Mate Tea

Yerba mate, a traditional South American tea, 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.

Special Precautions of Mate Tea

• Insomnia : While yerba mate contains less caffeine than coffee, its 30mg per cup is enough to cause insomnia and sleeplessness in some people. It may also cause other familiar caffeine side effects--nervousness, the "jitters" and increased anxiety, according to a fact sheet on yerba mate, published by the U.S. Army Public Health Command.
• Carcinogenic Potential : Long-term use of yerba mate may increase the risk of several types of cancer, especially cancers of the upper digestive and respiratory systems--mouth, laryngeal, esophageal and lung cancers. A population-based study in Brazil found higher rates of head and throat cancers in those who drank yerba mate than in those who didn't, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Institute. In two other studies, researchers found that smokers who are also heavy mate drinkers face a greater risk of lung and bladder cancers than those who don't drink yerba mate. That risk may be heightened by the traditional South American method of preparing mate, explains an article at Caring 4 Cancer, a cancer education and support website often recommended by oncologists.
• Appetite Suppression : Many over-the-counter weight loss supplements contain yerba mate because it suppresses the appetite. France approves its use as an aid for weight loss, and the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia lists weight loss among its indicated uses.
• Digestive and Circulatory System : Like caffeine, yerba mate may cause nausea, digestive upset and vomiting in some people. Yerba mate may also cause heart palpitations, temporarily increased blood pressure and dizziness.
• Synergistic Effects : Yerba mate may increase the effects of other medications that you take, especially stimulant medications and diuretics. It may increase the absorption of aspirin. If you take theophylline, the theophylline in yerba mate could have an additive effect, possibly resulting in toxicity. It may increase the side effects of many common prescription and over the counter medications, so be sure to let your doctor know if you drink yerba mate regularly.