accustomed to your daily dose of yerba mate tea!
What are some of its health benefits?
Rich in antioxidants and nutrients
Yerba mate is an antioxidant powerhouse that contains many beneficial plant nutrients. It includes xanthines which you can also find in tea, coffee, and chocolate, which act as stimulants as they include caffeine and theobromine. The most important antioxidants in the tea, the caffeoyl derivatives, are also found inside the plant and, naturally, the drink derived from it.
The saponins inside the yerba mate are scientifically known to have certain anti-inflammatory and cholesterol-lowering properties while the polyphenols, a large group of antioxidants, are linked to reduced risk for many diseases. This is not widely known, but the antioxidant effect of the yerba mate tea seems to be slightly higher than that of the green tea, according to quite a few sources.
Helps to lose weight
Studies on animals have shown that yerba mate can reduce appetite and boost metabolism, two things that can help when someone is trying to lose weight. It would seem that it decreases the number of fat cells and reduces the amount of fat that they hold.
A research on humans also suggests that it can increase the amount of stored fat that is used to burn energy. In a 12-week study based on people with weight problems, those given 3 grams of yerba mate powder per day lost an average of 0.7 kg and reduced their waist-to-hip ratio by 2% while the participants given a placebo gained an average of 2.8 kg and increased their waist-to-hip ratio by 1% over the same period.
Just a few health reasons why you should try yerba mate today.