Yerba Mate Tea Health Benefits

The Yerba Mate tradition originated with the Guarani Indians living in remote parts of South America long before any of the Spanish settlers colonized it. These natives would hand-carve gourds from the Lagenaria vulgaris trees and use the crushed leaves to fill the hollowed out gourd. They would then use a widdled stick to drink the infusion.

Drinking yerba mate has evolved over the years to an actual art expressed in the extreme diversity in types of Mates and Bombillas. These range in style and price from hand carved, leather covered, as well as silver and gold plated mates. Many people express themselves with customized Mate gourds engraved with inscriptions, along with bombillas with their own initials. The possibilities are endless.

It has grown to be a popular social habit connecting tradition and strengthening the bond of companionship and fellowship between friends and family with the people living in Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil. It is now being introduced to North America and the rest of the modern world. When visiting Native Yerba Mate countries you will find very few obese people as compared to some of the modernized countries today.

The Natural effects of this tea are far beyond those of any other herbal teas. The list of benefits continues to grow. Reports of new uses and discoveries of benefits are being reported everyday. We have even heard of this ritual being used to eliminate or ease the suffering of severe diseases such as; hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, cancer and arthritis.

“El MATE” RITUAL OF THE FRIENDSHIP

From pre-Columbian America to the present, the Yerba Mate or “Herbs of Paraguay”, how the Jesuits denominated, had one long and risky trajectory.It was weighed and criticized, even though it always had a strong popular friend. Today, it is the green gold that represents many South Americans in the world, along with soccer and barbecues. The Mate is more than a drink characteristic of Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and the south of Brazil, it is a South American tradition, a rite that is lived daily, a wisdom of the relation between adult people.
It is more than a custom, because the Mate is a friendship ritual. The first thing that is offered to all visitors in the homes of this part of the continent (Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, and the south of Brazil) is the Mate shared.

Yerba Mate also acts as an excellent companion to take a break in between the long nocturnal hours of study that usually accumulate with the students. The Mate does not have social classes, it is enjoyed by both poor and as much rich, housewives or professionals, “enlist” in the ceremony at any hour of the day, with a straw (bombilla) and even with a coffee cup (”mate gringo”), and for the breakfast time or in between breaks at the office.

The zone where the Yerba Mate (Ilex Paraguariensis) grows includes select areas of Uruguay, northwest of the river near Argentina, the Missions, Paraguay and the south of Brazil, zones with subtropical climates, humidity, fertile earth and good sun. Other regions of the world have tried in vain to produce these herbs (yerba), but only these parts of South America were made to cultivate this true gift of Tupá (God of the Good).

THE LEGEND OF TUPÁ
Tupá, the God of the Good, descended to the Earth to teach to the Guaraníes Indians to prepare a drink with that unknown, energetic Yerba. He taught them to dry it and to crush it and put the Yerba tree Orchard under the protection of an old man and his granddaughter, turned Gods guardians: Caá Yará and Caá Yarí.
The Indians made to drink it, a pumpkin “caiguá” and “a tacuapí” a straw of cane. They also used to chew the leaves on their long trips.The Jesuit priests prepared a tea or infusion with the herbs and at all costs tried to exile that custom of the Mate in pumpkin. Nevertheless it was impossible, until the present time we still both customs are conserved.
The Jesuit Missions invaded the cultures of the Yerba, until they expelled them from that part of South America in 1756. There were other insolvent attempts to make cultures, but not until 1903 they prevailed in an organized form in Missions, and soon its industrialization expanded successfully.

THE YERBA AND THE HEALTH
Beyond the legend of the tradition, the Yerba Mate contains very important ingredients for the body. First it is the “teina (teine)” that stimulates without causing either insomnia or nervous agitation. But in addition it contains vitamins (A, B, C) and is rich in carotene, potassium, magnesium, manganese, sodium, iron and phosphorus.
The Mate, either in infusion or with a bombilla helps in frequent ailment of constipation and it also favors the cardiac and respiratory function. As it is seen, the “excuses” to drink a Mate are incredible.About 50g of Yerba Mate diluted in a half liter of water, contributes vital energy in fiber form, carbon, proteins, hydration, fats, glucose and sucarose. This explains why there are many peoples who drink Mate as soon as they are awake, before the shower and conventional breakfast. It is a way to begin the day “on the right foot”. FROM THE SEED TO THE PACKAGE
The seeds of the Yerba sit in cotton until the plant is about 7 cm, then it is transferred to the breeding ground. There, protected, it must mature from nine months to a year before going to its definitive destiny. But still it will take another section of four years - during which they will still protect it with a canopy or “poncho” from the inclemencies of the time, so that it begins to render or yield.
The harvest is the most important moment in the Yerba Orchard (where they harvest the tree).
Workers “wanderers” arrive from all parts of the country to work.
The cosechadores (workers that operate the plantations) make a delicate work, cutting the leaves carefully and separating the isolated leaves. The Ilex Paraguariensis - its scientific name- happens soon through three fundamental operations sapecado (flash burning), secado (drying), and canchado (crushing).

• Sapecado:
First it consists of exposing the leaves to heat to destroy ferments and to avoid oxidation and loss of the color. The leaf loses in the dehydration 20 % of its weight.

• Drying:
The drying process is made immediately, through indirect airflow, with which the weight is reduced again, a third approximately.

• Canchado (Crushed):
The Yerba is dry; the last step is to crush it or canchado, then it is selected and put in a bag.

But this does not finish there.
The Yerba must go to the farm where it is cured for nine months so that it acquires flavor and body and just then takes place the milling and “coupage”, the moment where the experts mix flavors and types to obtain the blend, creating the very special type that characterizes each brand.
The Yerba is one of the most recognized products in the South American world. In distant and exotic places it is longed for by the South Americans, who often on the outside are not able to find it so easily. In that way, they mark and shorten the distance that separates them from their affection of the Mate.

RITUAL MATERO
The Mate is shared it is not served. Because to share it means much more, it is “to maintain, to feed, to sustain and strengthen” and the Matero ritual has that exact meaning referring to the friendship and the hospitality.
The Mate can be bitter, sweet, chilled and cooked or in an infusion that also denominates “yerbao”.
Also there are styles. “the resero or tropero” is where each participant takes and shares simultaneously, passing the Mate to the following one. In the Sharing, one of the Materos in the center passes the Mate to each one of the members of the wheel, although always taking one for himself as well.