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Yerba Mate Tea Gave Me a Boost By
Dr. Al Sears
After
I had finished packing and checking my equipment, he called
me over. “Have
some. This will help you the higher we go.” “Is
this a root of some kind?” Maca root, which is also from Peru,
can help you with altitude. But I hadn’t seen what he put in the tea. “The
leaves of the Ilex tree.” Our
guide had a degree in forestry and knew every plant and tree
in the jungle and on the mountain. I think he was having a little fun
with me,
because when I brought the cup up to my nose, I knew what it was right
away. Yerba
mate. A
lot of the little roadside stands in Brazil and Peru sell yerba
mate tea. And if you visit South America, you almost can’t help but try
it a
few times. I don’t know how much of the herb they put in it, but it
gives you
an immediate energy lift. As
it turns out, yerba mate tea can also help you adapt to high
altitude. A benefit that’s not very well known outside of the Andes
Mountains
region. We
were climbing the Andes in southern Peru. We were about to
start our first day on the Inca Trail. Have you heard of it? It’s the
climb
that winds through jungles, forests and the ruins of half a dozen
ancient towns
on the way to the lost city of Machu Picchu. Peru
is not a very big country. And here’s this incredible city,
high up in the mountains and It’s
a complete city, but isolated. You can’t even get to it without
hiking for four straight days. Pretty remarkable. And
it can be a tough hike. The Inca Trail averages about 4,200
feet above sea level, and Machu Picchu is over 7,200 feet. My P.A.C.E.
training
gave me an edge to overcome the thin air at that altitude. But the
yerba mate
tea was very effective. Every
morning we made a fire, warmed some water in our dented
black pot, broke up the stems and leaves, brewed the tea and packed up
while we
drank up. Some
of the lift yerba mate tea gives you is from the little a bit of
caffeine it has. But unlike coffee, yerba mate is full of vitamins,
minerals
and amino acids. They balance the effect of the caffeine, giving you a
smoother, longer-lasting effect and better metal energy. It
doesn’t give you jitters, and has 90% more antioxidant power
than green tea. Those alone would make yerba mate worth drinking. But
yerba
mate does much more for you. Its
effect is enhanced by theobromine, a plant compound called an
alkaloid. Alkaloids have remarkable similarities to human
neurotransmitters
like serotonin and acetylcholine which have a positive effect on your
mood and
memory. In
fact, when researchers tested yerba mate extract on animals
they found that it improves short-term memory and social memory (the
ability to
recognize and interact with others). And it inhibited memory loss1 and memory
dysfunction.2 Theobromine
is probably best known for being the ingredient in
cacao – the source of chocolate – which helps relax smooth muscle in
blood
vessels. It’s the reason both high-cacao chocolate and yerba mate can
lower
your blood pressure. Its
polyphenols also slow the growth of the bacteria responsible
for bad breath. I
have seen yerba mate supplements as large as 600 mg capsules,
but I wouldn’t recommend you take that much. I have seen yerba mate
supplements
as large as 600 mg capsules, but I wouldn’t recommend you take that
much. For
example, I only included 25 mg of the extract in each serving of my
brand new
energy surge product. In fact, it will be available for presale
tomorrow. So be
sure to watch your email for more details. I
put it together with guarana so you don’t need as much because
it activates the effect of guarana. If
you want to make yerba mate tea, you can buy the herb at most
health food stores and Peruvian markets. Make your yerba mate tea with
hot, but
not boiling, water. The hotter the water and the longer you let it sit
before
you drink it, the more bitter the taste will be. To Your Good Health,
Resources 1
Prediger, RD, et. al. "Effects of acute administration of the
hydroalcoholic
extract of mate tea leaves (Ilex paraguariensis) in animal models of
learning
and memory." J Ethnopharmacol. 2008 Dec
8;120(3):465-73 Note: The good folks at the FTC
require me to disclose that I am an affiliate of the companies that |
Before we even got started
for the day, our guide started to make
some tea. 
far away from the ocean or
any other place humans
usually live. 