Yerba mate tea is a traditional South American drink that tastes great, gives you energy, and is good for your health. This herbal tea can also be used for several medicinal purposes. In South America, it has been traditionally used as a bit of a cure-all remedy.
Now that yerba mate tea is becoming more popular all over the world, also the amount of research related to it is on the rise.
I wrote this article to tell you about yerba mate tea’s health benefits. And there truly are many evidence-based health benefits from weight loss to reducing bad cholesterol.
Here are the most important science-backed benefits of yerba mate tea:
- Antioxidants and Nutrients: Mate tea contains many beneficial nutrients and even more antioxidants than green tea.
- Weight Loss: Helps with controlling appetite, losing weight, and burning belly fat.
- Energy and Focus: Provides a natural energy boost and improves mental focus.
- Immune System: Contains saponins that have anti-inflammatory properties and can stimulate the immune system.
- Cholesterol: May help reduce bad cholesterol and prevent heart disease.
Yerba Mate Tea Benefits Explained
I have been drinking yerba mate for many years, and in addition to the research-based information, I will also share my own experiences related to its health benefits.
When it comes to my subjective experiences, I can’t promise the same effects for everyone. We are all individuals and the only way to know how yerba mate affects your body and mind is to try it yourself.
Here is a short video that summarizes yerba mate health benefits:
1. Yerba Mate is Rich in Antioxidants and Nutrients
Yerba mate plant has several beneficial plant nutrients that are dissolved in the tea during the brewing process.
Mate tea has an even higher level of antioxidants compared to green tea, which is also considered very healthy. In addition, yerba mate contains small amounts of essential amino acids and almost every vitamin and mineral that your body needs.
The most important beneficial compounds found in yerba mate tea are the following:
- Saponins: Bitter compounds that can lower cholesterol and have anti-inflammatory properties.
- Polyphenols: A large group of antioxidants that can reduce the risk of many illnesses.
- Caffeoyl derivatives: Yerba mate has high levels of these healthy antioxidants.
- Xanthines: Yerba mate contains caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline, which are stimulants.
If you want to know more, read this article about yerba mate nutrient content.
2. Helps with Burning Belly Fat and Losing Weight
One of the proven and most beneficial effects of drinking mate tea regularly is that it can help you with weight management and burning belly fat. I have certainly experienced this first hand.
My Experience
I have noticed that if I feel hungry, drinking mate tea allows me to stay effective and forget the feeling of hunger. I feel like it gives me energy and helps my system with using the existing fat in my body as an energy source.
I have noticed that if I feel hungry, drinking yerba mate tea allows me to stay effective and forget the feeling of hunger. I feel like it gives me energy and helps my system with using the existing fat in my body as an energy source.
After starting to drink yerba mate tea regularly I have slowly lost almost all fat on my belly area. However, I never had that much fat to begin with. Also, I have been doing a lot of physical exercise and eating quite healthy, so there is no way to know how big of an effect yerba mate actually had.
Okay, so that was my experience. Next, let’s see what research has to say about yerba mate and weight loss.
Research
It seems like the saponins in yerba mate can help you with reducing body weight. A study conducted with rats is supporting this claim. It has been proven that yerba mate increases fat oxidation and energy consumption during exercise.
Not convinced yet?
Then let’s take a look at another study with human subjects. In a randomized, double-blind study with obese men and women, yerba mate supplementation was found to help in decreasing body fat mass and percentage as well as the waist-hip ratio.
After 12 weeks of taking mate supplements, the decrease in body fat mass and body fat percentage in the yerba mate group compared to the placebo group was significant.
Another study conducted on healthy males and females in 2014 concluded that it can increase the effectiveness of exercise on weight loss.
Quite impressive, huh?
To summarize the results of these studies, we can say that yerba mate tea is an effective aid in burning fat and losing bodyweight.
As this is one of the most important benefits of mate, I have written a whole article about yerba mate and weight loss.
If you want to experience the fat-burning effect of yerba mate, but don’t want to drink mate tea, you can also get it as a supplement. Read my article about yerba mate leaf extracts to learn more.
3. Yerba Mate Boosts Energy Levels and Mental Focus
In addition to caffeine yerba mate tea contains two other compounds that affect our central nervous system. Mate tea has theobromine (also found in chocolate) which has a relaxing and mild stimulating effect, and theophylline (also present in green and black tea), a stimulant capable of enhancing your mental energy levels.
Thus, yerba mate tea has a unique mix of the three neurostimulants working together.
I use yerba mate tea to improve my energy levels to work and exercise more efficiently. And I can say that for me it works!
There is no need to buy expensive pre-workout supplements. Just drink your mate tea and you’re all set.
The caffeine content of yerba mate tea depends on the brewing method and can be anything between 20mg and 130mg per cup. In general, we can say that a cup of mate tea contains less caffeine than a cup of coffee but more than a cup of tea.
We all know that too much caffeine can make you feel jittery and uncomfortable. However, yerba mate seems to have a calming effect while working as a stimulant at the same time.
It can also enhance our cognitive performance, which is useful when working with complex tasks that require brainpower.
Many South American athletes drink mate tea in order to feel more vibrant and energetic during exercise and competitions. The energizing and refreshing qualities of yerba mate tea can also help you with focusing and being more productive and creative!
4. Stimulates the Immune System
Saponins are phytochemicals that are naturally abundant in many plant species.
The saponins in yerba mate are natural emulsifiers that are known to boost our immune system.
Saponins also have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Thus, drinking yerba mate tea may help you in preventing bacterial infections as well as parasites and harmful fungi.
However, this area still needs more research as the direct effects of yerba mate on the human immune system have not been extensively investigated.
It’s also hard to give any input regarding my personal experience. I don’t get sick often, but this was the case already before I started to drink mate tea.
5. May Improve Cholesterol Levels
Research indicates that by consuming yerba mate tea you can lower your cholesterol levels. Thus, mate tea could provide a natural way of improving serum lipid levels.
A 2009 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry shows that consuming yerba mate results in lower LDL cholesterol levels. The study was conducted on people with high cholesterol/triglyceride levels, but who were otherwise healthy. Reducing bad cholesterol (LDL) can help in preventing cardiovascular diseases.
Enjoy the Benefits of Yerba Mate Tea!
The health benefits of yerba mate tea are numerous, but all of them have not yet been thoroughly researched.
In addition to the benefits mentioned earlier, mate tea is also a digestive tonic and can help in treating constipation, diarrhea, and indigestion.
According to research, yerba mate is also good for heart-related conditions like irregular heartbeat, heart failure, and low blood pressure. In addition, it can also help in lowering blood sugar levels and killing cancer cells.
One of the reasons I started drinking mate was that coffee was causing me stomach problems, such as acid reflux, so I had to quit drinking it.
I feel like yerba mate tea provides me with more focus and energy than I used to get from coffee, and without the annoying stomach problems.
Worried about the possible side effects of yerba mate? Read this article: Yerba Mate Tea Side Effects – Are There Any?
Yerba Mate Tea Benefits FAQ
Why is yerba mate good for you?
Mate tea contains plant nutrients such as saponins, polyphenols, caffeoyl derivatives, and xanthines that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This is why yerba mate can provide us with many health benefits.
What are the most important benefits of yerba mate?
According to research, the most notable benefits of yerba mate include more efficient fat burning and weight loss, improved energy and focus, and support to cardiovascular health. It can also boost immunity and provides us with important nutrients and antioxidants.
Can I drink mate tea every day?
Yes, you can drink mate every day. However, you should note that it contains caffeine which is addictive. You should also avoid consuming too much and very careful with drinking mate tea if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or sensitive to caffeine.
I hope you found this article interesting and informative. It’s good to be able to share my positive experiences with this amazing and healthy beverage.
Haven’t tried yerba mate yet?
If you need help with choosing the right kind of yerba mate tea, this review article with 5 different products will help you.
Please post a comment below and tell me about your experiences with mate tea. Questions are also welcome.
Drink your yerba mate tea and stay healthy!
-Joonas
Hmmm, thanks for the valuable information. This will be my first time trying Yerba.
I feel like I am lacking energy lately, not sure if it’s due to the extra amount of work or I am just getting unhealthy.
Either way, I want to try out this Yerba tea.
I got a question though, how come this has caffeine in it?
Hi Kayin!
I use yerba mate to be more effective at work and to boost my physical exercise. You should definitely try it too!
Dry yerba mate leaves naturally contain between 1% to 1,5% of caffeine, so when you brew tea from them it also contains caffeine. You can find out more in this article.
Cheers,
Joonas
HI. The first time I drank yerba mate it gave me a stomach ache, heart burn and it airlocked me. Did I do something wrong when I made it? To strong maybe? Or did I drink too much at one time? Are you supposed to drink that fine stuff that goes through the sieve? I followed the instructions on how brew it that I found online.
Hi Marv,
I’m sorry to hear that. I think that you probably made it too strong or drank too much.
Here is what I suggest:
-Eat something light (a banana, apple, or a bit of bread etc.) so your stomach is not empty.
-Add only 1 teaspoon of yerba mate into a French press or teapot.
-Boil about 1 cup (8oz) of water. Then let it cool down for a few minutes (this is important).
-Add the hot water and let steep for about 30 seconds.
-Strain into a cup.
-Wait for a few minutes for the fine stuff to fall into the bottom.
-Drink carefully from the cup to avoid mixing the tea so the particles will remain in the bottom. Leave the last part of the tea in the cup to avoid consuming the fine stuff in the bottom.
If you feel fine after drinking the tea, then you can continue preparing it this way. If you feel it’s too weak, then next time use 2 teaspoons of yerba mate per one cup of water.
But if you still get stomach ache and heartburn, then I think that you should not drink yerba mate anymore. Maybe your stomach is just too sensitive for it.
I hope this helps!
Best Regards,
Joonas