Thursday, March 19, 2009

Yerba Mate- Is it a miracle drink?


I have studied and researched tea (Camellia sinensis) but my only real experience with Mate was when I purchased it at a health food store about 5 years ago after I read that it acted like an appetite suppressant. It ended up on the "junk" shelf in my kitchen with an embarrassingly large variety of other potions to keep it company. Last year one of our family friends went to Brazil and came back with a gourd that she told me was the typical Mate drinking vessel. She explained that she had become a Mate "convert"- and didn't need to drink coffee anymore because she got so much energy from the Mate. I decided to research Mate and was shocked by what I found out. Yerba Mate contains vitamin A, C, E, B1, B2, B complex, carotene, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, biotin and vitamin C complex. It also has 15 different amino acids,magnesium, calcium, iron, sodium, potassium, manganese, silicon, phosphates, zinc, niacin, sulfur, and chlorophyll, choline, and inositol. The list of health benefits seems endless: improves mental clarity, reduces the symptoms of hayfever and allergies, balances blood glucose levels, relaxes peripheral blood vessels (thereby reducing blood pressure), stimulates a weak nervous system, boosts immunity and suppresses the appetite. The list doesn't end there but I will save the rest for another time. Of course I had to add Yerba Mate to our menu and encourage you to give it a try. It is pretty close to being the "Miracle Beverage".

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have had Yerba Mate and it tastes bitter. Is it supposed to taste that way?

Minnie

TeaBar said...

Minnie,

Yerba Mate can taste bitter if the water is too hot. Don't use boiling water- the temperature of the water may vary between 160 and 180 degrees F. Let me know if this helps.

Pam