Yerba mate
165469
225549128
2008-07-14T07:14:18Z
Jclerman
442129
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:''This article is about the plant, for the drink see [[mate (beverage)]].''
{{Taxobox
| name = Yerba mate / Erva-mate
| status = LR/nt | status_system = IUCN2.3
| image = Koeh-074.jpg
| image_width = 257px
| image_caption = ''Ilex paraguariensis''
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| phylum = [[flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[dicotyledon|Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Aquifoliales]]
| familia = [[Aquifoliaceae]]
| genus = ''[[Ilex]]''
| species = '''''I. paraguariensis'''''
| binomial = ''Ilex paraguariensis''
| binomial_authority = [[A. St. Hil.]]
}}
'''Yerba mate / Erva-mate'''<small><sup>[[#Nomenclature|*]]</sup></small>, '''''Ilex paraguariensis''''', is a [[species]] of [[holly]] (family [[Aquifoliaceae]]) native to subtropical [[South America]] in [[Argentina]], eastern [[Paraguay]], western [[Uruguay]] and southern [[Brazil]].<ref>{{IUCN2006|assessors=World Conservation Monitoring Centre|year=1998|id=32982|title=Ilex paraguariensis|downloaded=9 May 2006}}</ref>
The yerba mate plant is a [[shrub]] or small [[tree]] growing up to 15 [[metre|meters]] tall. The [[leaf|leaves]] are [[evergreen]], 7–11 [[centimetre|cm]] long and 3–5.5 cm wide, with a serrated margin. The [[flower]]s are small, greenish-white, with four petals. The [[fruit]] is a red [[drupe]] 4–6 mm diameter.<ref>[http://www.ushuaia.pl/yerba/what Yerba mate — what?] at Ushuaia.pl.</ref>
==Infusion==
[[Image:Mate_02.jpg|thumb|240px|left|Steaming yerba mate infusion in its customary gourd.]]
The infusion called ''[[mate (beverage)|mate]]'' is prepared by steeping dry leaves (and twigs) of yerba mate in hot water, rather than in boiling water like black tea. It is a slightly less potent [[stimulant]] than coffee and much gentler on the stomach. Drinking mate with friends from a shared hollow [[calabash|gourd]] (also called a ''mate'' in Spanish, or ''cabaça'' or ''cuia'' in Portuguese) with a metal straw (a ''bombilla'' in Spanish, ''bomba'' or ''canudo'' in Portuguese) is an extremely common social practice in [[Argentina]],<ref>[http://www.argentinacafe.com/Background/argentina-yerba-mate.htm Yerba Mate: National Drink of Argentina?]</ref><ref>[http://www.zonalatina.com/Zldata109.htm Yerba mate in Argentina]</ref> [[Uruguay]], [[Paraguay]], southern [[Chile]], eastern [[Bolivia]] and [[Southern Region, Brazil]]<ref>[http://www.mundomatero.com/yerba/ Basic guide to yerba mate].</ref> and also [[Syria]] and [[Lebanon]].
The flavor of brewed yerba mate is strongly vegital, herbal, and grassy, reminiscent of some varieties of [[green tea]]. Many consider the flavor to be very agreeable, but it is generally bitter if steeped in boiling water, so it is made using hot but not boiling water. Unlike most teas, it does not become bitter and astringent when steeped for extended periods, and the leaves may be infused several times. Additionally, one can purchase flavored mate in many varieties.
In [[Brazil]], a toasted version of mate, known as ''chá mate'' or "mate tea", is sold in teabag and loose form, and served, sweetened, in specialized shops, either hot or iced with fruit juice or milk. An iced, sweetened version of toasted mate is sold as an uncarbonated [[soft drink]], with or without fruit flavoring. The toasted variety of mate has less of a bitter flavor and more of a spicy fragrance. It is more popular in the coastal cities of [[Brazil]], as opposed to the far southern states where it is consumed in the traditional way (green, drunk with a silver straw from a shared gourd).
Similarly, a form of mate is sold in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay in tea bags to be drunk in a similar way to tea. This is known in Spanish as ''mate cocido'' or ''cocido''. In Argentina this is commonly drunk with breakfast or as part of ''merienda'' (roughly, afternoon tea), often with a selection of ''facturas'' (sweet pastries). It is also made by heating yerba in water and straining it as it cools.
In Paraguay, yerba mate is also drunk as a cold beverage. Usually drunk out of a cow's horn in the countryside, tereré, as it is known in the Guaraní language, is served with cold or iced water. Medicinal herbs, known as "yuyos", are mixed in a mortar and pestle and added to the water for taste or medicinal reasons. Tereré consumed in Northern Argentina may also be made as an infusion of yerba mate with grapefruit or lemon juice.
==Nomenclature==
[[Image:Yerba Mate.jpg|thumb|left|240px|Yerba mate / Erva-mate growing in the wild.]]
The [[help:IPA|pronunciation]] of ''yerba mate'' in standard [[Spanish language|Spanish]] is {{IPA|[ˈjɛrβa ˈmate]}}. The [[Rioplatense Spanish|Rioplatense dialect]] spoken in Uruguay and Argentina turns the first sound in ''yerba'' into a [[Postalveolar consonant|postalveolar]] [[fricative consonant]], giving {{IPA|[ˈʃɛrβa]}} in regions closer to [[Buenos Aires]] and [[Montevideo]], gradually blending into {{IPA|[ˈʒɛrβa]}} as one goes farther from the city, and eventually to {{IPA|[dʒɛrβa]}} around [[Mendoza, Argentina|Mendoza]]. The word ''hierba'' is [[Spanish language|Spanish]] for grass or herb; ''yerba'' is a variant spelling of it which is quite common in Argentina. ''Mate'' is from the [[Quechua]] ''mati'', meaning "cup". ''Yerba mate'' is therefore literally the "cup herb".
The (Brazilian) Portuguese name is ''erva-mate'' {{IPA|[ˈɛrva ˈmati]}} (also pronounced as {{IPA|[ˈɛrva ˈmate]}} in some regions) and is also used to prepare the drinks ''[[chimarrão]]'' (hot) or ''[[tereré]]'' (cold). While the tea is made with the toasted leaves, these drinks are made with green ones, and are very popular in the south of the country. The name given to the plant in [[Guaraní language|Guaraní]] (Guarani, in Portuguese), language of the indigenous people who first cultivated and enjoyed erva-mate / yerba mate, is ''ka'a'', which has the same meaning as ''erva/yerba''.
In [[English language|English]]-speaking countries, the spelling used is ''yerba maté'' (with an accented ''é'')<ref>The New Oxford American Dictionary</ref><ref>The Oxford English Dictionary</ref><ref>[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/yerba%20mate American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language]</ref><ref>the [http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/yerba%20mate Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary]</ref>—where the [[acute accent]] indicates that the ''e'' is not silent, and thus that the word should not be pronounced as the English word [[wikt:mate|mate]].
==Cultivation==
[[Image:Yerba-mate-misiones.JPG|thumb|240px|Plantation in [[Misiones]], Argentina.]]
The plant is grown and processed mainly in [[South America]], more specifically in Northern [[Argentina]] ([[Corrientes Province|Corrientes]], [[Misiones Province|Misiones]]), [[Paraguay]], [[Uruguay]] and southern [[Brazil]] ([[Rio Grande do Sul]], [[Santa Catarina (state)|Santa Catarina]] and [[Paraná (state)|Paraná]]). The [[Guaraní]] are reputed to be the first people who cultivated the plant; the first Europeans to do this were [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]] [[missionary|missionaries]], who spread the drinking habit as far as [[Ecuador]].<ref>Ross W. Jamieson "The Essence of Commodification: Caffeine dependencies in the early modern world", Journal of Social History, Winter 2001 http://www.yerba-mate.com/yerba_mate_history.htm</ref>
When the yerba is harvested, the branches are dried sometimes with a wood fire, imparting a smoky flavor. Then the leaves and sometimes the [[twig]]s are broken up.
There are many brands and types of yerba, with and without twigs, some with low powder content. Some types are less strong in flavor (''suave'', "mild") and there are blends flavored with [[Mentha|mint]], [[orange (fruit)|orange]] and [[grapefruit]] skin, etc.
The plant Ilex Paraguariensis can vary in strength of the flavor, caffeine levels and other nutrients depending on whether it is a male or female plant. Female plants tend to be milder in flavor, and lower in caffeine. They are also relatively scarce in the areas where yerba mate is planted and cultivated, not [[wild-harvested]], compared to the male plants.<ref>http://www.nativayerbamate.com/harvest.html Nativa Yerba Mate</ref>
== Chemical composition and properties ==
[[Image:Mate mit Stengeln.jpg|thumb|left|240px|Yerba mate / erva-mate with stems]]
[[Image:ArgentummMamerto_menapace.jpg|thumb|240px|Argentine man drinking an infusion of yerba mate.]]
Mate contains [[xanthine]]s, which are [[alkaloid]]s in the same family as [[caffeine]], [[theophylline]], and [[theobromine]], well-known stimulants also found in [[coffee]] and [[chocolate]]. Mate also contains elements such as [[potassium]], [[magnesium]] and [[manganese]].<ref>[http://www.mundomatero.com/yerba/Chemical-Features.html Mundo Matero - Chemical Features]</ref> Caffeine content varies between 0.3% and 1.7% of dry weight (compare this to 2.5–4.5% for [[tea]] leaves, and 1.5% for ground [[coffee]]).
Mate products are sometimes marketed as "caffeine-free" alternatives to [[coffee]] and [[tea]], and said to have fewer negative effects. This is often based on a claim that the primary active xanthine in mate is "mateine", erroneously said to be a [[stereoisomer]] of [[caffeine]]. As it is not chemically possible for caffeine to have a stereoisomer, this claim is false. "[[Mateine]]" is an official synonym of [[caffeine]] in the chemical databases.<ref>[http://www.erowid.org/plants/yerba_mate/yerba_mate_chemistry1.shtml Does ''Yerba Mate'' Contain Caffeine or Mateine?]</ref>
Researchers at [[Florida International University]] in Miami have found that yerba mate does contain caffeine, but some people seem to tolerate a mate drink better than coffee or tea. This is expected since mate contains different chemicals (other than caffeine) from tea or coffee.
From reports of personal experience with mate, its physiological effects are similar to (yet distinct from) more widespread caffeinated beverages like coffee, tea, or [[guarana]] drinks. Users report a mental state of wakefulness, focus and alertness reminiscent of most [[stimulants]], but often remark on mate's unique lack of the negative effects typically created by other such compounds, such as anxiety, diarrhea, "jitteriness", and heart palpitations.
Reasons for mate's unique physiological attributes are beginning to emerge in scientific research. Studies of mate, though very limited, have shown preliminary evidence that the mate xanthine cocktail is different from other plants containing caffeine most significantly in its effects on [[muscle|muscle tissue]], as opposed to those on the [[central nervous system]], which are similar to those of other natural stimulants. Mate has been shown to have a relaxing effect on [[smooth muscle|smooth muscle tissue]], and a stimulating effect on [[Cardiac muscle|myocardial (heart)]] tissue.<ref>RainTree Nutrition, Tropical Plant Database. [http://www.rain-tree.com/yerbamate.htm Yerba mate]. </ref>
Mate's negative effects are anecdotally claimed to be of a lesser degree than those of coffee, though no explanation for this is offered or even credibly postulated, except for its potential as a placebo effect. Many users report that drinking yerba mate does not prevent them from being able to fall asleep, as is often the case with some more common stimulating beverages, while still enhancing their energy and ability to remain awake at will. However, the net amount of caffeine in one preparation of yerba mate is typically quite high, in large part because the repeated filling of the mate with hot water is able to extract the highly-soluble xanthines extremely effectively. It is for this reason that one mate may be shared among several people and yet produce the desired stimulating effect in all of them.
''In vivo'' and ''in vitro'' studies are showing yerba mate to exhibit significant cancer-fighting activity. Researchers at the University of Illinois (2005) found yerba mate to be "rich in phenolic constituents" and to "inhibit oral cancer cell proliferation" while it promoted proliferation of oral cancer cell lines at certain concentrations.<ref>Pixie Maté. [http://pixiemate.com/mate-studies.html Studies on Yerba mate healthy energy].</ref>
On the other hand, a study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer showed a limited correlation between oral cancer and the drinking of hot mate (no data were collected on drinkers of cold mate). Given the influence of the temperature of water, as well as the lack of complete adjustment for age, alcohol consumption and smoking, the study concludes that mate is "not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans".<ref>[http://www.inchem.org/documents/iarc/vol51/03-mate.html International Agency for Research on Cancer, Mate Research]</ref> Yerba mate consumption has been associated with increased incidence of bladder, esophageal, oral, squamous cell of the head and neck, and lung cancer.<ref name="Cancer Lett.">{{cite journal | author=Bates MN ''et al'' | title=EBladder cancer and mate consumption in Argentina: a case-control study. | journal=Cancer Lett. | year=2007 | volume=246(1-2) | pages= 268–73 | url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=16616809&ordinalpos=17&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum | doi=10.1016/j.canlet.2006.03.005 }}</ref><ref name="BMC Cancer.">{{cite journal | author=De Stefani E ''et al'' | title=Non-alcoholic beverages and risk of bladder cancer in Uruguay. | journal=BMC Cancer. | year=2007 | volume=7 | pages= 57 | url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=17394632&ordinalpos=9&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum | doi=10.1186/1471-2407-7-57 }}</ref><ref name="Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg.">{{cite journal | author= Goldenberg D ''et al'' | title= Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. | journal=Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. | year=2004 | volume=131(6) | pages= 986–93 | url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=15577802&ordinalpos=5&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum | doi= 10.1016/j.otohns.2004.02.035 }}</ref><ref name="Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev.">{{cite journal | author=Sewram V ''et al'' | title=Maté consumption and the risk of squamous cell esophageal cancer in uruguay. | journal=Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. | year=2003 | volume=12(6) | pages= 508–13 | url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=12814995&ordinalpos=9&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum }}</ref><ref name="Head Neck.">{{cite journal | author=Goldenberg D ''et al'' | title=The beverage maté: a risk factor for cancer of the head and neck. | journal=Head Neck. | year=2003 | volume=25(7) | pages= 595–601 | url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=12808663&ordinalpos=10&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum | doi=10.1002/hed.10288 }}</ref><ref name="Epidemiology.">{{cite journal | author=Pintos J ''et al'' | title=Maté, coffee, and tea consumption and risk of cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract in southern Brazil. | journal=Epidemiology. | year=1994 | volume=5(6) | pages= 583–90 | url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=7841239&ordinalpos=14&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum }}.</ref>
The [[pyrrolizidine]] alkaloids contained in mate tea are known to produce a rare condition of the liver, [[veno-occlusive disease]], which produces liver failure due to progressive occlusion of the small venous channels in the liver. One fatal case has been reported in a young British woman who consumed very large quantities of mate tea from Paraguay.<ref>{{cite journal |last=McGee|first=JO'D|title=A case of veno-occlusive disease of the liver in Britain associated with herbal tea consumption|journal=J. clin. Path |volume=29 |date=1976 |pages=788–794|url=http://jcp.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/29/9/788|accessdate=2007-11-05|doi=10.1136/jcp.29.9.788|pmid=977780 }}</ref>
An [[August 11]], [[2005]], United States patent application (documents #20050176777, #20030185908,<ref>[http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PG01&s1=20030185908&OS=20030185908&RS=20030185908 US Patent description] of "Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors and uses thereof"</ref> and #20020054926) cites yerba mate extract as a [[monoamine oxidase inhibitor]]; the maximal inhibition observed ''in vitro'' was 40–50%. MAOIs being [[antidepressant]]s, there is speculation that this may contribute to the calming effect of yerba mate.{{Fact|date=March 2008}}
In addition, it has been noted by the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine that yerba mate can cause high blood pressure when used in conjunction with other MAO inhibitors (such as [[Nardil]] and [[Parnate]]).<ref>[http://chppm-www.apgea.army.mil/dhpw/Wellness/dietary/YerbaMate.pdf Dietary supplemental fact sheet] from the [http://chppm-www.apgea.army.mil/ U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine].</ref>
Emerging research also shows that yerba mate preparations can alter the concentration of members of the ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase (E-NTPDase) family, resulting in an elevated level of extracellular ATP, ADP, and AMP. This was found with chronic ingestion (15 days) of an aqueous yerba extract, and might lead to a novel mechanism for manipulation of vascular regenerative factors, i.e., treating heart disease.<ref>{{cite science|
last=Görgen | first= Milena|
year=2004 | month=February|
title=Aqueous extract of Ilex paraguariensis decreases nucleotide hydrolysis in rat blood serum|
journal=Journal of Ethnopharmacology | volume=97 | issue=1 | pages=73–77|
doi=10.1016/j.jep.2004.10.015|
abstract=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T8D-4F320M5-2&_user=10&_coverDate=02%2F10%2F2005&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=826d9db861d7299fb15e668c9c666d03}}</ref>
Mate contains both caffeine and theobromine (which antagonize adenosine receptors) and reduces the body production of adenosine in the blood (prolongs half life of ATP, ADP, and AMP). These two processes will synergize to provide a much cleaner <!--What exactly does this mean? More effective? Less jittery?-->stimulation than a simple dose of caffeine (only blocking adenosine receptors).{{Fact|date=June 2008}}
==See also==
{{commons|Ilex paraguariensis}}
* [[Mate (beverage)]]
* [[Materva]] (mate soft drink)
* [[Yaupon Holly]]
* [[Black drink]]
* ''[[Ilex guayusa]]''
* [[Chimarrão]] (Brazilian mate infusion)
* [[Tereré]] (another type of infusion)
* [[Ku Ding tea]] ''Ilex kudingcha''
==References==
{{reflist}}
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[[Category:Ilex]]
[[Category:Flora of Argentina]]
[[Category:Flora of Brazil]]
[[Category:Flora of Paraguay]]
[[Category:Flora of Uruguay]]
[[Category:Latin American cuisine]]
[[Category:Herbal and fungal stimulants]]
[[Category:Herbal tea]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
[[Category:Monoamine oxidase inhibitors]]
[[Category:Native crops of Brazil]]
[[Category:Native crops of Argentina]]
[[Category:Native crops of Uruguay]]
[[Category:Native crops of Paraguay]]
[[gn:Ka'a]]
[[br:Yerba mate]]
[[ca:Mate]]
[[cs:Cesmína paraguayská]]
[[de:Mate]]
[[es:Ilex paraguariensis]]
[[fa:ماته]]
[[fr:Yerba maté]]
[[it:Ilex paraguariensis]]
[[lt:Paragvajinis bugienis]]
[[nl:Maté]]
[[pl:Ostrokrzew paragwajski]]
[[pt:Erva-mate]]
[[qu:Mati wayusa]]
[[ru:Мате]]
[[fi:Matee]]
[[tr:Yerba mate]]
[[uk:Гостролист парагвайський]]
[[zh:巴拉圭冬青]]