Origins and 6 benefits: everything you need to know about mate

Mate, what is it?

The mate is there national drink in Argentina. Consumed at least three to four times a day by Argentinians, mate is the institution in the country! 
First, a little history: 

The mate is the result of the infusion of leaves of yerba mate, a tree of the holly family. The yerba mate plant was discovered by the aborigines of South America and was mainly consumed by these people. If now the Yerba mate plant is consumed throughout the world, it remains only cultivated in Argentina, Paraguay and southern Brazil.

At Kusmi Tea, discover the flavor of mate in several of our blends: our BB Detox, our spiced tea Boost, our Blue Detox flavored with pineapple or our organic green tea with lemon Breakfast at the Elysée. How to integrate this plant into your well-being routine with Kusmi Tea? We tell you everything!

Tea and mate: what’s the difference?

The Is mate a theine? ? No ! However, if we are talking to you about mate today, it is because the relationship between tea and mate is palpable. 
If mate is not strictly speaking a tea, it is because it comes from a plant in the holly family: yerba mate, or Ilex paraguariensis and not a tea plant.
Yerba mate is therefore a tree with thickets, which grows naturally on the banks of streams, in mountainous forests between 500 m and 700 m altitude. Yerba mate is therefore physically very different from a tea plant.
Before even having the idea of infusing the yerba mate leaves To benefit from its stimulating benefits, Native Americans preferred to chew the leaves or soak them in cold water. Theinfusion of yerba mate leaves arrived a little later. After roasting, pulverizing and infusing the yerba mate leaves in hot water, we obtain the mate, a stimulating drink rich in caffeine, with effects similar to those of coffee or tea. Hence the fact that the mate is often associated with tea.

You now know everything about benefits of mate, time for practice.

How to drink mate?

What makes mate so special is undoubtedly its preparation and the way it is eaten. Prepare the mate may seem impressive and yet preparing mate according to the rules of the art is very simple. You still need to know the right techniques. 
To prepare traditional mate, you need the right equipment. For once, we won't talk to you about a filter or a teapot since yerba mate is drunk without a filter, in a Calabash and with a bombilla. Have we lost you?

Glossary for preparing mate:

• The calabash : This is the round gourd in the shape of a squash in which the Yerba Maté infusion is prepared and drunk. The calabash is also called guampa or simply mate. Moreover, the Calabash is made from a dried and gutted squash
• The bombilla : One bombilla is a metal straw with a filter at the end which is traditionally used to drink mate straight from the calabash.

Find our mate straw, specially designed to enjoy your mate. 

How to prepare mate?

You must: 

1. Fill out your calabash (or other container) ¾ with yerba mate leaves.
   
2. Dispose of the powder from the leaves by shaking the calabash with his hand above so that the powder remains on the palm 
3.  Tilt the gourd to one side so that the yerba mate leaves are concentrated on one side
4. Pour a little cold water over the yerba mate leaves 
5. Put mate straw also called bombilla in the empty part of the calabash
6. Then add thesimmering water (and not boiling so as not to distort the taste of the mate). 

Finally enjoy your mate and enjoy the benefits of mate. Be careful, do not move the bombilla again. Discover our recipe ideas !

What are the 6 benefits of mate?

1. MATÉ IS A STIMULANT

Mate is a natural energizer. You should know that mate

is between coffee and tea thanks to the 1% caffeine present in mate leaves. Mate, like coffee, is therefore a highly effective stimulant and aid to concentration. When to drink mate? Consuming mate in the morning, or before a sports session, would give you a little boost for the day. Unlike coffee, mate could be just as relaxing as it is stimulating. Drinking mate during the day would help resist fatigue and offer better concentration without degrading the quality of sleep and rest. This is why mate, consumed after sport, is recommended for recovery. Does mate prevent you from sleeping? We can only answer “it depends”. Like tea or coffee, the impact of caffeine on sleep will depend on individual sensitivity.

2.MATE IS AN ANTIOXIDANT

In addition to caffeine, mate contains vitamins (B3, B2 and A), minerals (magnesium, potassium, zinc and iron) as well as antioxidant polyphenols. The presence of polyphenols in mate will undoubtedly interest you since they allow you to increase the body's immune defenses but also to slow down aging.

3.MATE COULD HELP DIGESTION

If mate could boost the mind and motivation, it would also boost digestion. Mate can therefore be consumed after a meal to help digestion or during the day to regulate hunger. Indeed, mate can be considered a natural “appetite suppressant” by some people. This would be due to the presence of caffeine in the plant. Yerba mate.  Beyond its digestive virtues, mate, just like the coffee, the green tea, or the black tea, shines with its properties diuretics. That is to say, it acts, among other things, against water retention.

4. HELP IN WEIGHT MANAGEMENT: A SLIMMING ALLY

Known for its stimulating properties thanks to caffeine, this drink made from the leaves of the ilex paraguariensis helps to increase metabolism, thus promoting better calorie burning. But that's not all: the mate infusion can also reduce the appetite, which leads to less food consumption on a daily basis. Incorporating a cup of mate into your routine can therefore effectively support weight loss., in addition to a balanced diet and regular physical activity.

5.SUPPORT OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM: REINFORCED DEFENSES

In the incessant ballet of pathogens, our body is a dancer that never stops defending itself, and the regular consumption of mate can be likened to a refined choreography to strengthen this tireless dancer. The antioxidants found in yerba mate play a key role in protecting cells from oxidative damage.

While the saponin content helps reduce bad cholesterol, thus contributing to a healthier body that is better able to fight against external aggressions. Add to this that mate contains various vitamins and minerals which support the body's natural defenses, making each infusion a true elixir of vitality.

6.NUTRIENT SUPPLY: A TREASURE OF VITAMINS AND MINERALS

But apart from its stimulating role, the mate is also a treasure trove of vitamins and minerals : A, B1, B2, B5, C and E are invited into the circle of benefits, thus promoting the strengthening of immune system and cell regeneration. Trace minerals, such as iron, potassium, magnesium and manganese, help maintain electrolyte balance and optimize muscle and nerve function.

Maté-based teas at Kusmi

Although traditionally consumed plain as an infusion, yerba mate goes very well with the green tea. This is why mate naturally finds its place in different of our blends.
To consume the mate at Kusmi, meet among our detox teas and our well-being range to discover our mate teas which wake you up and which boost every day. 

Choose your wellness tea.

The Detox range: our three mate-based green teas