The South American herb yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) is well known as a stimulant in places where it natively grows. Usually, our day isn’t complete without having a cup of coffee. But people in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Brazil drink tea made from yerba mate leaves and stems to begin their day, just like how we drink coffee in the morning.

Aside from keeping you alert, consuming yerba mate may also help you in your weight loss journey. A 2017 study by South Korean researchers found that long-term inclusion of yerba mate can help address diet-induced obesity and metabolic disorders in mice. The research team found that consuming yerba mate helped encourage fat breakdown and increase the amount of calories being burned every day.

The team divided test mice into two groups. One group was fed with a high-fat diet alone, while the other group was given the same high-fat diet with yerba mate. What did the South Korean researchers discover?

Yerba mate helps speed up your metabolism

The mice who consumed yerba mate appeared to burn more energy despite their fatty diet. These effects may be linked to observed decreases in body weight. An earlier study by Brazilian researchers found that methylxantine, a compound in yerba mate, can speed up your metabolism and allow you to burn more fat. The Brazilian team also discovered that methylxantine encouraged the production of other hormones that assist in burning more calories. Methylxanthine can also be found in other stimulants such as coffee and tea, aside from yerba mate.

Yerba mate prevents the accumulation of excess fat in your body

Further analysis of the mice found that the yerba mate group had lesser levels of fatty acid synthase (FAS). High levels of this compound found in fat-storing white adipose tissues have been cited as a possible cause of cancer. But there’s no need to fret, as yerba mate inhibited FAS – decreasing the levels of triglycerides and total cholesterol in the body as a result. Yerba mate also increased the amount of high-density lipoproteins or “good cholesterol” levels, based on the findings of a 2015 study.

Yerba mate keeps your blood sugar levels at bay

Aside from these, yerba mate can improve your body’s ability to handle blood sugar. The yerba mate mice reported lower levels of the plasma protein resistin, which is responsible for insulin resistance. Obese people have high amounts of resistin, and yerba mate may prove to be of benefit to them. A study done in 2010 backed yerba mate’s positive effect on blood sugar, as it significantly reduced fasting glucose and glycated hemoglobin levels in patients with type two diabetes mellitus.

You need not fly to South America to enjoy yerba mate, as this herb is readily available in your neighborhood health food store nowadays. You can also find it as an ingredient in energy drinks – alongside guarana, another natural stimulant.

South Americans usually drink yerba mate tea in a container called “cuia” made from a gourd, sipping it through a “bombilla” or metal straw. You can also purchase yerba mate in tea bags or loose-leaf form if you wish to brew and drink it at home. Moisten the leaves or tea bag with cool water before brewing: Avoid using very hot water as it makes the tea very bitter. After the leaves have been moistened, pour in hot water with a temperature of 170 degrees Fahrenheit (about 76 degrees Celsius) and steep for five minutes.

Stimulate your senses to better health with every sip of yerba mate tea!

Read more about the curative powers of yerba mate at FoodIsMedicine.news.

Sources:

LiebertPub.com

OnlineLibrary.Wiley.com 1

OnlineLibrary.Wiley.com 2

BMCComplementMedTherapies.BioMedCentral.com

AHAJournals.org

TandFOnline.com

ScientificAmerican.com

TaoOfTea.com