• H&R Moderators: VerbalTruist | cdin | Lil'LinaptkSix

Yerba Mate! Mega merged thread.

Inorganic green tea has more flouride. Green tea chelates metals so its a magnet for fluoride which binds to them. If the water they water the plants with is fluoridated then you will have massive levels, and that is bad for your health. If they are growth with rain water in a mountain region in the clouds, the levels will be lower.

Natural fluoride is good in moderation....and natural fluoride is good topically for teeth, but too much is a neurotoxin...

aluminum hexaflouride should never be ingested. Its a waste product. It should not be used in toothpaste nor added to the tap water.
 
Yep, my teeth and gums are doing much better now that I'm using an herbal toothpaste. No more bleeding gums, and my teeth don't hurt anymore.
 
On balance I still think green tea is a better alternative. See Dr. Weil on green tea and flouride:

Both green and black tea contain fluoride, although green tea contains twice the amount found in black. However, I wouldn't worry about the fluoride you get from either type of tea because even with green tea, the amount that people drink is unlikely to supply enough fluoride to reach toxic levels. About 50 percent of fluoride (from any source) is deposited in the bone and teeth; the other half is excreted.

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA22857
 
Iv always wondered why ppl like their hot beverages so fuckin hot sometimes, I remember uncles microwacing their coffee right after it got done brewing and I couldn't imagine how that would be pleasent, I think ur body let's u know when shits too hot with this thing called pain.

Haha I was like that too, eating piping hot soup that would burn my mouth leaving me with tons of dead skin cells on the roof of my mouth, and my mate was pretty damn hot too. Now that I've perfected the art of brewing a cup, I no longer drink really hot tea. It's better when it's warm, I think.

Thanks for all your replies, I really appreciate it guys. I knew the studies which showed positive correlation between mate and cancer was due to high quantities being consumed and/or high temp, I just didn't know how many cups/leaf was being used. I guess those South Americans really love their mate, don't they?

And, Deja, what's this about herbal toothpaste? I'm turning into a certified hippie wanting all of this organic shit. I even started my own organic garden!
 
You can reduce flouride toxicity by adding milk or soymilk with calcium...it will bond to the calcium, maybe be absorbed, but be deposited in the bones....you dont want it bonding to toxic metals or being absorbed in its free form.
 
I, too, have found Yerba Maté to be the best source of Caffeine. I typically HATE caffeine but the balance of xanthines in Yerba Maté seem to be just right if I ever needed it.

So far I have only used raw bulk Yerba Maté, and although it tastes good as you sip, it leaves a disgusting oily after-taste. However, this can be prevented by adding herbs which leave a stronger after-taste.

An acquaintance of mine drinks Yerba Maté every day, and she mentioned a plant (for the life of me I can't remember!) that she adds to the brew and it actually tastes great! What is interesting is that this plant naturally grows close to the Yerba Maté. Or at least, thats what she told me.

I drink my yerba mate sometimes mixed with Backhousia citriodora (AKA: Lemon Myrtle). Lemon Myrtle has an awesome 'citrus' like taste that really works well with Yerba Mate..(also I usually use the Yerba Mate thats mixed with green tea).. I find yerba mate to be the only 'caffeinated' like beverage I find myself drinking.. Your right about the combination of the different xanthines providing a better feeling then just straight caffeine. (In fact i just had a glass..t'was good.)
 
yerba mate does not contain caffeine. it contains theobromine.


"Xanthine, theophylline and theobromine are three strongly related alkaloids found in Yerba Maté and are the most interesting compounds from a therapeutic standpoint.
The Yerba Maté's xanthine rate averages 1.60%, whereas it is 1.10% in infusions."

http://www.noborders.net/mate/ingredients.html
 
awesome, i quit coffee about 3 weeks ago, and solely go with yerba mate now.

in the last year, ive been half and half with each.

now i just buy a huge bag of loose leaf mate.

help rainforest preservation via market demand! drink yerba mate.
 
is brand dropping really an issue?

if not, what are some better quality options?
 
Theres only two brands that I've seen available at my local stores. I usually go for the one with the big red cross on it because its cheaper. I'm pretty sure there are tastier brands out there but it does the job. If we are allowed to post brand names I will but its the only one with a big red cross I think...
 
Oh man...this is making me thirsty for mate. I used to get it mixed with chai....soooooooo good. I'm definitely going out for some today.

It's so nice because it gives you that lift without the crash coffee gives me. And practically no jitters.
 
Maté does contain caffeine.
Those who thought it did not used to claim it was a separate chemical that was different from caffeine, some called it mateine, often they would say it was a sterioisomer of caffeine which was just bad chemistry as caffeine has no stereo-center (ie. is achiral).

what it comes down to is that maté contains caffeine as well as other Xanthines such as theobromine and theophylline which give it a different 'feel' compared to coffee or strong black tea.
 
I used to drink this instead of coffee or black tea, and found that it gave me a boost without the typical anxiety that I get from caffeine. I particularly enjoyed the orange flavored one...

Thanks for the reminder, I'm gonna go pick some up :)
 
Would someone who thinks tea tastes absolutely horrid be able to stomach this stuff?
A friend recommended it years ago but never thought to try it.

I've had to revert back to coffee from juice/zero-carb energy drinks (i think those acids get to me, nevermind the price ...)
Don't really like coffee (normally I HATE anything but ice-cold beverages), but with enough milk (no sugar, ever) I can stomach it. I did force myself onto tea a year ago, but didn't last long, just can't stand it.

Gotta have my caffeine to function at work though :D
I don't drink soda due to the sugar ... regrettably broke that rule Friday due to sleep-deprivation, and regretted it ..
 
Like others have noted, it tastes like earth, the ground, soil, dirt, etc.

That doesn't stop it from being AMAZING though. Such a smooth stimulation, and how. Lemon juice makes it a lot more palatable.

If it weren't relatively expensive tmk I would drink it daily.
 
I think if you don't like tea you won't like plain maté

it is easily flavored-
I enjoy maté with hibiscus, with lemon, with honey, with agave nectar

also in higher-class grocery stores or health stores they sell some pre-flavored bottled maté drinks, I just saw some in new hampshire near campus that were lemon flavored. I didn't notice what the other 2 flavors were it looked like there were 3 different bottles.
 
Also, I don't find it expensive at all, sure everyone has different notions of what expensive means but:

you can buy it as loose/bulk tea by the 1/2 pound or bigger. You can re-steep maté multiple times which makes it wonderful. one tea bag of it can brew multiple cups of tea. even drinking it everyday it should be cheaper than coffee by far.

if you are buying it pre-bottled than it will be quite expensive just like vitamin-water type beverages, they are great but they are quite pricey for what you are really getting.
 
Mate has a really natural earthy kinda woody flavor to it, sometimes bitter, sometimes smooth. Different brands have different tastes. I drink my tea the traditional way with a gourd and a bombilla. A well cured gourd gives the tea more flavor. Anna Park is a great brand to start with as it is organic with a very mellow flavor, perfect for beginners. I hate black tea, but I love mate more than any other tea. It's an acquired taste I think, but from the first moment the tea touched my lips, I knew I was in love.

I started with tea bags which were good, but nothing compares to drinking mate the traditional way. I drink my mate plain, no sugar, honey, or lemon, unless I'm brewing iced, then I will add a bit of lemon and honey. It's also much cheaper purchasing loose leaf as a half kilo is about $6 - 8 whereas a half kilo of tea bags I bought at like $15 - 20. A half kilo lasts me about month. Definitely try it if you're interested and sick of coffee. It's a healthy, cheap, fun alternative.
 
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