All You Need To Know About Yerba Mate

This post was written by Haley Hall.

Yerba…who? After confirming how to correctly pronounce this increasingly popular beverage (YERB-ah mah-TAY), we did some research to learn what it offers nutritionally. Some say it can improve mental performance, promote weight loss, improve energy, and more. Come see whether it lives up to these claims.

Yerba Mate is a tea made from steeping dried leaves of the mate plant. A common beverage in South America, it is gaining popularity in the States. Yerba mate has been promoted for a variety of health benefits, including disease prevention, weight loss, improved mood, headache relief and decreased fatigue. However, a quick search reveals that there is insufficient evidence to support these claims. Sorry, there are still no magic foods. Although I wouldn’t recommend choosing to drink yerba mate to promote weight loss or prevent diabetes, there is little harm in consuming the stuff in moderate amounts. Like most things, excessive consumption is potentially harmful. Some research shows that people who drink large amounts of yerba mate over a long period of time are more likely to develop mouth, esophageal and other forms of cancer. And because it contains caffeine, people may experience similar symptoms to excessive coffee intake – sleeplessness, nervousness and headaches, to name a few.

Your average bottle of unsweetened yerba mate contains 10 calories and trivial amounts of sugar but sweetened versions have about 120 calories and 28 grams of sugar per bottle. That’s less than a coke, but still 7 teaspoons of sugar! If you’re going to drink yerba mate, I recommend the unsweetened version or drinking the sweetened flavors only occasionally to limit your sugar intake.

I asked a client why he loves yerba mate. He shared that it became a safer alternative to 5 Hour Energy and Red Bull. He feels that it has a similar effect to a cup of coffee and loves that it’s lower in sugar than other drinks.

Bottom line, if you like yerba mate, enjoy it in moderation but don’t get your hopes up about any major health benefits.