[[File:Ilex paraguariensis.jpg|thumb|350px|left|Ilex paraguariensis]]Other Names: Ilex paraguariensis, Yerba Mate Tea, Yerba Mate, Yerba Maté, Maté, Chimarrao, Green Mate, Hervea, Ilex, Ilex paraguariensis, Jesuit's Brazil Tea, Jesuit's Tea, Maté, Maté Folium, Paraguay Tea, St. Bartholemew's Tea, Thé de Saint Barthélémy, Thé des Jésuites, Thé du Brésil, Thé du Paraguay, Yerbamate, Yerba Mate, Yerba Maté.
Yerba mate, a traditional South American tea. It is prepared from steeping dried leaves of yerba mate (llex paraguariensis, known in Portuguese as erva-mate) in hot water. It is widely touted in the United States as a healthier alternative to coffee and stimulant drinks. It contains caffeine, theophylline and theobromine, stimulant substances found in coffee and tea. In addition, yerba mate contains saponins--natural antioxidants--and 15 different amino acids, according to the Raintree Tropical Plant Database.
Yerba mate, also referred to as mate, is a small evergreen tree in the holly family, native to South America. In recent years, interest in mate tea as a substitute for coffee and with reputed medicinal benefits has led to increased consumption in the west and increased research, some of which has documented the popular claims for weight loss, cholesterol management and cancer prevention, as well as antioxidant activity and blood vessel dilating effects. As with any remedy, consult a qualified health professional before using mate tea.<br>See also :* [[Caffeine]]* [[Chlorophyll]]
==Special Precautions of Mate Tea==
Yerba mate tea was found to be associated with increased risk for cancer of the esophagus, larynx, and oral cavity, in a 2009 "Pan American Journal of Public Health" study. Consuming mate tea at higher temperatures had an effect along with duration and daily quantity, says the study. Researchers theorize that damage to the lining of the mouth and throat may be a causative factor and noted a synergistic effect of alcohol, tobacco and underlying nutritional deficiencies, as well as poor oral hygiene in combination with consumption of yerba mate tea made with boiling water. A gender disparity was also noted, with women having a 7 times greater risk than men.
*Anti-aging : Active constituents of yerba mate known as dicaffeoylquinic acid derivatives and flavonoids have the ability to inhibit an enzyme that breaks down elastin, the fibrous protein that gives connective tissues their elasticity, according to a study in the 2009 "Archives of Pharmaceutical Research." Of 18 compounds tested, 7 had inhibitory activity against the enzyme, known as human neutrophil elastase. The results are promising for the role of yerba mate tea in the prevention of aging effects on skin and other connective tissues such as joints and blood vessels.
* [[Chlorophyll]]-benefits
* Cancer : Although there has been some concern that an overconsumption of extremely hot Yerba mate tea may increase the risk of esophageal and other forms cancer, this is linked to the behavior in some cultures where it is consumed at exceedingly hot temperatures 5 or more times each day. The good news is that Yerba mate contains more cancer-fighting flavonoids than green or black tea and when it is consumed safety, it can help prevent cancer. Scientists have identified high levels of compounds in brewed teas called catechin flavonoids, which possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticarcinogenic effects. Both green and black tea have been found to have cancer preventive properties in animal studies. A study published in Biochemical And Molecular Biology International concluded that the water extracts of yerba mate “were more potent antioxidants than vitamin C.”
==Main Combinations==
* Overweight, fat accumulation : [[Cocoa]] beans + [[orthosiphon]] + [[Green Tea]] (or Mate Tea) + [[Green Coffee]]
* Excessive food : [[Green Coffee]] + [[Konjac]] + Mate
[[Category:Treatments]]
[[Category:herbal medicine]]
[[Category:Stimulant]]