MEDICINE, MAGIC OR MYTH?
For hundreds of years
The indigenous Guaraní have maintained the health benefits and medicinal value of yerba mate ~ and the scientific and medical communities are finally starting to catch up.
Yerba mate has proven to be an antioxidant and nutritional powerhouse, rich in vitamins and minerals, amino acids, phytonutrients, polyphenols, saponins and xanthines such as caffeine and theobromine.
As the popularity of yerba mate has soared beyond the Southern Cone, the scientific and medical communities have taken notice, and a number of controlled studies have now been concluded that either indicate or corroborate that the consumption of yerba mate just may offer the following health benefits.
Health Benefits
• Increase energy & mental focus
• Boost immunity
• Lower inflammation
• Lower blood sugar levels
• Help relieve allergies
• Reduce depression & anxiety
• Lower diabetes risk
• Reduce the risk of heart disease
• Enhance physical performance
• Protect against infections
• Enhance bone health
• Aid weight loss
• Promote better sleep
• Lower LDL cholesterol levels
• Aid digestion
• Potentially reduce risk of some cancers
While the health benefits of consuming yerba mate are many and are generally unaccompanied by the “jitters” or “crash” often associated with coffee, it does have caffeine and may not be suitable for those with a heightened sensitivity. There has also been some conjecture that prolonged consumption of yerba mate could potentially contribute to certain types of cancer. As reported by Argentina’s National Institute of Yerba Mate, this position not only lacks scientific proof, but in 2016 was actually debunked by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a dependency of the World Health Organization (WHO), when they declared yerba mate to be noncarcinogenic to humans.