Yerba mate
Ilex paraguariensis
Herbs & Roots. Latin American & Amazon.
Also called Mate, Erva-mate, Paraguayan tea
Hot mate linked to cancerYerba mate is a South American tea made from holly leaves, drunk for energy and rich in caffeine and antioxidants.
Did you know? Mate is traditionally sipped from a gourd through a metal straw called a bombilla.
What it may help, and how strong the proof is
- Energy & tiredness. Caffeine gives a short, real lift in alertness. Human studies of mate itself are few, so the effect is mostly from caffeine.Traditional proof
- Cholesterol. Some small studies and lab work suggest mate may lower cholesterol. The proof is weak.Traditional proof
Parts of the body
Traditional use
Guaraní peoples of Paraguay and Brazil drank mate long before European contact. Today it is a daily drink in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and southern Brazil.
How it is classified
- Herbal actions
- Stimulant, Brain tonic, Antioxidant. Energy: neutral.
How people take it
Usually drunk warm from a gourd with a metal straw, and people often share one gourd. Drinks should be warm, not very hot, because very hot drinks raise cancer risk.
Tea.
Where to get it
Grown on plantations and collected from the wild in southern Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Sold as loose leaf, tea bags, and in cold drinks.
Be careful
Mate is safe at normal warm temperatures. Drinking it very hot, above about 65 degrees C (149 F), is linked to esophagus cancer in some South American studies. Caffeine can cause jitters, insomnia, and heart palpitations.
Avoid if: pregnancy; heart disease.
Mixing with other things
- Works well together
Both are South American caffeinated leaf teas.
- Use cautionSleep or anxiety medicine (Ambien, Xanax, Ativan)
Caffeine in mate can cancel out the effect of sedatives and sleep medicines.
- Use cautionAntibiotics (doxycycline, Cipro and similar)
Some antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin, slow caffeine clearance, so mate can make jitters and fast heartbeat worse.
- Use cautionAlcohol (beer, wine, spirits)
Alcohol adds to the drowsiness.
- Worth knowingBlood pressure medicine (lisinopril, amlodipine, losartan)
Caffeine can raise blood pressure briefly after a drink.
Adds up with others that can make you drowsy: , , , , , , , , , , , , , and 14 more.
The honest take
Mate is a long-loved drink with real caffeine and modest human research. Its main documented concern is heat, since very hot drinks are linked to esophagus cancer, and the leaf itself is not judged the cause. Let it cool to warm, and watch caffeine if you have heart or sleep problems.