The vast majority of mate has been consumed in Latin American societies located in the Southern Cone. The plant grows wild without being industrially planted and is precious to them. For hundreds of years it has been used by the peoples guaranies in the first instance and later it has moved to areas of Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil and even some Chilean areas.
Yerba mate is a shrub that belongs to the Ilex family, plants known as holly. It appears in the river basins of Paraguay and Uruguay because they are higher areas. Currently, Brazil is the great exporter of mate and it is not for less, because this plant brings great benefits.
Benefits of mate
Although it seems strange, the mate contains large amounts of caffeinein addition, antioxidants, potassium, amino acids and vitamins. Even so, it gives us much more:
- Delays aging: Due to such a large amount of antioxidants, taking mate regularly will help our cells not to oxidize so quickly and our skin looks more fresh.
- Increase good cholesterol: By increasing this cholesterol we will be supporting that we do not have so many ballots to suffer heart attacks.
- You will have good cardiovascular health: Due to this large amount of antioxidants, the increase in bad cholesterol is avoided and it will cleanse the arteries.
- You will increase your physical resistance: If you are an athlete, do not forget to drink a little mate at least twice a week to reinforce that resistance. It helps the body to accelerate metabolism, a very important aspect to burn those carbohydrates. The increase in energy is due to both the burning of calories and the burning of fat accumulated in the most difficult areas of our body.
How to consume mate
The mate is consumed in the form of an infusion, the dried leaves and the twigs of the yerba in hot water, never boiling. It is taken in a typical container called porongo or pumpkin from which it is taken with the help of light bulb, a metallic straw that helps the herb not strain and we swallow it.
Mate is a drink that socializes, unites people. In the region of River Plate it is common to meet friends to drink mate, an activity known as kill. Those of this region, it is very common to consume mate daily. As it has been observed, consuming mate gives us great benefits so if you are tired of drinking green tea, go to mate.