Yerba Maté

Yerba mate is a member of the holly family of plants that is widely distributed throughout South America. Although the herb has a very long history of use by the Guaraní and Tupi peoples of Paraguay and Brazil, yerba mate is relative newcomer to the rest of the world in the sense that it was only “discovered” in the late 19th century and didn’t gain wide popularity until the 1980s.

Yerba mate is considered the national beverage of several South American countries, including Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay. In fact, taking a break to refresh with yerba mate tea is as commonplace in these places as coffee drinking is to Americans.

Yerba mate contains several active compounds that make the herb flavorful and nutritious. Like green and black tea, yerba mate contains antioxidant flavonoids, such as kaempferol, quercetin and rutin. The herb also provides calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and selenium and vitamins A, C, E, B1, B2, B3 (niacin) and B complex.