The Super-Food, Yerba-Mate. How are you taking yours?

[SOLcreature]

I have decided after thoroughly researching this, that this is a must have on the trail to stay nourished. I know Yerba Mate is not much use though in tea bags, it must be prepared properly, preferably with a gourd and bombilla (special filtered straw) in order to get all of the value from it. If you are taking it with you, I am curious how you are traveling light and still able to properly prepare, I am nervous about getting an all in one thermos to make it in, because of cleaning and lack of nutritional value in its lower-end prep system. Anyone using it that has solved this problem? I would certainly appreciate your wisdom!

[peterbuilt89]

Never heard of it

[SOLcreature]

Me neither, but it certainly packs a punch to replace all of the lost nutrients of the lack of vegetables. This is a decent article: http://www.gauchogourmet.com/health-benefits-of-yerba-mate.html There are some concerns of it being cancer causing but I haven't read anything hard enough to sway me that it is that risky for use on the trail, not to mention I live walking distance to Ybor City, I am taking second level college Spanish there, and I have countless Hispanic friends and acquaintances who's family's have used it for years in perfect health.

[SOLcreature]

I meant to say I have never used it, but indeed have heard of its use.

[Dances with Mice]

I drink it quite often. Gourds and straws and all that are traditional and kinda cutesy but totally unnecessary. I mean, we drink tea without going through a whole Japanese tea ceremony. No need to over complicate things.

Just add near boiling water to leaves, filter and drink. A small French press is perfect, there are coffee-cup sized FPs that can double as your drinking mug. Once nice aspect is that you can reuse the leaves, they don't get bitter or weaken much on subsequent extractions.

[SOLcreature]

Once nice aspect is that you can reuse the leaves, they don't get bitter or weaken much on subsequent extractions.
That's what I was reading, and yet another reason I think it will be a great addition to the food list. Thank you for the input!

[Feral Bill]

It's not food. It's an herbal tea with a high stimulant content. Enjoy, but you will need to consume actual calories, and other nutrients.

[Hot Flash]

It's not food. It's an herbal tea with a high stimulant content. Enjoy, but you will need to consume actual calories, and other nutrients.

Exactly. It's not a "super-food". It's tea, no more and no less.

[Dances with Mice]

It's not food. It's an herbal tea with a high stimulant content. Enjoy, but you will need to consume actual calories, and other nutrients.It definitely will keep your eyes open. Supposedly has caffeine but for whatever reason I don't get jittery on YM, even when drunk by the quart. I do a lot of work under a microscope so that's something I've noticed and it's kinda important to me.

I was introduced to it in another hobby of mine, one that also requires non-jittery hands (http://www.juggle.org/pastfestivals/2011/Rochester-110719W.pdf)(see first page, bottom right hand corner.) At the festivals we just brew it in a drip coffee maker.

It's supposed to have lots of vitamins and minerals and such and it might, probably does. But it's not bitter, doesn't need sugar, good hot or cold and has a smooth, rich taste and that's mostly why I drink it.

[Mrs Baggins]

When we were on a trekking trip in Chile and Argentina, our guide and the driver drank mate all day long. They had a big thermos full of it that they'd make before we broke camp every day and they'd drink it til they could get more boiling water to make another thermos full, and they'd pass small cups of it around the van. We bought the gourd cups and silver straws while down there and we do use them from time to time but my husband likes the taste of it a lot more than I do, at least the hot variety. I buy the bottles of iced yerba mate tea (most grocery stores have it now) and drink the very lightly sweetened version, couple bottles a week. Very low in calories, nothing artificial in it. Very refreshing.

[Hot Flash]

Me neither, but it certainly packs a punch to replace all of the lost nutrients of the lack of vegetables. This is a decent article: http://www.gauchogourmet.com/health-benefits-of-yerba-mate.html There are some concerns of it being cancer causing but I haven't read anything hard enough to sway me that it is that risky for use on the trail, not to mention I live walking distance to Ybor City, I am taking second level college Spanish there, and I have countless Hispanic friends and acquaintances who's family's have used it for years in perfect health.

Seriously? You're going to take the word of some site that has a vested interest in selling you a product, and which makes bold claims about their particular brand of snake-oil without substantiating them? There have been no proper scientific studies done on the benefits or dangers of this product. Holding up "countless Hispanic friends" who have "used it for years in perfect health" is not proof. Countless people have done all sorts of things that are known to be bad for them and not suffered ill effects. Case in point, people who eat fatty, salty, unhealthful food their whole lives and die in their late nineties (many of my family, in fact!) Or people who smoke two packs a day for sixty years and don't get sick from it. Anecdotal "evidence" is not proof.

If you like the taste of the tea, drink it and enjoy it. Just don't buy into the fantasy that this is a "super-food" or has any special properties that other food and drink don't have.

[Feral Bill]

The web site is impressive.:rolleyes:

[RyanK817]

The Twelve Tribes guys in Rutland swear by this stuff, they kept offering it to us the whole time we were there telling us how good it is for you.

[Teacher & Snacktime]

I've been drinking it for years....Guyaki tea bags...a little pricey but organic, a good strength and a fair trade company. I can't tell you why, but I believe the stuff makes me feel good (even though it smells like you're drinking cigarette ashes).

[Hot Flash]

I can't tell you why, but I believe the stuff makes me feel good

Stimulants tend to do that.

[Donde]

Wow that link has some serious BS claims from a food science view. THERE IS NO WAY FOR A TEA TO DELIVER OXYGEN TO YOUR HEART AND LUNGS. That is a function of blood and avioli. Also if the claim that it is a diuretic is true, that could be a bad thing on trail, as staying hydrated is kind of a big deal ( though this is true of coffee soda etc. so in moderation with lots of water no biggie). It claims it INCREASES CREATIVITY?? Come on kids, read a legit nutritional/ food science book. I'm not saying this stuff is bad, but if any of you are buying these outlandish claims, I've got some hiking boots to sell you, I make the soles out of magic herbs and your feet will never hurt, and you will be funnier.

[Donde]

Me neither, but it certainly packs a punch to replace all of the lost nutrients of the lack of vegetables. This is a decent article: http://www.gauchogourmet.com/health-benefits-of-yerba-mate.html

A. As for the nutrients content, you could just take vitamins might be easier, but hey however you get them go for it.

B. That is not an article it is an advertisement.

[Donde]

Stimulants tend to do that.

So researching around the web (not to be taken as definitive), this stuff has many striking similarities ( the look of the leaves, the claimed effects) with Khat.

[Odd Man Out]

"Contains 15 Amino Acids" really made me laugh. First, it would be almost impossible for a food to actually contain only 15 of the 20 common amino acids. And why brag about having only 3/4 of the common amino acids?

[Dogwood]

Exactly. It's not a "super-food". It's tea, no more and no less.

My sentiments too. I'll add, tastes like really bad tea too. Supposedly has stimulating properties.

[Dogwood]

Seriously? You're going to take the word of some site that has a vested interest in selling you a product, and which makes bold claims about their particular brand of snake-oil without substantiating them?

Your entire post Hot Flash makes perfect sense and I'm in total agreement with you on every account but we do this MANY times each day in So Many different ways!

[Sailor (The other one)]

There have been no proper scientific studies done on the benefits or dangers of this product.

I did a Google Scholar search of "Yerbe Mate Health Benefits" and got 1500 hits.
This (http://This) (Yerba Mate Tea (Ilex paraguariensis): A Comprehensive Review on Chemistry, Health Implications, and Technological Considerations in The Journal of Food Science) seems a good overview. Samples from Abstracts and Conclusions of some other studies I found include the following:

“Fresh tea (FT) from Mate leaves displayed high antioxidant capacity (85 ± 1%) and preferentially inhibited 50% of net growth of human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells CaCo-2 (GI50 = 1.0 ± 0.03 μg/ml) and HT-29 (GI50 = 105.2 ± 15.2 μg/ml) when compared with the CCD-33Co normal colon fibroblast cell line (GI50 > 300 μg/ml). MT inhibited in vitro colon cancer cell proliferation possibly mediated via pro-oxidant activities, therefore represents a potential source of chemopreventive agents that deserve further investigation.”

“This study found that Yerba Mate extract has potent anti-obesity activityin vivo. Additionally, we observed that Yerba Mate treatment has a modulatory effect on glucose levels related to obesity.

The data presented in this study suggest that Yerba Mate extract may act synergistically to suppress body weight gain and visceral fat accumulation and to decrease the serum levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose. Adipose tissue is an endocrine organ, which has a fundamental role in metabolism and homeostasis regulation.
The production and secretion of an excess or insufficient amount of adipokines greatly influence insulin sensitivity, glucose metabolism, inflammation, and atherosclerosis and may provide a molecular link between increased adiposity and the development of diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndromes, and cardiovascular diseases. In the present study, the level of leptin in serum was directly affected by a high-fat diet. Additionally, treatment with Yerba Mate extract recovered the concentration of leptin.”

“Mate tea consumption improved the glycemic control and lipid profile of T2DM subjects, and mate tea consumption combined with nutritional intervention was highly effective in decreasing serum lipid parameters of pre-diabetes individuals, which may reduce their risk of developing coronary disease.”

My point is not that this stuff is good or bad. My pointg is that to say there have been no studies on the benefits oir dangers is inaccurate.

[Hot Flash]

My point is not that this stuff is good or bad. My pointg is that to say there have been no studies on the benefits oir dangers is inaccurate.

Did you purchase that article you list and actually read it? Or are you just making wild guesses as to what it says from what the abstract says? Because that article is a review, not a proper blinded and peer-reviewed scientific study.

[Dogwood]

Interesting enough Yerba Mate(IIex paraguariensis) is in the holly genus. I wasn't aware of that.

From Wikipedia:
Toxicity The berries of various(Holly, Ilex) species contain Theobromine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theobromine), a compound similar to caffeine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine). In very small doses, theobromine and other caffeines only mildly stimulate the nervous system. However larger amounts can cause dizziness, stomach pain, nausea, diarrhoea, elevated pulse rate, and low blood pressure, as well as drowsiness. [21] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holly#cite_note-21)


Berries attract birds that eat them after the frosts have reduced toxicity. However, if household pets ingest Holly, they are very liable to be poisoned, and it is a very good idea to keep holly decorations out of reach of pets and/or children.[22] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holly#cite_note-22)


Other uses Several holly species are used to make caffeine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine)-rich herbal teas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbal_tea). The South American Yerba Mate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerba_Mate) (I. paraguariensis) is boiled for the popular revigorating drinks Mate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mate_%28beverage%29), and Chimarrão (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimarr%C3%A3o), and steeped in water for the cold Tereré (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terer%C3%A9). Guayusa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guayusa) (I. guayusa) is used both as a stimulant and as an admixture to the entheogenic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entheogen) tea ayahuasca (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayahuasca); its leaves have the highest known caffeine content of any plant. In North and Central America, Yaupon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaupon) (I. vomitoria), was used by southeastern Native Americans (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_Americans_in_the_United_States) as a ceremonial stimulant and emetic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emetic) known as "the black drink (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_drink)".[26] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holly#cite_note-26)[27] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holly#cite_note-27) As the name suggests, the tea's purgative properties were one of its main uses, most often ritually. Gallberry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilex_glabra) (Appalachian Tea, I. glabra) is a milder substitute for Yaupon and does not have caffeine. In China, the young leaf buds of I. kudingcha (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilex_kudingcha) are processed in a method similar to green tea (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_tea) to make a tisane (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tisane) called kǔdīng chá (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C7%94d%C4%ABng_ch%C3%A1) (苦丁茶, roughly "bitter spikeleaf tea").



'My point is not that this stuff is good or bad. My pointg is that to say there have been no studies on the benefits oir dangers is inaccurate." - Sailor

Seems Sailor is right!

Tea made from Holly leaves may sound strange to some not familar with this practice but consider, what we commonly think of as tea in the U.S., iced tea, sweet tea cococtions, brewed hot tea, etc, comes from Camellia sinensis, mostly from the leaves. It's in the same genus as the Cameiias(Cammelia reticulata, C. sasqana sp, and assorted hybrids) with the striking abundant flowers often blooming in winter and very early spring that southerners in the U.S. are familar with because it's used as an ornamental landscaping plant.

BTW, I've made and drank the Appalcahian Tea made from Ilex glabra leaves Wikipedia mentioned. It is rather bitter tasting but then again so are coffee and many other "teas."

OHH, how hard it can be for us to expand our thinking by considering things in a fair context that we're not currently familar with or what's currently generally accepted.

[Sailor (The other one)]

Did you purchase that article you list and actually read it? Or are you just making wild guesses as to what it says from what the abstract says? Because that article is a review, not a proper blinded and peer-reviewed scientific study.

Actually the whole article is available, free, online, through the link I provided.

And I listed excerpts from other studies.

Either way my point is the same. To say no studies have been done is inaccurate.

We may not like the studies that have been done. Even placebo controlled, double-blind studies reported in peer review literature is sometimes (if not often) faulted. I've certainly questioned some. But again, the simple, I mean dirt simple, point I made is the same: to say no studies have been done is innaccurate.

[SOLcreature]

Alright. Thank you to those who are helpful. Forgive me for not having time to get a better site and grabbing something that had a little info without reading it myself thoroughly first. The attacks can cease, I was not asking for your ridiculous criticisms, I was ASKING for input from those who DO DRINK IT, and clearly understand that it is not some evil substance that has no benefits and is just evil now. FACT of the matter is that I have read plenty of threads on here that state MANY benefits of taking yerba mate, and plenty of thru hikers use it. Thanks those that had good input and try to help. To the rest of you, sorry my reference website wasn't up to your standards, next time I'll spend a LOT more time finding just the right site so you don't feel led so astray...

[Hot Flash]

A I was ASKING for input from those who DO DRINK IT, and clearly understand that it is not some evil substance that has no benefits and is just evil now. FACT of the matter is that I have read plenty of threads on here that state MANY benefits of taking yerba mate, and plenty of thru hikers use it.

Just for fun, jump over to Wikipedia and read up on both "confirmation bias" and "argumentum ad populum".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argumentum_ad_populum

[Dogwood]

That was no fun Hot Flash. Now, you got me thinking I may sometimes be wrong. I thought I was infallible. :D

[Zippy Morocco]

Little Caesars new deep dish pizza is a super food.

[Luddite]

I used to drink yerba mate all the time. Gives you energy like coffee but doesn't make you feel all jittery and it's full of vitamins. Good stuff.

Pretty popular with mountaineers as well.

[Dogwood]

Absolutely, popular with mountaineers/climbers! They serve it at some refugios and mountain huts in S America.

[Dogwood]

Now I got a hankering for those superfoods called Buffalo hot wings and Tuscany pizza to be washed down with that super duper drink Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat.

[SOLcreature]

Just for fun, jump over to Wikipedia and read up on both "confirmation bias" and "argumentum ad populum".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argumentum_ad_populum
Thanks, I've been through second grade. Is this really what people act like, and how they treat each other on the trail? I can't wait...

[Luddite]

Is this really what people act like, and how they treat each other on the trail? I can't wait...

Nah. The trail is different. Not many people know about Yerba Mate, that's all.

[JAK]

Ovaltine is good stuff. In Canada you can get both the American version and the British version. Good stuff.

[SOLcreature]

Ovaltine is good stuff. In Canada you can get both the American version and the British version. Good stuff.

There's something I've never had... British Ovaltine. There's a difference?

[Marta]

I'm reading the chapter in "Into Thick Air" in which the author is cycling through Argentina. Around him everyone is drinking Yerba mate constantly. It's making me curious.

[Alligator]

I'm reading the chapter in "Into Thick Air" in which the author is cycling through Argentina. Around him everyone is drinking Yerba mate constantly. It's making me curious.No don't do it Marta. Next thing you know you'll be shooting up Red Bull.

[Sarcasm the elf]

I'm reading the chapter in "Into Thick Air" in which the author is cycling through Argentina. Around him everyone is drinking Yerba mate constantly. It's making me curious.

Give it a try, I've been occasionally drinking the stuff for years. When brewed without sweetener it's light and refreshing and makes a great iced tea. I'm glad that it was introduced to me simply as a beverage, I was able to enjoy it for quite some time without being bothered with all the dubious health claims.

[Marta]

I'm all about drinking zero calorie drinks that I brew up my own self, instead of buying them in expensive plastic bottles. I'll probably give Yerba mate a try, assuming I can find some in this neck of the woods.

[gravitino]

Yerba mate is not a superfood at all. It is the equivalent of coffee for many Argentinians. I spent two years in Argentina and married a native. It is just a simple tea-like drink, nothing much to it.

[blainem]

I love how Mate makes me feel; good stimulus without jittery coffee buzz.

but it makes me break out in eczema. I've never heard anyone else having that same issue. Odd.

[Kaptain Kangaroo]

Back to the original post....


I have decided after thoroughly researching this, that this is a must have on the trail to stay nourished......................

No it's not. Several thru-hikes have been completed without it :)

You can stay properly nourished on the trail just by eating normal, sensible food. You don't need to be taken in by all the marketing BS about "super foods"

the hardest part about nutrition on the trail is simply getting enough calories to keep you going.........

The second hardest part is getting enough fresh fruit & vegetables. Make sure you eat plenty when you are re-supplying in town (as well as the pizza & ice cream that you will crave) and you will be fine. Take a multi vitamin if you feel the need.

Don't sweat it, this is not something to worry about......... There are 101 other things that wil take you off the trail before poor nutrition will.

[Aletheia.VA]

It is not necessary to drink mate with a gourd and a bombilla. You can cheaply purchase ($3) a reusable hemp tea bag that weighs next-to-nothing in order to prepare your mate.
(http://www.cuspnaturalproducts.com/hemp_kitchen.html Scroll down till you see the "Hemp Tea Bag" listing. The small is about 3"x3" and is perfect for a nice size cup of tea.

Here's how to do it after you buy your loose leaf Yerba Mate:

-Put about 1 or 2 tablespoons of mate in your tea bag
-Pour a little bit of cool water through the tea bag to wet the mate (this preserves the nutrients before hot water hits it)
-Pull the little drawstring on the tea bag to cinch it shut
-Bring a cup of water to an almost-boil. Do not pour boiling water onto the tea though because this will make the tea bitter. So bring it close to a boil, or if it ends up boiling, just wait for it to cool a bit (no bubbles, but still hot), then drop in your mate tea bag.
-Wait to steep for a few minutes and enjoy!
--Note, you can let it steep for as long or as little as you want. You can even do multiple steepings by just pouring more hot water into your cup with the same tea bag.
--When you are done, just squeeze the tea bag to get the rest of the nutrients from the leaves.

Also, to clean, just flip the tea bag inside out and shake the leaves out. No need to waste water by trying to clean it. You can just simple tie it somewhere on your pack where it won't get dirty and when the bag dries, the excess tea leaves will just fall out.

It's sooo simple and takes barely any time.
My boyfriend and I are definitely taking some on our AT thru-hike this February; it's amazing in lieu of coffee, and packs quite the punch for vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

From one tea lover to another, enjoy! :)

[nu2hike]

I prefer a V-8! :) it's as close to a super food as any!

[cowpoke]

This tread brings back memories...back in the 60's I was doing mission work in Chile with the Mapuche Indians. We were told not to drink a drink offered with a silver straw...yerba mate....needless to say curiosity won....don't know if it was fact we were about 8K feet in the Andes or the drink itself....but it packed a punch....have not heard yerba mate mentioned since then...thanks for bringing back some pretty good memories.

[Chris10]

I'm giving Moringa Leaf Powder a try next time on the trail. Mix it in with your food and it gives you all the vitamins you need......

[xalex]

What about raw cacao? Is anyone else here into that? =)