Yerba mate tea caffeine content
Introduction
It is no secret that caffeine is a stimulant. It is one of the most popular ingredients in energy drinks and caffeinated soft drinks, so in this article we look at the caffeine content of mate tea and ask how much caffeine it really contains.
Yerba mate is a South American herbal tea made from the leaves and twigs of the yerba mate shrub. It is very popular in South America and is traditionally drunk from a cup through a straw.
Contents
- Caffeine in yerba mate tea
- How much caffeine is in yerba mate tea?
- Caffeine in yerba mate compared with other drinks
- Effects of caffeine on the body
- Pros and cons of drinking yerba mate tea
- Conclusion: is mate tea better?
1. Caffeine in yerba mate tea
Chemically, the caffeine in mate tea is identical to the caffeine in black tea, green tea, cacao, coffee, guarana or guayusa. As always, the difference lies in the other active compounds present. In mate, these include tannins (which make the tea so bitter), theobromine and theophylline, as well as antioxidants, all in small quantities. Mate tea is nevertheless considered a natural nootropic and can be used to improve cognitive abilities.
If you’re more interested in ingredients and their effects on the body, we recommend our article giving an overview of ingredients and their effects.
2. How much caffeine is in yerba mate tea?
The caffeine content of yerba mate tea varies by producer, region and production method. Research has shown that yerba mate tea contains around 1–2% caffeine.
Generally, the longer the fermentation and drying process, the higher the tea’s caffeine content.
3. Caffeine in yerba mate compared with other drinks
Mate tea performs much less well in caffeine comparisons than people generally assume. The many different mate soft drinks that have appeared in recent years, since Club-Mate, have given the impression that mate tea contains particularly high levels. At 1–2%, mate tea is only slightly higher in caffeine than black tea.
Mate is often advertised in soft drinks, but they actually contain only tiny amounts of mate extract. The caffeine is added as an extract ingredient, like sugar and flavourings. What’s more, this caffeine does not come from mate tea; it is extracted from coffee beans.
Guayusa tea and mate tea compared
Guayusa and mate are related plants, and they grow on the same continent. Despite that, they are very different. Mate tea tastes very bitter, whereas guayusa contains almost no bitter compounds and is the only naturally caffeinated drink in the world that is not bitter. There are therefore many ways to prepare guayusa.
The two plants also differ in their ingredients. Guayusa has around twice as much caffeine – an average of 3%, and up to 7.6% – and contains an amino acid called L-theanine, which is not found in mate tea at all. Find out more about L-theanine’s effects here.
Mate’s effects are much more abrupt and can include restlessness and a racing heart, while guayusa produces a pleasant balance between body and mind that is particularly noticeable as a focused state.
Find out more about the distinctive effects of guayusa.
| Type | Caffeine |
|---|---|
| Guayusa | 3%–7.6% |
| Yerba mate | 1.4% |
| Coffee | 1.4%–3.2% |
Green tea and mate tea compared
Many people do not know that green and black tea come from the same plant and differ only because of how they are processed. It is also not accurate to say that black tea always contains more caffeine, although this is often the case because of fermentation. Compared with green tea, mate tea has a much stronger effect on the body, while green tea has a stronger effect on the mind.
4. Effects of caffeine on the body
The effects of caffeine are always the same when it is pure, extracted caffeine. Caffeine stimulates heart activity, improves circulation, stimulates the central nervous system and stimulates the digestive tract and metabolism.
Caffeine reduces production of melatonin, the sleep hormone, by blocking a hormone involved in its production. The result is less tiredness and poorer sleep.
Caffeine’s effects change considerably when it is combined with other active compounds, as naturally happens in plants such as yerba mate, cacao and tea. This is why, for example, drinking guayusa does not have a negative effect on sleep. Guayusa contains a distinctive combination of compounds that does not affect sleep. Nevertheless, its high caffeine content makes it an ideal pick-me-up.
5. Pros and cons of drinking yerba mate tea
As with anything, you need to consider why you want to drink mate tea. Is it purely for enjoyment, or do you want to improve your focus at work or during sport? Are you looking for a particularly healthy pick-me-up, or simply an alternative to coffee and energy drinks?
Mate tea is especially suited to socialising. If you drink it traditionally from a mate gourd, you can share the vessel and straw with friends.
However, mate is not as suitable if you want a healthy, stomach-friendly alternative. The smoking process used for mate can cause problems. Mate tea also does not score particularly well for antioxidants.
Another major downside of mate is its destructive cultivation. Like green tea (though this is also little known), mate is grown almost exclusively in monocultures. Monocultures are very harmful to the climate, species diversity and biodiversity. Find out why biodiversity matters in our article here.
If you still decide to buy mate tea, we recommend Caa-Mate, a company we know personally from trade fairs. It offers a wide selection of mate varieties.
Conclusion: is mate tea better?
Mate tea is certainly a welcome change from other caffeinated drinks. Its flavour takes some getting used to. When drunk traditionally, its effects come on quickly, much like a coffee kick. Mate tea can therefore quickly cause a racing heart and other unpleasant effects similar to those of coffee.
Mate tea is a good change of pace, but it is not the ideal pick-me-up for improving performance and focus in everyday life, work or sport. If that is what you are looking for, learn more about the active compounds in guayusa.