Photo Source: Themedifastplan

Yerba mate tea is native to Northeastern Argentina, Bolivia, Southern Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay. Traditionally, it is drunk out of a hollow gourd with a filtered metal straw. Surprisingly, it is more of a communal activity in its native lands. It is the equivalent of North Americans meeting at coffee shops. And this is tea we’re talking about (crazy, right?).  It’s a powerfully healthy drink.

Coffee may be the go-to choice to combat morning sleepiness, but it’s not half as great as yerba mate tea. Coffee has an inflammatory effect, results in delayed sleepiness (aka caffeine-crash), and with high intake, causes that jittery feeling. Besides that, what is often heard from coffee drinkers is that their body is awake, but their mind isn’t. The solution? Yerba Mate. Your body might be tired, but your mind will be wired. With health benefits to boot, what’s not to love?

Nutritional benefits include:

• 24 vitamins and minerals, and 15 amino acids that include Vitamin B, C, manganese, potassium, and zinc

• Anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and hypotensive effects

• Prevents artery-clogging

• Helpful for asthma

• A cup of yerba mate has about twice the amount of caffeine as black tea, but less than half that of coffee.

You can order yerba mate tea online or find it in stores such as David’s Tea, Teavana, Tealish, The Tea Emporium, or your local health food store.