Organic Yerba Mate Tea for Energy, Health and Friendship

Yerba Mate is a unique tea from South America that is packed with vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants. It is enjoyed more than coffee or tea in it's native regions. It is drank primarily for strength, vigor, energy, and health. It is also a drink of companionship and friendship. It enlivens conversation, being gently stimulating, helping people to open up and speak what is in their hearts. It is the healthy alternative to coffee.


Yerba Mate is the leaf of a large shrub bearing the same name, which literally means "herb of the gourd". It is traditionally infused in a hollowed out gourd, in either hot or cold water. The Yerba Mate tea is sipped through a filtering straw called a "bombilla". The gourd is traditionally shared among family and friends, being passed from one to another, with more water added each time to the gourd. The Yerba Mate circle is the heart of a culture known for it's warmth, hospitality, and friendliness.


The reported health benefits of Yerba Mate are many. It has been used to reduce the effects of debilitating and painful diseases such as gout, hiatus hernia, diabetes, and cancer, to name a few.  It has been used to boost the immune system and tone the nervous system. It has been known to aid in cases of insomnia, and to combat chronic fatigue.


Yerba Mate has been used by many to reduce the appetite and burn more calories, aiding in the challenge of weight loss. Because of it's ability to supply more oxygen to the heart during duress, body builders and athletes use Yerba Mate to increase their stamina and endurance.


Yerba Mate's proprietary xanthine blend is different from other natural stimulants, especially in its effects on muscle tissue. Yerba mate has been shown to have a relaxing effect on smooth muscle tissue, and a stimulating effect on myocardial (heart) tissue. Yerba Mate does not exhibit the same negative effects on the central nervous system as other stimulating beverages such as coffee or black teas.


There has not been a lot of scientific research done on Yerba Mate so far. The most notable ones include:

• Researchers at the University of Illinois in 2005 found yerba mate to have cancer-fighting properties.
• Research at the Florida International University indicated that Yerba Mate does contain some caffeine, but is tolerated much better than in coffee or other teas because of the unique accompaniment of other xanthines, vitamins and minerals. 
• A Swiss research group performed a study on human subjects in 1999 that indicated yerba mate could be beneficial as a weight-loss aid. They noticed a thermogenic effect in healthy individuals indicating a rise in the proportion of fat burned as energy.
• One of the first, and best known studies on Yerba Mate was done in 1964 by the Pasteur institute. Their conclusion was:

“it is difficult to find a plant in any area of the world equal to Mate
in nutritional value. It has most all of the vitamins necessary to
sustain life.”

Yerba Mate is notably high in Potassium, Magnesium and Manganese, all excellent aids in creating the energy you need to stay healthy.

Yerba Mate is also a potent anti-oxidant. More potent than straight vitamin C! In fact, with all the raves about green tea and it's anti-oxidant greatness, you should know that a brewed cup of fresh, green, organic Yerba Mate has twice the anti-oxidant capacity of a cup of green tea!

With all this goodness, it's no wonder that Yerba Mate is becoming the choice beverage for those wishing to kick an unhealthy addiction to coffee.

The best source for fresh, green, organic Yerba Mate in Canada is the Mate Factor line of teas from Common Sense Natural Products. You can find the Mate Factor teas in health food stores, tea shops and independent grocers across Canada.