Mate (Beverage)

Mate is a wonderful drink. It is made from leaves of the yerba mate plant. It contains xanthines which are chemically similar to caffeine and theobromine. So, it is stimulating in a similar way to tea. However, compared to the plentiful negative effects of caffeine, it seems to be associated with far less negative effects. If I drink too much tea (2+ cups) or coffee (1 large cup), I feel stimulated but also somewhat physically upset. Caffeine has many highly toxic properties, but the stimulant found in Mate seems not to upset my system so much. It also contains a whole array of vitamins and minerals and 15 amino acids. It has been scientifically researched and has been ...  Read the complete review

Mate is an institution in Uruguay and Argentina as well as being drunk in other South American countries and being invited to drink it with locals is something of a rite of passage into society. The drink is made with chopped leaves of the mate yerba plant which has many effects on the body. Like coffee or tea it is a light stimulant that wards off fatigue and it also increases the metabolism. Additionally mate has many vitamins and minerals as well as being an antioxidant so can be good for your all-round wellbeing. Drinking mate has a strict social code associated with it and the procedure is as much part of the enjoyment as the drink itself. ...  Read the complete review

The name "a cup of charlie" has never been quite so appropriate as when it comes to Mate. The tea like concoction looks dubious to the eye of a non-South American. In fact there's nothing naughty about the gourd with a silver straw sticking out of it. The national drink of Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina is a popular drink in other South American countries too as well as some parts of the Middle East. These days, it's a come along way from it's Guarani tribe origins and is widely available in Europe. I'm not overly keen on tea unless it's extremely sweet and I'm not a big fan of coffee but Mate is something that I find both stimulating and ...  Read the complete review

first found out about yerba mate from Men's Health. I'd been drinking a lot of coffee at work and was looking for something to break my dependency! Yerba mate, the article stated, was a South American green tea from the holly family, which was drunk by Argentinean gauchos whilst on the range. Not only is it about as close to a replacement for coffee without the side effects (tetchiness, bloated feeling and gut rot!) but it also contains 200 active ingredients and has been touted as a possible aid to weight loss. Anyway, I thought I'd give it a blast and bought some tea bags (rather than the loose tea) from the Home Herbs website. I must ...  Read the complete review