Do you like to drink a delicious yerba mate to start the day? This hot drink with its powerful aroma acts as an energy booster! While the leaves are brewing in the simmering water and you prepare your calabash, you wonder if drinking mate limits the absorption of iron? Kusmi sheds light on its potential health effects.
What is mate and what are its benefits?
First of all, you should know that mate leaves are different from tea leaves. The two beverages do not have the same origin or caffeine content. Furthermore, mate is prepared in a very special way, in a calabash with a special whisk. It is drunk with a bombilla, a straw specially designed for this drink. As you can see, drinking mate is an art!
Yerba mate, a traditional energy drink
Before dipping your lips in the calabash and this subtle blend, let us tell you about mate. It comes from a South American tree of the holly family, called Ilex paraguariensis or yerba mate.
To prepare it, the leaves are dried and then chopped before being infused in hot water. In Amerindian countries, this traditional drink is consumed in large quantities in South America.
Used as a stimulant, mate contains more caffeine than tea, but less than coffee. Antioxidant and full of vitamins (A, C, E...), this drink gives you a boost in the morning but also throughout the day! White, green or flavoured, mate is also a tonic and slimming ally. It would help eliminate sugars and fats while providing energy. However, beware of these health claims, which may be exaggerated. Mate leaves will not make you lose weight.
What are the health benefits of yerba mate?
Mate, with its South American flavour, is a plant that is said to have many benefits for the body:
• it helps to fight fatigue by providing energy
• stimulates the metabolism
• it would help to fight against the development of certain diseases and premature ageing of cells thanks to its antioxidants
• it has a draining and detoxifying effect (particularly when combined with green tea)
Mate and iron deficiency: can it be the cause? What are its effects?
Like any stimulating drink such as tea or coffee, mate could have undesirable effects, especially linked to the caffeine that is released into the drink during infusion. But what about its effect on iron absorption? Does mate really have an effect on the iron in the body?
What does a cup of mate contain?
One cup of mate contains 70 mg of caffeine. Note that the maximum daily dose of caffeine recommended by Santé Publique France is between 200 and 400 mg.
Does drinking mate limit the absorption of iron?
It can in some cases. The tannins released in the mate water would limit the absorption of non-haem iron. This trace element present in our body has a vital role for our cells.
Anemia, breastfeeding and pregnancy? Information about mate should be taken with caution. Each person has a different tolerance to caffeine and undesirable effects may exist, even if they are rare. No one can replace your doctor. If you suffer from anaemia or have any doubts, you should seek advice from a medical adviser.
To avoid any inconvenience, Kusmi advises you to enjoy your mate outside of mealtime (2 hours or after) and to moderate the quantity of your consumption.
How to prepare mate?
1- Boil the water in a kettle. Be careful not to exceed 80°C, otherwise you risk damaging the leaves by pouring the water into the calabash.
2-For 1 liter of simmering water, it is advisable to add 5 g of yerba mate to the calabash. The infusion time is usually a few minutes (maximum 10 minutes depending on the taste and flavour you wish to give your drink). The mate can be brewed several times.
3- Drink the hot and invigorating nectar with your bombilla.
Kusmi Tea, an organic mate made in France
Kusmi offers you quality products made in Normandy with natural ingredients from organic farming. Our organic mate blends are carefully selected. Let yourself be surprised by a detox mate flavoured with grapefruit or ginger!
Yerba mate is a very good alternative to coffee or tea. A hot drink from South America, it is known for its boosting effect. Its tannins could limit the absorption of iron, especially when consumed during meals or in excessive quantities. As each person has a different tolerance to caffeine, we recommend that you consult your doctor if you have any doubts or questions.
Read also on the same theme :
Can you drink mate in the evening?
Infusion time: how to prepare mate properly?