The Most Outstanding Health Benefits of Maté
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The Most Outstanding Health Benefits of Maté
What You Need to Know About Authentic Yerba Maté
Are you curious about the health benefits of maté? It’s one of the only herbal teas with a high amount of caffeine.
You’ll probably see cans of “Yerba Maté” in your local grocery store. Many people are replacing their coffee with maté as a supposedly more stable caffeine boost. But what exactly is maté?
Below, you’ll learn what makes maté so special and unique. You will also learn about the health benefits of maté and why so many people love it as a healthy addition to their lifestyle. We also have a few herbal blends you can try that feature maté to experience this unique tea for yourself.
What is Maté?
Maté is an herb that comes from the Ilex paraguariensis plant. Because it doesn’t come from the Camellia sinensis plant, it isn’t a true tea. Yerba maté is commonly used to refer to the plant, while maté is used to refer to the drink.
Maté is one of the only herbs that has a significant amount of caffeine. It has a grassy and earthy flavor with a slight bitterness. It’s a drink that can be prepared with sugar, fruit juice, or herbs, and in some places it’s even prepared with milk.
It’s a drink traditionally enjoyed in South America and served in a calabash gourd. A metal straw — called a bombilla — filters the herbs as you sip. Maté is served hot, which is sometimes called chimarrão, or it can be served cold and is called tereré.
While people outside of South America are focused on the health benefits of maté, it’s traditionally passed around as a communal drink where it’s continuously refilled. One great thing about maté is that it can be refilled up to 20 times or until the scent and flavor weaken. It’s not uncommon for people to refill and sip the same serving of maté throughout the day.
6 Health Benefits of Maté
Maté is a beverage rich in tradition and history throughout South America. Now, people outside this region are starting to drink maté for its incredible health benefits. Here are some of the most notable ways maté can enhance your wellness routine.
1. Delivers Antioxidants and Nutrients
The first notable benefits of maté are its abundance of minerals and vitamins. These nutrients come from plant compounds rich in antioxidants, which may help reduce the risk of certain diseases. Yerba maté also has Vitamin C and B6 and many other micronutrients to help promote your wellness and health.
2. Boosts Energy and Mental Focus
One huge reason maté is gaining in popularity is because of its potent caffeine boost. People are seeking out alternatives for coffee, and maté may contain about 80 mg — in some cases, this is equivalent to a cup of coffee. One of the health benefits of maté is that it helps your mental focus, but, unlike coffee, the caffeine isn’t released all at once.
Maté releases caffeine in a unique way, and one serving can be resteeped many times. This means you could end up drinking upwards of 260 mg of caffeine from a single cup of maté throughout the day. This gradual release of caffeine creates a more stable energy boost, and many people claim that it doesn’t make them nervous or jittery as with coffee.
3. Enhances Physical Performance and Aids in Weight Loss
Caffeine, in general, can help improve your physical performance, especially before a sports activity or a workout. Some of the health benefits of maté are the ability to enhance physical performance by reducing fatigue and helping with muscle movement.
Maté may help reduce belly fat by jumpstarting metabolism. The ideal amount needed to drink before exercise is not known. But some studies show promising results that point to maté’s ability to reduce the amount of fat that fat cells hold.
4. Lowers Blood Sugar Levels
Another one of the health benefits of maté is that it may help improve blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of diabetes. Maté may reduce the serum lipids — which are the fat found in the blood — and may help reduce the fasting blood sugar in individuals with type 2 diabetes. More studies must be made to determine if maté has any significant impact on cholesterol levels.
5. Reduces the Risk of Heart Disease
Maté may help lower your bad cholesterol or LDL. Studies show that antioxidant compounds — like polyphenols — can help improve cardiovascular health. Maté may even help increase good cholesterol and improve blood pressure.
6. Prevents Infections and Aids Digestion
One study points to the antimicrobial properties of maté, meaning it may help protect against parasites, bacteria, and fungi. For instance, maté may protect you against bacteria like E. coli, which can lead to urinary tract infections and other issues. It’s possible that maté can help significantly with digestion and gastrointestinal health and promote your overall wellness.
Try These 2 Healthy Maté Tea Blends
The flavor of maté is an acquired taste for many tea connoisseurs. The best way to introduce your tastebuds to the earthy flavor of maté is to enjoy it blended in an herbal tea. Here are two tasty maté herbal blends to invigorate your wellbeing and give you a dose of the health benefits of maté.
Morning Revive
Morning Revive is an energizing medley of healthy herbs that gives a subtle energy boost to jumpstart your day — thanks to green maté. Naturally invigorating herbs help reset your mind and body in the morning for the day ahead. You can also enjoy it as an afternoon pick-me-up.
The citrus notes of lemon verbena leaves, lemongrass, rosehips, and hibiscus give you a dose of Vitamin C and antioxidants. A touch of black licorice flavor comes through the fennel, anise, and licorice root. Rosemary and blackberry leaves give a rounded balance to this lush maté herbal tea blend.
Purify and Renew
This incredible combination of cleansing herbs and spices will help detox your body and mind. With just a sprinkle of green yerba maté, you’ll experience the slightest hint of caffeine and the health benefits of maté. Purify and Renew also has a touch of spirulina, which is a blue-green algae that helps with blood and heart health.
You’ll taste sweet and lemony notes finished with spice and a sprinkle of spirulina and maté. It’s a robust combination of potent herbs and spices that highlight the best flavors from the herb garden. Tantalize your palate and boost your wellness with a feel-good herbal blend that steeps a brilliant red tea.
Elevate Your Wellness With Healthy Teas and Teaware
Experience the health benefits of maté blended with organic herbs and spices with teas from Teabloom. Their teas are made with premium organic ingredients and responsibly sourced from family-owned farms. Healthy and better-tasting tea lies at the heart of Teabloom’s mission.
Since the very beginning, Teabloom has been on a mission to clean up the tea industry with ethical tea practices and clean teaware. Their teas are made with premium, organic ingredients and blended in small batches to prevent waste and manage consistency. Innovative tea sachets are completely compostable — which is much better than biodegradable — and healthy for you and the planet.
Teabloom has the largest collection of premium borosilicate glass teaware that’s chemical-free and excellent for your health and the planet. It’s sustainable, durable, and thermal shock resistant. Their glass teaware can be used to boil water on the stovetop, steep tea, and flash chill iced tea without the risk of breakage.
Experience the pure health benefits of maté and steep your tea with borosilicate teaware. For the purest flavor, a healthier tea, and effortless steeping, choose Teabloom today.
*The information provided in this post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or prevention. If you or someone you know has a medical concern, you should consult with your professional healthcare provider or seek other professional medical treatment.
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