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Online Reference Guide: Yerba Mate Back To: Learning Center > Online Reference Guide > Herbs; Yerba Mate In this guide...   Traditional Uses   Modern Uses   Recent Findings   Do scientists know how it works?   Types of products   Safety   References Maté is also known as Paraguayan tea and in Spanish as yerba maté, yerba meaning plant or herb and maté referring not only to the tea but also to the vessel from which it is traditionally drunk as well as the tree itself. Maté is derived from the leaves of a small South American evergreen tree in the holly family that is native to the lowland forests of Paraguay, northern Argentina, and southern Brazil. The French botanist Auguste de Saint Hilaire studied the plant and gave it its scientific name in 1822. At the time maté was the stimulant of choice in much of South America. Later in the nineteenth century South American elites and immigrant Europeans began to turn to imported Chinese tea and African coffee, shrinking the consumer base for maté and making it more a drink of natives and the common people. Maté drinking also declined as coffee cultivation took hold in South America. Yet in Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina, maté has managed to withstand the challenge from tea and coffee and is increasingly popular as a social beverage. Environmentalists today also point to maté as a forest product that can be harvested in a sustainable way without causing harm to it or to the natural ecology of the area. Traditional Uses Native South American tribes have long brewed maté leaves and twigs into a light green, smoky-flavored tea that they drink to prevent fatigue and suppress the appetite during periods of fasting. Native South Americans often brew the tea in the same vessel from which they drink it-a small, hollowed-out gourd that is often richly decorated. They add burnt sugar and lemon to make a traditional drink called chimarrao, which is sucked up scalding hot through a bombilla, a sort of straw with a bulblike strainer on the end to filter the tea. Maté has also been used as a traditional remedy for headaches, fever, rheumatism, nervous depression, indigestion, and other ailments. Some tribes consider maté a potential tonic or adaptogen that can help to reduce stress, boost immunity, detoxify the blood, and promote overall health. Modern Uses Many people drink maté for its mildly stimulating effects on the nervous system. Maté tends to increase alertness, concentration, and mental focus. Some users say that maté's effects are particularly stimulating to the mind as opposed to the body, making it useful for long hours of study or intense intellectual effort. Other people value maté for its ability to overcome a lack of physical stamina. Studies suggest that certain compounds in maté may benefit aspects of circulation and heart function. Maté may be a mild laxative that promotes bowel function and a diuretic that increases urine flow. Maté may also help to prevent or treat: urinary tract infections kidney and bladder stones constipation indigestion high blood pressure Recent Findings Studies published in 1995 and 1996 showed that water extracts of maté were more potent antioxidants than vitamin C, capable of inhibiting fat oxidation of fats in both lab tests and studies done with human subjects. A study done on the mineral content of maté leaves found a "remarkably high" content of magnesium and potassium, as well as considerable levels of iron, calcium, and other minerals. Researchers determined that water extracts of maté could have a relaxing effect on blood vessels in rats. Conventional drugs with "vasodilating" actions are used to treat high blood pressure and certain heart-related disorders. Do scientists know how it works? Many of the compounds found in maté are similar to those found in tea, including polyphenols, tannins, an essential oil, xanthine alkaloids, and vitamins and minerals. Maté is also known to contain chlorophyll, gums, mucilage, saponins, flavonoids such as rutin, and caffeic acid derivatives. Most of the scientific focus has been on maté's xanthines, including caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline. Some scientists say that maté contains a xanthine, matein, that is distinct from caffeine in that it is less stimulating and more like a tonic that increases energy without causing overstimulation. Maté contains an average of approximately one percent caffeine by weight. Thus it is relatively weak as a source of caffeine compared to coffee, with one cup of maté typically providing 15 to 25 mg of caffeine. Caffeine and other xanthines found in small amounts in maté stimulate the central nervous system and promote urine flow. Some xanthines are known to relax smooth muscles, potentially helping to relieve conditions such as asthma. Types of Products Mate is sold as a tea and a liquid mist. It is also included in formulas for energy Safety Excessive consumption of maté may lead to nervousness, and dehydration from its diuretic action. Large doses may cause nausea. Epidemiologists have noticed an association between maté drinking and an increased risk of cancer of the esophagus and kidney. Researchers are unsure, however, what part other factors, including the extremely hot temperature of the beverage that some maté drinkers prefer, tobacco use, and consumption of alcohol and red meat, may play in the increased cancer risk. References De Stefani, E., et al., "Meat intake, 'mate' drinking and renal cell cancer in Uruguay: a case-control study," Br J Cancer (1998), 78(9):1239-43 Gosmann, G., et al., "Triterpenoid saponins from Ilex paraguariensis," J Nat Prod (1995), 58(3):438-41 Gugliucci, A., "Antioxidant effects of Ilex paraguariensis: induction of decreased oxidability of human LDL in vivo," Biochem Biophys Res Commun (1996), 224(2):338-44 Gugliucci, A., and A.J. Stahl, "Low density lipoprotein oxidation is inhibited by extracts of Ilex paraguariensis," Biochem Mol Biol Int (1995), 35(1):47-56 Kraemer, K.H., et al., "Matesaponin 5, a highly polar saponin from Ilex paraguariensis," Phytochemistry (1996), 42(4):1119-22 Muccillo Baisch, A.L., et al., "Endothelium-dependent vasorelaxing activity of aqueous extracts of Ilex paraguariensis on mesenteric arterial bed of rats," J Ethnopharmacol (1998), 60(2):133-39 Vasques, A., and P. Moyna, "Studies on maté drinking," Journal of Ethnopharmacology (1986), 18(3):267-72 Vera Garcia, R., et al., "Minerals content of Paraguayan yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis, S.H.)," Arch Latinoam Nutr (1997), 47(1):77-80 Victora, C.G., et al., "Patterns of maté drinking in Brazilian city," Cancer Research (1990), 50(22):7112-15 All information presented by VirtualNutritionist.com whether electronic, written, verbal or by other means is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for a physician's consultation. Individuals with health disorders, medical conditions, or any condition needing medical supervision assume full responsibility for obtaining such professional medical assistance. FULL DISCLAIMER