Besides its status as a traditional South American tea, yerba mate is a functional beverage with potential health benefits.
1. Reduced Inflammation
Research shows that yerba mate is rich in antioxidants like polyphenols, which are plant compounds that help scrub damaging free radicals out of the body’s cells.
According to Stephen Dahmer, MD, the director of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona in Tucson, polyphenols could help reduce systemic inflammation by combating oxidative stress. Oxidative stress occurs when there aren’t enough antioxidants to neutralize damage from free radicals, which can lead to inflammation and inflammatory conditions such as heart disease and arthritis.
Consider two polyphenols found in yerba mate: saponin and quercetin. Test-tube studies suggest that the antioxidant properties of saponin may play a role in cancer treatment and prevention. Meanwhile, quercetin has anti-inflammatory effects, making it a potentially helpful compound in therapies for inflammatory conditions. Still, more research is needed to determine whether yerba mate offers anti-inflammatory benefits.
2. Weight Loss Helper
“Some studies suggest that yerba mate might help with weight loss by boosting metabolism, reducing appetite, and increasing fat burning, but the evidence isn’t definitive,” says Alyssa Simpson, RDN, who is based in Phoenix and specializes in digestive health.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 22 clinical trials in people with obesity concluded that yerba mate generally had a positive effect on reducing weight, body mass index, and waist circumference.
In an earlier study in 30 adults with obesity, those who received 3 grams (g) of a yerba mate supplement daily for 12 weeks lost significantly more body fat than those who took a placebo. More research is needed to understand how yerba mate works for weight loss, but the researchers suggest that the antioxidants in yerba mate may help burn fat and prevent fat from accumulating.
Still, yerba mate shouldn’t be used as a replacement for other healthy weight loss strategies. “[Yerba mate] could be worth trying as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle, but it’s important not to rely solely on it for significant weight loss,” Simpson says.
3. Increased Alertness and Mental Clarity
Thanks to its caffeine content — about 80 milligrams per cup, which is comparable to the amount found in a cup of coffee — yerba mate can boost alertness and focus.
Dr. Dahmer says that compounds in yerba mate — theobromine, theophylline, and L-theanine (an amino acid) — may also increase alertness and mental clarity.
Theobromine and theophylline work with caffeine as mild stimulants, Dahmer says. They prompt your body to produce more dopamine, a brain chemical and hormone involved in motivation and thinking.
Meanwhile, L-theanine might prevent the caffeine in yerba mate from making you overly jittery. “L-theanine promotes relaxed attentiveness by counteracting caffeine’s anxiety effects,” Dahmer says.
4. Boosted Exercise Performance
For enhanced athletic performance, you might add yerba mate to your rotation of sports drinks. “Yerba mate improves exercise performance by boosting energy and stamina, thanks to its caffeine content,” says Simpson.
A small study found that trained cyclists who consumed 5 g of yerba mate in capsules daily for five days showed a significant increase in power output during a 30-minute time trial compared with those who took a placebo.
However, studies on yerba mate and exercise often include small groups of participants. More research is needed to determine whether yerba mate offers performance benefits.
If you decide to use yerba mate before exercise, take it 60 minutes before your workout to give your body time to digest. This can help reduce stomach upset during exercise. Note that some people may be more sensitive to the effects of caffeine and may want to avoid it before exercise altogether.
5. May Improve Heart Health
In one small study, consuming three servings of yerba mate tea daily for eight weeks lowered total cholesterol, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood), and blood pressure in people with and without high cholesterol.
“Yerba mate might help lower cholesterol because it has antioxidants that reduce oxidative stress and inflammation,” Simpson explains. “It also contains saponins that block cholesterol absorption and compounds like caffeine and theobromine that boost metabolism and fat processing.”
However, most studies on yerba mate and cholesterol are done on small groups of people, and the findings are mixed. For example, the authors of a review and meta-analysis of 13 studies concluded that yerba mate didn’t create a significant change in cholesterol levels and that more research is needed.
