Nutritional Content of Yerba Mate

Yerba Mate is often said to be the most nutritious plant in the world. As noted by The Pasteur Institute and the Paris Scientific Society, "It is difficult to find a plant in any area of the world equal to Mate in nutritional value." The many the health benefits of Yerba Mate come from this plethora of nutrients, and the easiest, safest, and best way to extract these nutrients is with the Traditional Method. Indeed, a scientific study published in 2005 confirmed the traditional method's ability to deliver more nutrients from Yerba Mate than any other method or than can be gained from green tea and red wine (Bixby et al. 2005. Life Sciences, #77 pgs 345-358). Some of the more notable nutrients present in Yerba Mate are:

• Vitamins B-1, B-2, A, riboflavin, carotene, colin, pantothenic acid, inositol and 15 types of amino acids, the building blocks for all of your proteins (F. Alikaridis 1987)

• Significant quantities of potassium, sodium and magnesium are present in the leaves as well as the infusion. (Tenorio Sanz, Torija Isasa 1991)

• It is often said that Yerba Mate is similar to green tea, though much more nutritious. Scientific tests have confirmed that Yerba Mate delivers more polyphenols and flavanoids than either red wine or green tea. (Bixby, et. al, 2005)

• Mate has eleven polyphenols (Kawakami, A. Kabayashi 1991).
  • Recent studies from the US indicate that polyphenols are powerful antioxidants that strengthen the organism's natural defenses, and protect it against the cellular destruction that cause physical deterioration and the development of sicknesses. (J. Carper 1988).
  • "The particular way in which mate is drunk [Traditional Method], which usually implies repeated extraction from a large (50-100 g) quantity of dry product in a gourd, and intermittent consumption, many times for hours in a row, would allow for maintenance plasma levels of polyphenols which are usually not attained with green tea or moderate wine drinking." (Bixby, et. al., Life Sciences, 2005)
• "Yerba mate, just like many herbs, is a good source of antioxidants and certainly deserves a spot in one's kitchen next to other herbal teas." Dr. Ray Sahelian

Above information copied with permission from YerbaTea.

Since many of the Yerba Mate Brands are grown in different regions and processed differently, they all contain different quantities of nutrients such as fat, protein, fiber, iron, and so on. The following three brand's Nutrition Facts highlight some of these differences.

Canarias--a stem free version of their tea:

Taragui--one of their versions with stems:

Rosamonte--one of their versions with stems:

Yerba Mate is an enjoyable and healthy source of many nutrients. As noted by The Pasteur Institute and the Paris Scientific Society, "It is difficult to find a plant in any area of the world equal to Mate in nutritional value." Extract those nutrients!