What is mate?
Mate, or chimarrão in Portuguese, is a traditional South American drink consumed by the Guarani Indians. It is prepared like tea, by infusing the leaves except that it is here yerba mate leaves. Cultivated in India, it is traditionally used there against headache, tiredness, the nervous breakdown and rheumatic pain.
The benefits of mate
Its caffeine concentration makes mate effective in fighting physical and mental fatigue, improving alertness, and increasing cognitive performance. And by increasing blood pressure, it thus helps to relieve headaches due to poor blood circulation.
“A cup of yerba mate (8g of dried leaves) provides about 70 mg to 90 mg of caffeine, which is a little more than a cup of tea (30 mg to 50 mg) and a little less than coffee. (75 mg to 180 mg) ”explains Nathalie Négro, dietitian and head of the Brides-les-Bains thermal baths nutritional center. It will therefore have the same role of intellectual and physical stimulant, obviously in the short term.
“Like tea and coffee, if we abuse it, we are exposed to insomnia, palpitations, an increase in blood pressure” recalls the dietician. It is not recommended to give it to children.
Like tea leaves, mate leaves are rich in polyphenols, antioxidant substances that protect our system in particular. cardiovascular.
“Some studies show a regulation of the cholesterol level with a regular and high consumption of mate (4 cups per day), but this remains to be deepened”, explains Nathalie Négro.
Others reveal that mate is effective in weight loss. “But beware of slimming products, false friends for our health and our weight,” insists the dietician. Be careful, this plant should not be associated with ephedra (plant used today as an energizer and for weight loss), the effects of which can be multiplied by mate and become potentially dangerous. In May 2006, Health Canada issued a precautionary principle against the consumption of weight loss products containing caffeine and ephedrine.
On the other hand, this drink can be a great hydration aid for people who have trouble drinking water during the day.
How to prepare mate
Mate is prepared like tea. We let infuse 1 to 2g of leaves in 200ml of boiling water. The right doses: 1 to 2 cups per day, replacing tea and / or coffee.
“To eliminate some of the caffeine, we can proceed as for tea: we let it infuse for one minute, since the caffeine passes first into the water, we throw this first water then we continue the infusion”, recalls Nathalie Négro .
“Today more and more organic stores offer mate, but the classic Tea Palace also sells this drink.
a site dedicated to yerba-mate, offers a varied range of mate.
The site La Bombilla offers you a discovery pack.
In terms of taste, we still stay closer to infusion than tea. But be careful, given its caffeine content, it is recommended not to drink it before bedtime.
On the occasion of Euro 2016, Antoine Griezmman, player of the French football team, confided to be addicted to mate and never leave without his necessary mate. Through his Instagram account or videos, he never missed an opportunity to promote this drink still little known in France.
Read also:
Why is it so good to drink tea?
Light recipes and tea detox
Infographic: the health benefits of coffee
