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Yerba Mate and Brain: Mental Focus, Energy & Protection!

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Yerba mate tea is a South American drink known to provide energy and focus along with improved cognitive performance. I like to drink it to increase efficiency at work and to give me energy for sports and physical activities.

In this article, I will explain how yerba mate affects our brain, and what possible neuroprotective effects it can provide.

Yerba mate contains plenty of beneficial compounds such as flavonoids, saponins, vitamins, tannins, and polyphenols. In addition to boosting your focus and energy levels, these compounds can protect you from diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Yerba Mate Boosts Mental Focus and Energy

Yerba mate tea has a reputation as a drink that can improve cognitive function and mental alertness. This is partly achieved by the relatively high caffeine content of yerba mate tea. It’s a well-known fact that caffeine makes us feel more awake and alert.

However, the energy boost you get from yerba mate is different compared to drinking coffee.

The effect lasts longer and gives you a better mental focus. In addition, it doesn’t make you jittery and there is no sudden crash when the effect starts to wear down.

Yerba mate gives energy and focus
Yerba mate gives energy and focus

An animal study from 2008 indicates that yerba mate can be useful for improving cognitive performance. This coincides with the traditional use and knowledge related to yerba mate tea. Yet, more research is needed to confirm these results on humans.

So why is the effect of yerba mate different from coffee, or taking caffeine pills?

The reason behind this is that in addition to caffeine, yerba mate contains two other stimulants, theobromine, and theophylline.

Theobromine is an alkaloid of the methylxanthine family, which is also found in the cacao plant. Its molecular structure is quite similar to caffeine, but the energizing effect is milder and lasts longer. It improves mood and provides a relaxing effect.

Theophylline is also a methylxanthine bearing structural and pharmacological similarity to caffeine. It is commonly used in asthma medications as it has a stimulatory effect mainly on the respiratory center of the brain.

The combination of these three stimulants (caffeine, theobromine, theophylline) creates an effect that differs from coffee or other energizing beverages such as energy drinks (except yerba mate energy drinks).

I have noticed that drinking yerba mate tea makes me more efficient in many tasks.

It is useful as a pre-workout drink because it helps me perform physical exercises with a higher intensity and focus for a longer period of time. I also feel that it allows me to be more efficient when working with tasks that require reasoning and creative thinking.

Can Yerba Mate Protect Our Brain?

Many scientists agree with the theory that oxidative stress is one of the main causes of aging. Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in the tissue.

Yerba mate contains several powerful antioxidants that can protect our brains from oxidative damage.

Chlorogenic acid

Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a polyphenol that can provide us with many health benefits. It is commercially available as 5-caffeoylquinic acid (5-CQA) which can reach our brain by crossing the blood-brain barrier. It is also one of the most important beneficial compounds found in yerba mate.

CGA has several antioxidant properties including neuroprotective, cardioprotective, and antitumor effects. One of the main benefits that CGA provides for our central nervous system, is its ability to prevent the formation of chemically-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Thus, CGA can improve spatial learning and motor function, prevent memory loss, reduce anxiety, and protect neurons from ischemia-induced damage.

Study: Protection Against Oxidative Damage

In a 2017 study published in the Journal of Functional Foods synaptosomal/mitochondrial fractions of rat brains were incubated in yerba mate extract or CGA solution. CGA was administered at an equal molar base compared to the CGA contained in the yerba mate extract.

The brain fractions were then exposed to oxidative damage through ROS formation by FeSO4 and mitochondrial dysfunction through inhibition of succinate dehydrogenase by 3-NP.

The study noted that yerba mate had the following effects:

  • Yerba mate and ROS: Yerba mate extract reduced the FeSO4 induced ROS formation by 41%.
  • Yerba mate and lipid peroxidation: The lipid peroxidation induced by FeSO4 was completely prevented by the yerba mate extract. The CGA only solution was also quite effective in decreasing the lipid peroxidation, but not as effective as yerba mate.
  • Yerba mate and mitochondrial function: Yerba mate prevented the decrease in mitochondrial function, while CGA  was also moderately effective in preventing it.

According to this study, the yerba mate extract completely prevented lipid peroxidation and the decrease in mitochondrial function, whereas CGA alone was only moderately effective. The higher effectiveness of the yerba mate extract could be attributed to the synergic effect of its various beneficial compounds including saponins and other phenolic compounds.

These results indicate that yerba mate can protect our brain from oxidative damage and the associated neurodegenerative diseases (e.g. Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease) caused by aging, diseases, and harmful chemicals and other toxins.

Study: Aids with Epileptic Seizures

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders as it affects more than 50 million people in the world. It is a consequence of abnormal brain activity and includes symptoms such as spontaneous and recurring seizures, along with periods of unusual behavior and sensations.

The seizures also cause oxidative damage to neurons and thus increase exposure to neurodegenerative disorders.

The main problem with antiepileptic drugs is that they are not effective on about 30-40% of individuals.

In addition, these drugs often cause various side effects including neurological problems (e.g. fatigue, behavioral changes, sexual disorders), changes in antioxidant defense mechanisms, and even shortened life expectancy.

A study published in Brain Research Bulletin in 2013 tested the possible anticonvulsive and neuroprotective effects of organic and conventional yerba mate with rats. 42 rats were divided into 3 groups: one group was served conventional yerba mate, while the other group ingested organic yerba mate, and the control group had distilled water. Yerba mate (or water) was consumed once per day for a period of 15 days. Half of the rats in each group then received a single intraperitoneal dose of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) to induce epileptic seizures.

The behavior of the rats was monitored for 30 minutes after the PTZ dose, after which their brains were stored and examined.

The rats that had been ingesting organic yerba mate had decreased time of seizures.

Both yerba mate infusions reduced the frequency of the seizures and also shoved some decrease in the intensity of the seizures. In addition, they significantly prevented oxidative damage in the brain.

Yerba Mate is Good for Your Brain!

As I have explained in this article, yerba mate can give you a nice energy boost with increased focus and cognitive function. On the other hand, we are all individuals and experience its effect in different ways.

Also, each brand of yerba mate contains slightly different amounts of active compounds depending on the applied cultivation and processing methods.

The best way to find out how yerba mate affects you is to try it yourself.

Yerba mate and cognitive function

You can also try various products and brewing methods to find the one that you like most. I recommend that you also read my review of 5 popular yerba mate brands to find a nice product to try.

So can yerba mate really protect our brain?

Unfortunately, not enough research related to the neuroprotective capabilities of yerba mate has been conducted on humans. We can’t be sure how effective it is, but the research that I referred to earlier shows promise in this area.

However, one thing is sure — I’ll continue to drink my yerba mate tea and enjoy the positive and energizing effects that it provides!

I hope that you found this article useful and interesting. Please post your comments and questions below.

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Yerba Mate and Brain

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10 thoughts on “Yerba Mate and Brain: Mental Focus, Energy & Protection!”

  1. Wow, what an interesting article. I had no idea that tea had such a HUGE effect on our brains, definitely something to keep in mind. Thanks so much for a great post!

    Reply
    • Thanks for your comment Jason. I can recommend trying yerba mate. You can try it as a pre-workout drink, or drink it at work instead of coffee. Or you could just have it the traditional way in a circle with your friends.

      -Joonas

      Reply
  2. This article is excellent! Can we use parts of it on our website when explaining the benefits of yerba mate? We will of course provide links to this website and give full credit to you for authoring the article.

    For reference, our current page on yerba mate is available here:
    http://www.punkmate.com/about/

    Reply
    • Hi Marty,

      Nice to hear that you like this article. Sure, as long as you link back and give credit it’s fine!

      Best Regards,
      Joonas

      Reply
        • Ok, sweet!

          I wish I could taste your product, but I am currently in the Philippines so it might be hard to get it.

          All the best,
          Joonas

          Reply
  3. Joonas,

    It was intriguing to read the neuroprotective benefits of Mate here. I find that I just have Mate teabags on hand. Which, according to another one of your articles here, only has 20 mg of caffeine. Any idea how many tea bags of Mate I’d have to put in the mug to get the full benefits listed in the studies here? Also, how many tea bags might be neccessary to get the energizing benefits that you seem to be getting through, I am guessing, leaves in a French Press and/or bombilla?

    Thanks,
    Roland

    Reply
    • Hi Roland,

      It’s hard to say exactly how many teabags you would need. Depends on how sensitive you are to caffeine. Some people can already feel the energizing effect with on teabag.

      When it comes to the neuroprotective benefits of Mate, I think more research is needed on the topic. But maybe about 3 bags per day could be enough to get these benefits.

      -Joonas

      Reply

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