- A little history
- Benefits of mate for physical and mental health
- 1- It is an antioxidant
- 2-Prevents cardiovascular diseases
- 3- Reduces the level of cholesterol in the blood
- 4- Helps with digestion
- 5- It is diuretic
- 6- Prevents diabetes
- 7- Helps to lose weight
- 8- It is stimulating
- 9- Fight mental illnesses
- 10- Decreases fatigue and improves physical performance
- 11- It is anti-inflammatory
- 12- Prevents some types of cancer
- 13- Strengthens the bones
- 14- It is a nutritious food
- 15- Prevents brain damage
- 16- Inhibits microbial growth in food
- 17- Repair DNA
- Nutritional values of mate (100 grams) based on the recommended daily amount
- How is this drink consumed?
- Fraud in the mate?
- Where can I get mate to try it?
- References
The health benefits of mate are numerous: it is an antioxidant, it prevents cardiovascular diseases, it reduces cholesterol levels, it improves physical performance, it is anti-inflammatory, it prevents some types of cancer, and other properties that we will explain to you below.
Mate is a typical drink in some areas of South America, although lately it is becoming more popular for its health benefits. More and more non-Latinos are incorporating this drink into their diet.
This is not surprising, since mate is already considered a functional food or superfood. This means that it has numerous nutritional properties and a great wealth of components capable of fighting diseases.
The traditional healers or herbalists of Latin America have always recommended and used mate for its positive effects on health. Some of the diseases and ailments with which yerba mate has traditionally been associated are rheumatism, migraines, colds, hemorrhoids, fluid retention, or fatigue.
It is an infusion with a more local character than tea or coffee, which are better known thanks to globalization. However, mate also has nutritional and health beneficial properties proven based on scientific studies. It is true that there is less research, and they are more recent, but they have the same academic validity.
Like other plants, yerba-mate is a rich source of phenolic compounds, among which caffeoylquinic acids and their derivatives stand out. These substances are responsible for generating the seventeen benefits that we list below.
A little history
Mate has been consumed since pre-Columbian times. The Guarani Indians present in this part of South America already used this herbal preparation as a medicinal and cultural product.
The colonists copied this custom. In the 16th century, this plant began to be known in Europe as grass or yerba of the Jesuits, who, knowing its properties, monopolized its cultivation.
Benefits of mate for physical and mental health
1- It is an antioxidant
Like other herbal or plant-based drinks such as tea, mate is rich in bioactive polyphenols. These substances have antioxidant properties. By this, we mean that regular consumption of mate is good for preventing cell aging and for repairing damaged tissues within our body.
This faculty is of great importance when it comes to helping our body fight diseases, such as some of the ones we name in this text.
2-Prevents cardiovascular diseases
In an experiment in 2005, the positive effects of Ilex Paraguarensis or yerba mate were demonstrated to combat heart disease. In this study, mate was administered to laboratory rats ten minutes before undergoing ischemia, that is, a stoppage of blood flow due to lack of oxygen.
They were also given another dose of mate during reperfusion or restoration of blood flow. This was the first test to show that yerba mate juice attenuated the damage caused by a myocardial infarction.
There is not as much research on the benefits of mate as other plants. However, its richness in polyphenols and the large number of studies related to the chemical composition of mate, similar to that of tea, shows us the relationship it has with the prevention of risk factors in heart disease.
3- Reduces the level of cholesterol in the blood
Consuming yerba mate reduces low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the cause of what is known as "bad cholesterol." It also helps increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or "good cholesterol."
By maintaining a good level of lipids in our blood, mate prevents other diseases such as arteriosclerosis, which is caused by the accumulation of plaque in the arteries.
4- Helps with digestion
This infusion is prepared with a large amount of water. This makes it a very digestive drink, as well as purifying for our body.
In addition, the consumption of mate increases the flow of bile, the substance in charge of digesting fats, making our digestion much less heavy.
5- It is diuretic
The consumption of mate favors the elimination of liquids thanks to its high caffeine content. That is why we should not use mate as a substitute for water, no matter how much liquid this infusion contains. It is good to drink water to avoid dehydration.
6- Prevents diabetes
Mate helps reduce high blood glucose concentrations. This was demonstrated by a study by Korean scientists in 2012, in which they administered this plant to mice fed a high-fat diet.
In addition, another experiment with mice published in the journal of Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology in 2011, shows that mate improves the absorption of insulin by the body.
7- Helps to lose weight
Surely you have considered going on a diet, either to make room for Christmas sweets or to burn them once the holidays are over. Mate can become your great ally.
By consuming yerba-mate, our body temperature increases and metabolism speeds up. This makes fat burn faster.
On the other hand, the balance of cholesterol and glucose levels that we have mentioned before, as well as the reduction of triglycerides, prevent obesity.
Although, it must be taken into account that, like any food, it has properties but it is not magical. To achieve the desired effects, its consumption must be combined with a balanced diet and daily physical exercise.
8- It is stimulating
Its high caffeine content activates the central nervous system, keeping us awake. If you don't know what to drink to wake up in the morning, because you don't like coffee, mate can be a good option.
Like other stimulant drinks, mate tea is not recommended for those who have trouble falling asleep.
9- Fight mental illnesses
According to a 2002 US patent, mate inhibits the activity of monoamine oxidases (MAO). Alterations in these enzymes can cause depression, mood swings, attention deficit or even Parkinson's. For this reason, mate can help your treatment.
10- Decreases fatigue and improves physical performance
The consumption of mate is highly recommended for our body when we want to do physical exercise. By activating the central nervous system, it produces a series of effects in our body that allow us to delay the production of lactic acid when we practice sports.
When this substance accumulates, it is what produces fatigue or fatigue in our muscles. Therefore, the consumption of mate gives our body time to continue exercising and, at the same time, burn more calories.
11- It is anti-inflammatory
When we drink mate we prevent inflammation of our organs thanks to its high content of quercetin. Quercetin is a flavonoid found naturally in plants and vegetables. Besides having an anti-inflammatory effect, quercetin also has other properties; it is antihistamine, antioxidant, etc.
Mate also contains saponins, molecules that contribute to this anti-inflammatory effect.
12- Prevents some types of cancer
According to a study published in the journal Molecular Nutrition Food Research in 2011, the caffeoylquinic acids present in mate induce apoptosis. In other words, they help destroy cancer cells that cause colon cancer through in vitro technique, that is, in test tubes, outside the body.
It also demonstrates the anti-inflammatory capacity of these acids present in mate, which not only help to treat cancer but also other diseases.
In addition, mate is a rich source of polyphenols, which also helps prevent other types of cancer, such as mouth cancer.
13- Strengthens the bones
Mate is a good supplement for diseases such as osteoporosis, as it has been shown to increase bone density.
Therefore, this infusion is highly recommended for women who have already gone through menopause. After this hormonal phase, women lose bone mass and the risk of contracting diseases such as osteoporosis increases. Mate can be a good instrument to combat this loss and prevent future illnesses.
14- It is a nutritious food
Besides being a functional food, mate is a good option for those who don't like tea or coffee. Like these two drinks, it is very nutritious. Mate contains potassium, magnesium, vitamin B1, B2, A, C and many more essential nutrients for a balanced diet.
15- Prevents brain damage
Once again, polyphenols and their antioxidant capacity help repair the damage of our neurons, protecting our brain.
In addition, these substances have an anticonvulsant and neuroprotective effect, very beneficial for people with epilepsy. Mate reduces the frequency with which epileptic seizures occur and minimizes the damage to cells caused by highly recurrent seizures.
16- Inhibits microbial growth in food
Yerba mate has also been used to make healthier meals thanks to its anti-microbial activity. An investigation by the Argentine Association of Microbiology revealed that the ethanolic and methanolic extracts of yerba mate attack bacteria such as salmonella present in food.
17- Repair DNA
As we have seen, the antioxidant capacity of mate is very useful for the treatment of diseases such as cancer. When these types of pathologies are suffered, DNA can be damaged.
An experiment with mice showed in 2008 that mate tea can prevent the damage that occurs in DNA and improve its repair. This is due again to the antioxidant capacity of the bioactive substances that make up the mate.
Nutritional values of mate (100 grams) based on the recommended daily amount
- Energy value: 61.12 kcal
- Proteins: 294 mg.
- Lipids or Fat: 0 mg.
- Carbohydrates: 1234 mgr.
- Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 36%
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 52%
- Iron 29%
- Magnesium 100%
- Potassium 23%
- Sodium 8%
How is this drink consumed?
In Latin America, mate is drunk in a container that comes from the porongo, a kind of pumpkin. This bottle can be called in different ways depending on the size of the container or the area of South America where this drink is consumed. Some of them are mate, whose, porongo or guampa. In this vessel, the yerba-mate leaves, previously dried, are introduced in hot water.
Mate is usually drunk hot with the help of a metal straw or straw, called a "bombilla".
There is another form of consumption, known as tereré, consisting of a mixture of mate leaves, but this time with cold water. Refreshing aromatic products such as mint leaves are added to this concoction.
There are also other lesser known ways of drinking mate such as beer or yerba mate soda. However, it is common to add sweeteners, or even milk in some places, to reduce the natural bitterness of mate.
Fraud in the mate?
There are different types of yerba mate or Ilex, which in some cases are considered a fraud. This is because they adulterate the drink because they do not contain the properties of Ilex paraguarensis. Some of these species are: I. dumosa, I. theezans or I. brevicuspis.
Mate is considered by law a national drink in Argentina.
Where can I get mate to try it?
You can buy mate in herbal stores and if you don't know how to prepare it, on the Internet you will find thousands of recipes and tutorials.
References
- Arçari, DP, Bartchewsky, W., Santos, TW, Oliveira, KA, Deoliveira, CC, Gotardo, É M., Pedrazzoli Jr, J.Gambero, A., FC, L., Ferraz, P. & Ribeiro, ML (2011). Anti-inflammatory effects of yerba maté extract (Ilex paraguariensis) ameliorate insulin resistance in mice with high fat diet-induced obesity. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, 335 (2), 110-115. doi: 10.1016 / j.mce.2011.01.003
- Buffo, R. (2016, July). Yerba Mate: Chemistry, Technology, and Biological Properties. Exploring the Nutrition and Health Benefits of Functional Foods, 185-194. doi: 10.4018 / 978-1-5225-0591-4.ch009
- Conforti, AS, Gallo, ME, & Saraví, FD (2012). Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis) consumption is associated with higher bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. Bone, 50 (1), 9-13. doi: 10.1016 / j.bone.2011.08.029
- Marcowicz, DH, Moura de Oliveira, D., Lobato, R., Carvalho, P., & Lima, M. (2007). Yerba maté: Pharmacological Properties, Research and Biotechnology Retrieved November 11, 2016.