Energising Green Bar
Our famous ENERGISING GREEN BAR is now available online! "Do you ever find yourself in this situation?..." It is mid-afternoon, a busy day, and you have lot of day left…
Harvesting and Processing
After the yerba mate trees have reached 4-6 years old, they are ready to begin being harvested. At this point, cultivated yerba mate trees are around 4-5 meters tall and…
Yerba Mate Nutrition
Botanical Name: Ilex Paraguariensis (Part of the Holly Family)
Minerals Richly Found in Yerba Maté that Support Metabolism and Development
- Chromium
- Copper
- Iron
- Manganese
- Potassium
- Zinc
| Compound | Biological activities |
| Caffeine | Anticarcinogenic, antiobesity, antioxidant, antitumor, diuretic, energizer 20 to 200 mg, stimulant, topoisomerase-I-inhibitor 0.1 M, topoisomerase-II-inhibitor 99 mM, vasodilator |
| Chlorogenic-acid | Antioxidant IC50= 54.2 μM, analgesic, antiatherosclerotic, antibacterial, antidiabetic, antitumor, choleretic |
| Chlorophyll | Antibacterial, anticancer |
| Choline | Antidiabetic, cholinergic, lipotropic |
| Nicotinic acid | Choleretic, hypocholesterolemic 1 to 6 g/day |
| Pantothenic acid | Antiallergic 100 to 500 mg/day, antiarthritic 500 to 2000 mg/day, antifatigue |
| Rutin | 50= 30 ppm IC 50= 120 μM, antitumor, antitumor-promoter, antiulcer, cAMP-phosphodiesterase-inhibitor, topoisomerase-II-inhibitor IC50= 1 μg/mL, vasodilator |
| Tannin | Antioxidant 1/3 quercetin IC50= 1.44 μg/mL, antitumor, antitumor-promoter, lipoxygenase-inhibitor, MAO-inhibitore |
| Theobromine | cAMP-inhibitor IC50= 0.06 mg/mL, cAMP-phosphodiesterase-inhibitor, diuretic 300 to 600 mg/day, stimulant, myorelaxant |
| Theophylline | cAMP-inhibitor IC50= 0.06 mg/mL, cAMP-phosphodiesterase-inhibitor, diuretic, choleretic, stimulant, vasodilator, myorelaxant 100 μM |
| Ursolic acid | Analgesic, antioxidant IC50= 10 μM, antiperoxidant IC35= 200 μg/mL, protease-inhibitor IC85= 18 μg/mL, topoisomerase-II-inhibitor, antiarrhythmic, anticancer, antialzheimer |
The Yerba Mate Plant
The yerba mate plant, which is really a tree, is an evergreen from the Holly family that grows in the subtropical forests of South America. The yerba mate tree, from the Aquifoliacae family, stands between 6 to 8 meters tall, being able to reach even 15 meters. There are many different species in the family, the Ilex gender having more than 550, the holly plant included, 280 species found in South America, 60 of which occur in southern Brazil. Only 3 species though are used in the mate industry (I. paraguariensis, I. angustifolia, I. amara), Ilex Paraguariensis being the most important. The mate plant, due to the widespread genetic variety of the Ilex family, may have white or light purple stems, and thick waxy leaves that may present dented or smooth edges.
The Flavor
The amount of xanthene alkaloids in the leaves of maté is believed to be directly related to the quality of the soil. This influences the flavor of the yerba mate giving it a milder taste. This flavor varies from region to region, the soil of southern Brazil presenting drastic variations in mineral content, texture, and organic mass. The tendency though, is for the cultivated maté to have a stronger bitterness, and probably higher xanthene content. The native trees, which grow in the nitrogen-rich topsoil of the Paraná Pine forests, tend to have a milder bitterness, characterized by a stronger leafy flavor. Obtaining the right balance of these is the secret to having a stable, fresh tasting yerba mate. (more…)
