Is Yerba mate Acidic or Alkaline?
Most people usually start their day with a cup of coffee to keep them awake, alive and enthusiastic. Others prefer hot chocolate, especially on a cold morning. Vegetarians and health buffs kick start their day with a cup of aromatic tea. But do you know how the rest of the world starts their day? Well, they drink a cup of healthy Yerba Mate Tea.
Yerba Mate Tea is originally a South American brew that is commonly referred to as the “drink of gods” but European settlers modified its name into “the green gold of Indios”.
Of all the popular stimulating beverages including coffee tea and cocoa, Yerba Mate Tea is said to be the most balanced drink that provides energy and nutritional support. It offers the potency of coffee, the health benefits of tea, and the seventh-heaven euphoria of chocolate. But, before giving a final verdict, let’s find out more about Yerba Mate Tea and what it has to offer.
Yerba Mate Tea- The Generation’s New Favorite
Ache Guayaki, a South American tribe, traditionally share a drink of Yerba Mate Tea from a traditional mate gourd as a sign of camaraderie and alliance and for longer longevity, revitalization, mental focus, and sustenance. This practice has been passed and adopted by different generations up to this day.
Yerba Mate Tea is made up of dried evergreen holly leaves from Ilex paraguariensis tree which is a local plant of South America. Its leaves are rich in caffeine and antioxidants. It also contains 24 vitamins and minerals and 15 different amino acids.
Yerba Mate Tea is Argentina’s official national drink with its 500 million dollars’ worth of consumption. It is also widely popular in Uruguay where you’ll naturally see people walking down the road with a cup of Yerba Mate Tea and a thermos of hot water in hand.
Health Benefits of Yerba Mate Tea
1. Effortless way to losing weight
If you want to lose some pounds and start living healthy, try Yerba Mate Tea. The popular TV show, Dr. Oz, even featured Yerba Tea Mate as one of the most effective weight loss tea. But does it really eliminates some pounds?
Proven by evidence, the stimulating effect of Yerba mate tea makes you feel full and reduces your appetite. It also works wonders in exhausting pent up energy, enhance insulin sensitivity and burns out stored fat as proven by scientific investigation.
2. Great Source of Energy
Yerba Mate Tea contains 85 mg. of caffeine in every cup of 8-ounce tea which is relatively lesser as compared to coffee and chocolate drinks thus you’re taking more tea than caffeine. It provides a balanced, smooth and calm boost in energy that keeps you awake and alert all day without the negative effects of coffee such as sleep disturbance and caffeine jitter. It is also a great supplement for people with chronic fatigue syndrome.
Secondly, Yerba Mate Tea helps you perform physically enduring challenges by enhancing metabolism. So it burns out stored fat and carbohydrates and turns it into energy to support your daily strenuous activities. It also prevents lactic acid buildup on muscles for minimal muscle soreness. No wonder, most athletes use this!
3. Enhances your Mental Focus
The tea’s balanced caffeine content provides psychoactive effects which help improve attentiveness and memory. It also enhances your mood by stimulating the production of neurotransmitters dopamine which makes you feel good.
Aside from its caffeine content, it also has theobromine and theophylline alkaloids which offer efficient yet calm stimulating effect.
4. A powerhouse source of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins
Yerba Mate Tea provides a jam packed set of different antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and literally every micronutrient needed for life sustenance in one cup. You don’t have to take several bitter tasting tablets to get the same beneficial effects.
It contains highly concentrated vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, C, E, calcium, manganese, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, selenium, potassium, zinc, sulfur, and sodium.
A study shows that Yerba Mate contains 11 polyphenols and exhibits 90% higher antioxidant potency rate as compared to other tea based beverages. It also contains 15 amino acids essential for muscle building and numerous phytonutrients such as tannins, trace minerals, flavonoids, and chlorophyll.
5. More than the benefits, it’s a cure
Yerba Mate Tea is used as a traditional medicine among South American tribes and settlers for years. Even the renowned herbalist and naturopath, Dr. Leslie Taylor, listed the countless medicinal effects of Yerba Mate in her book entitled, The Healing Powers of Rainforest Herbs. Among its numerous medicinal uses, it includes stimulating, digestive tonic aid, anti-allergic, general nerve tonic for depression, pain and fatigue, and weight loss.
6. Immunity Booster
Basically, Yerba Mate Tea is rich in antioxidants which eliminate harmful free radicals in the body and regenerates damaged cells. But, it contains more than that.
Yerba Mate Tea is also rich in Saponins compounds which are natural emulsifiers that works wonder in increasing the body’s immunity, functions as an anti-inflammation aid. Saponins also contain high levels of anti-oxidants.
7. A non-acidic caffeine alternative
More than its beneficial effect, Yerba Mate Tea is a highly recommended coffee alternative to most consumers because of its non-acidic property. Unlike coffee which has an average PH level of 4.7 depending on the type of coffee blend, Yerba Mate has a Ph. level range of 6.0 up to 7.0 depending on the process of manufacturing and brands.
It provides a coffee-like effect without its unwanted side effects plus it offers more health benefits as compared to coffee and chocolate. Due to the nature of manufacturing, Yerba Mate Tea also has lower caffeine levels which mean that the lower its caffeine level, the less acidic it is.
But, despite its less acidic nature, Yerba Mate Tea users may experience GERD or gastro esophageal reflux disease depending on the brand because each Yerba mate differs from one another. People with a history of GERD condition should consult their doctor to ensure optimum results and avoid potential GERD recurrence.
Acidic or Alkaline?
Yerba Mate Tea falls in between, neither acidic nor alkaline because its PH level shows that it is less acidic which means that it still falls under the acidic category. The median used in identifying acidity is PH level and the normal PH value is 6 and anything that falls below is called acidic while anything that falls above the median is called alkaline.
Yerba Mate Tea with its 85mg. of caffeine per cup content obviously shows that it is acidic but considering its caffeine volume, it is expected that it falls under the less acidic category.