What is Yerba Mate

ABOUT YERBA MATE (insert picture from website with gourd and our tea)

Region: Paraguay, Argentina & Brazil
Color: medium to deep brown
Body: mild to medium, smooth
Palate: robust, earthy tones

This ancient drink of health, vitality and friendship originates from South America.  Yerba maté (pronounced yer-bah MAH-tay) is indigenous to the subtropical rainforests of South America.

(Insert picture of yerba mate plantation)

Deemed the “Drink of the Gods", this native South American tea is drunk out of a hollowed-out gourd that is filled with the Maté leaves and sipped through a bombilla (straw filter). The gourd is repeatedly filled with hot water and sipped throughout the day or passed around a circle of friends.  The method of sharing it with friends inspires the openness and sharing of friendship. Unlike most teas, it does not become bitter and astringent when steeped for extended periods, so the leaves can be infused several times.   

When harvested according to natural and organic methods, Maté is a renewable rainforest product and is part of a socially and environmentally conscious movement to promote non-timber forestry products in the Amazon rainforest.

Its robust nutritional profile combined with its unique combination of natural stimulants (mateine & theobromine) make it a popular alternative beverage to coffee that helps boost energy without the nervousness and jitters associated with coffee, enhances clarity and aids in weight-loss.  Yerba Maté is rich in vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, E, B-complex and C. It also contains 15 different amino acids.  It stimulates the central nervous system and helps maintain aerobic breakdown of carbohydrates during exercise for longer periods of time.

Summary of health benefits:

• Increases energy levels
• Suppresses appetite
• Stimulates mental awareness
• Contains mood enhancing properties
• Stimulates the metabolism