6 Best Teas for Fall
Cozy up to these staff-favorite teas for autumn!
Health Benefits Series
What are the Health Benefits of Yerba Mate?
Yerba mate (pronounced: yehr·buh maa·tay) is made from the leaves of the Ilex paraguariensis tree, which is native to South America. Alternately referred to as yerba (the dried leaf) or mate (the hollowed out calabash gourd from which it is traditionally drunk), yerba mate has been consumed in South America for over 3,000 years.
What is Yerba Mate?
A Brief History of Yerba Mate
Consumption of yerba mate started with the Guaraní and Kaingang, two indigenous peoples native to the area of South America where today's borders of southern Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina all meet. When Europeans first arrived in South America, they rejected yerba mate, but by the 17th century it began gaining popularity and was used as a tool by colonial powers in Paraguay to establish diplomatic relationships with indigenous peoples. In the 18th and 19th centuries, consuming yerba mate became associated with the identities of gauchos (nomadic horsemen and cowhands who were folk heroes simliar to the American cowboys of the "wild west") and criollos (people from South America, esp. of pure Spanish descent), nearly erasing its indigenous roots. But by the late 19th century, cultural elites in Argentina rejected the consumption of mate as a way to distance themselves from the common man and emulate their European counterparts. This didn't last long, however, and by the early 20th Century mate was back in vogue as a way to distinguish between the recent European immigrants and those same elites who had rejected mate a few decades prior. In the 20th century, trade and cultural wars over Argentinian versus Paraguayan or Brazilian yerba mate were waged by governments and producers before mate once again declined in popularity under Peron in Argentina. Mate resurged in the 1980s and 90s due to a combination of political and economic factors that helped this native, cheaper drink gain ground against tea and coffee. [8] Today, the beverage is so popular in South America that three world cup teams packed their own yerba mate for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. It's so popular in Argentina that the players brought 1,100 pounds of yerba mate with them to make sure they could have their favorite energizing beverage!
What Are the Health Benefits of Yerba Mate?
The Health Benefits of Yerba Mate, In Brief
Though largely consumed for its energizing combination of caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine, yerba mate may have many additional health benefits for those who consume it regularly. Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) offers these health benefits due to its rich composition of bioactive compounds, including polyphenols, saponins, and methylxanthines.
One
Cardiovascular Health
Two
Antioxidant Properties
Three
Weight Management
Four
Anti-Diabetic Effects
Five
Liver Protection
Six
Cognitive & Physical Stimulation
Yerba Mate
$ 6.00
Criticisms of Yerba Mate
Is Yerba Mate Safe?
Yerba mate consumption is considered safe and even healthy. That said, we would like to round out this article with some criticisms of the science presented.
Safe Consumption of Yerba Mate
There is ongoing discussion about the potential link between high-temperature yerba mate consumption and increased cancer risk, particularly esophageal cancer, though this has not been conclusively proven [9]. This is very interesting science that we wanted to highlight because making sure not to use boiling water (212°F) to prepare yerba mate is a very important part of traditional yerba mate preparation. We like the flavor profile of our yerba mate prepared at 185°F, though you can use water between 150-185°F.
Criticisms of Health Benefit Studies
Some studies on yerba mate's health benefits, such as its effects on cardiovascular health and obesity, have been criticized for high variability in study designs and potential biases in observational studies [7]. Additionally, some studies suggest that theobromine's effects on lipid metabolism and anti-inflammatory properties require further validation in larger, long-term clinical trials [14].
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What is Boba and How Do You Make Bubble Tea?
DISCLAIMER: We do not currently serve Boba at our Tea Bar. We encourage you to try the bubble milk tea at Storied Coffee just down the road in Scotia, instead! You asked and we answered! Saratoga Tea and Honey has been working behind the scenes to bring you boba tea...
Sources
1. Bastos, D. H. M., Saldanha, L. A., Catharino, R. R., Sawaya, A. C. H. F., Cunha, I. B. S., Carvalho, P. O., & Eberlin, M. N. (2007). Phenolic antioxidants identified by ESI-MS from yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) and green tea (Camellia sinensis) extracts. Molecules, 12(3), 423-432. https://doi.org/10.3390/12030423
2. Choi, M. S., Jung, U. J., Yeo, J., Kim, M. J., Lee, M. K., & Lee, M. K. (2017). Long-term dietary supplementation with yerba mate ameliorates diet-induced obesity and metabolic disorders in mice by regulating energy expenditure and lipid metabolism. Journal of Medicinal Food, 20(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1089/jmf.2017.3995
3. Gambero, A., & Ribeiro, M. L. (2015). The positive effects of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) in obesity. Nutrients, 7(2), 730-750. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu7020730
4. Franco R, Oñatibia-Astibia A, Martínez-Pinilla E. Health benefits of methylxanthines in cacao and chocolate. Nutrients. 2013 Oct 18;5(10):4159-73. doi: 10.3390/nu5104159. PMID: 24145871; PMCID: PMC3820066.
5. Heck, C. I., & de Mejia, E. G. (2007). Yerba mate tea (Ilex paraguariensis): A comprehensive review on chemistry, health implications, and technological considerations. Journal of Food Science, 72(9), R138-R151. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2007.00535.x
6. Heckman, M. A., Weil, J., & Gonzalez de Mejia, E. (2010). Caffeine (1, 3, 7-trimethylxanthine) in foods: A comprehensive review on consumption, functionality, safety, and regulatory matters. Journal of Food Science, 75(3), R77-R87. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2010.01561.x
7. José MFB, Machado RP, Araujo PAB, Speretta GF. Physiological effects of yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis): a systematic review. Nutr Rev. 2023 Aug 10;81(9):1163-1179. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuac109. PMID: 36647770.
8. Lapegna, P. (2023, November 14). A review of yerba mate: The drink that shaped a nation. ReVista. https://revista.drclas.harvard.edu/yerba-mate-the-drink-that-shaped-a-nation/
9. Lutomski, J., & Gawron-Gzella, A. (2020). Health properties of yerba mate. Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine, 27(4), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.26444/aaem/119994
10. Kang YR, Lee HY, Kim JH, Moon DI, Seo MY, Park SH, Choi KH, Kim CR, Kim SH, Oh JH, Cho SW, Kim SY, Kim MG, Chae SW, Kim O, Oh HG. Anti-obesity and anti-diabetic effects of Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis) in C57BL/6J mice fed a high-fat diet. Lab Anim Res. 2012 Mar;28(1):23-9. doi: 10.5625/lar.2012.28.1.23. Epub 2012 Mar 21. PMID: 22474471; PMCID: PMC3315195.
11. Szczepanek, M., & Wróbel, A. (2024). Health benefits of yerba mate consumption on cardiovascular health. Cardiovascular Research Reviews, 15(1), 1-8. https://dx.doi.org/10.12775/QS.2024.30.55556
12. Veiga, J. P., et al. (2018). Protective effect of yerba mate intake on the cardiovascular system: A post hoc analysis study in postmenopausal women. Journal of Nutrition and Health, 7(3), 1-13. 10.1590/1414-431x20187253
13. Vieira MA, Maraschin M, Pagliosa CM, Podestá R, de Simas KN, Rockenbach II, Amboni RD, Amante ER. Phenolic acids and methylxanthines composition and antioxidant properties of mate (Ilex paraguariensis) residue. J Food Sci. 2010 Apr;75(3):C280-5. doi: 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2010.01548.x. PMID: 20492280.
14. Wei D, Wu S, Liu J, Zhang X, Guan X, Gao L, Xu Z. Theobromine ameliorates nonalcoholic fatty liver disease by regulating hepatic lipid metabolism via mTOR signaling pathway in vivo and in vitro. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 2021 Aug;99(8):775-785. doi: 10.1139/cjpp-2020-0259. Epub 2020 Dec 8. PMID: 33290156.