What is Yerba Mate: Origin Story and Benefits

By: Nikhail Thakker, Dr. Christine Wong, PhD

If you’re a sports fan, odds are that you’ve seen the images emerge of South America’s soccer superstars sipping an herbal concoction from a rustic vessel with a distinct metal rim and straw. This is called Yerba Mate, a beverage brewed using leaves native mainly to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay. It’s no secret that athletes treat their bodies like temples, drinking and eating only the cleanest diet to stay in peak physical condition. But did you know just how powerful this plant can be for your brain too?

 

What is Yerba Mate, and where is it from?

Yerba Mate is known colloquially by the name of the drink Mate (pronounced Maté), or scientifically as Ilex Paraguariensis (1). The plant’s leaves are picked and steeped or brewed in water to create the famous beverage. What distinguishes it from other herbal drinks is its natural caffeine content, providing drinkers with a kick at any time of day. In addition to being a natural source of caffeine, the Yerba Mate leaf is abundant in other brain-boosting properties.

PHOTOGRAPH BY TOMAS MUNITA, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

The Maté drink has been popularized worldwide in the form of canned drinks, tea bags, and other shapes and forms for mass consumption, but historically, it was enjoyed by people across Latin America as a health tonic or simply for pleasure.  Upon its discovery, the indigenous  people of the region considered Yerba Mate a gift from the gods (2). Cowboys in Argentina, known as Gauchos, were also known to have relied on Yerba Mate or stamina to farm cattle (3).

 

What are the benefits of Yerba Mate?

Energy, focus and alertness 

Yerba Mate can stimulate the central nervous system (1), which in turn vitalizes the mind and body in a host of ways. You may experience immediate effects like heightened alertness, as well as a boost in physical performance and cognitive function. This natural nootropic plant has also been found to have high levels of theobromine (4), also found in Cacao. Theobromine has neuroprotective properties that can prevent damage to neurons in addition to enhancing cognitive processing (5).

PHOTOGRAPH BY MILA, UNSPLASH

Rich in antioxidants

Aside from Yerba Mate being a great energy booster, it has been proven to have many other health benefits. The flavonoids in the plant, including rutin, quercetin, and kaempferol, are potent antioxidants (6). Antioxidants are beneficial compounds found in many natural foods. They counter the effects of free radicals (harmful byproducts of metabolism or from the environment), protecting the cells in our brain and body from oxidative stress and damage. 

Physical health benefits

In addition to the wonders that Yerba Mate can do for your mind, studies have also presented a link between longer-term consumption and improved regulation of blood glucose and lipid levels, particularly for individuals with or at risk of diabetes (7). Yerba Mate can also be beneficial for cardiovascular health and fitness, decreasing the concentration of low-density lipoproteins, or 'bad cholesterol' (8).

PHOTOGRAPH BY CAMILA SEVES ESPASANDIN, UNSPLASH

By now, perhaps it’s obvious why the likes of Lionel Messi, Alexis Sanchez, Neymar Jr, and their fellow countrymen are all obsessed with this herbal powerhouse. Its capacity to boost your energy and put you in a state of focus, in addition to its ability to promote physical wellness, makes this South American superfood a great, well-rounded choice for a dietary supplement.

If you’re looking to get your fix of Yerba Mate and spark your mind, check out Flojo Drink  for a plant-powered productivity booster, with Yerba Mate forming the backbone of our formula crafted and supported by Neuroscientists.