Yerba Mate Tea Bags

Yerba Mate is an infusion made from the leaves and stems of a tree native to the sub-tropical rainforests of Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. It was discovered centuries ago by the Ache Gauyaki tribe of South America. They considered it 'the drink of the Gods'. The leaf of the mate tree naturally contains 24 minerals and vitamins, 15 of amino acids and many antioxidants. It is tough to find any plant anywhere in the world that can match the mate tree in the nutritional value and the Yerba Mate has all the vitamins required for life.

There are six popular stimulants in the world: tea, coffee, cocoa, kola nut, guarana and Yerba Mate. Of these the Yerba Mate is the only one that is healthy, as it gives both nutrition and energy. The health benefits of Yerba Mate are:

1. Yerba mate contains the combination of xanthine alkaloids, theophylline, theobromine and caffeine, thus increasing mental alertness and energy. Even though it has as much caffeine as in coffee, its nutritional value balances out the effect of caffeine. Even those who are sensitive to caffeine respond well to the Yerba Mate and don't experience any side effects such as abdominal discomfort, headache and jitters.

2. Yerba mate when taken along with a balanced diet and exercise is known to aid in weight loss. The mate has the ability to keep the breakdown of carbohydrates going for long periods of time. This results in more calories being burned, delays the build up of lactic acid and increases cardiac efficiency. Capsules that included Yerba Mate have been proven to delay gastric emptying, inducing significant weight loss.

3. Yerba mate has long been used by the South Americans to treat gastrointestinal disorders. Recent research has confirmed that the mate aids in enhancing bile flow and intestinal transit.

4. Yerba Mate contains polyphenols, which are also found in tea. These prevent the growth of bacteria responsible for bad breath.

Yerba mate as well as green tea share benefits like flavnoids, polyphenols, antioxidants, theophylline and bioflavenoids. However, Yerba mate has about 52 many more compounds as compared to green tea. Which has about 144 therefore Yerba Mate has about 196. Its antioxidant and polyphenol counts are also higher than both green tea and the black tea. What is available now is the blend of green tea and lemon grass which is known as the greener green tea. it is a powerhouse of antioxidants and is delicious when had either hot or cold.