The popularity of yerba mate encourages a deeper consideration of the drink’s properties. Although it has both advantages and disadvantages, it is primarily seen as a medicinal drink with very high stimulating properties. What else is worth knowing about a product and tradition native to South America?
Europeans took the tradition of drinking yerba mate from South American Indians. It happened in the 18th century, when the Jesuit missionaries came to the Guarani, whose favorite drink was an infusion made of dried holly – proper yerba mate. Some saw it as an alternative to tea, which originated in Asia. The drink is considered to be native to three South American countries: Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. Sometimes Uruguay is also included. The largest holly plantations are located in the Argentine state of Misiones.
Yerba mate is appreciated for its stimulating properties, but this is not the end of the drink. What else does it bring to our diet? First of all, we provide our body with large amounts of B vitamins and vitamin C. Yerba mate stimulates circulation, which makes it suitable for drinking at any age. Vitality and extra strength for action, which gives us this drink, go hand in hand with supporting the process of weight loss. It gives us a feeling of satiety, and thanks to that we do not crave for sweet and salty snacks. Yerba reduces the absorption of fat by fat cells, hydrates the body and has diuretic properties
Is yerba mate a better way to stimulate the body than coffee and energy drinks? To answer this question, it is necessary to know the amount of caffeine that these three products contain. Coffee has the highest amount of the stimulating substance, energy drinks have a lower caffeine content and yerba mate has the lowest. However, it turns out that not only the caffeine content has a significant impact on the body’s stimulation. Yerba has the advantage that the energy is released gradually and not in the form of an energy bomb as in energy drinks. With yerba, it is more difficult to become addicted to caffeine or sugar
Energy drinks contain a lot of unhealthy sugar and artificial colors. Coffee leaches magnesium from the body and causes problems with sleep and the digestive system. What about yerba mate? Certainly it does not flush minerals from the body, but provides them. It has antioxidant properties, protects against cancer and increases immunity. It also improves the condition of the skin and hair. Yerba mate therefore seems to be the best option
Who should not drink yerba mate? First of all, it is not a good drink for children because of the caffeine content. Yerba mate is also not a good choice for pregnant women and nursing mothers. It is not necessarily a matter of giving up this drink completely, but it must be dosed very carefully. It is worth adding that people suffering from hypertension can also consider drinking it because it has regulating properties. Coffee in such situations is excluded from the diet
Yerba mate has many valuable properties, so it is worth considering introducing it to your diet.
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