Yerba Maté: Eliminate the Coffee Buzz

I have enjoyed coffee since I was in college. The pleasant aroma and the “pick-me-up” in the morning was something that I came to “need”. As the years went by, and my life became very busy and stressed, I noticed that the coffee was making me even more impatient and frustrated with life’s little ups and downs. My “coffee buzz” also came with the shakes. Luckily, during my visits to Paraguay, I found Yerba Maté. This delicious tasting beverage gave me the wake up I needed without the agitation and physical symptoms that I was experiencing with coffee. Yerba Maté is a small tree that grows in Paraguay, Argentina and several other countries. Its leaves are harvested by local farmers, processed (dried and cut up) and then packaged for sale. It has become my hot beverage of choice. I carry Maté with me when I travel so that I can have my morning cup of pleasure.  

I knew Yerba Maté was supposed to be healthy but I didn’t realize how healthy. These leaves are packed with vitamins, anti-oxidants and minerals. It contains caffeine but with its other constituents, the net effect is one of being a vasodilator helping to decrease blood pressure (as opposed to coffee’s caffeine punch which is a vaso-constrictor elevating blood pressure). And of course, no coffee jitters. It contains saponins which are recognized for stimulating the immune system. In studies on anxiety and depression, saponins were found to inhibit by 50% the monoamine oxidase responsible for these problems. Check out this link to learn more about the health benefits of Yerba Maté. (http://www.allabouttea.co.uk/tea-news-blog/14-health-benefits-yerba-mate).

Originally, I was buying my Yerba Maté online but found the shipping to be very expensive. Of course, being involved in the Natural Products Industry, it wasn’t long until I found Guayaki Yerba Mate. Theirs is the best for a lot of reasons. I can buy it locally, it has the best flavor, it is truly organic (you can’t always trust that claim from some of the South American brands), it is shade grown (which is significant because I have personally seen how the rain forests are burned down to make room for the Yerba Maté farms), and it has less dust than the other brands I have used. Maté is perfect in combination with other herbs as well such as Lemon Grass, Field Mint, Lemon Verbana, Eucalyptus, etc. The combinations are truly endless. My favorite cocktail at the moment is my scoop of Maté, a good pinch of mint leaves, astragalus, and some licorice root. With our busy hectic lifestyles, many of us should not be drinking coffee but switch to either green tea or Yerba Maté. For me, Maté is the perfect choice and I love Guayaki’s and all that the company stands for.

Yours in health,

Dr. Linda Miles, L. Ac., D.O.M.