Dr Mowrey is the author of The Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine, and Guaranteed Potency Herbs: Next Generation Herbal Medicine. He has provided valuable information about Yerbamate, which may be the most marvelous, health promoting herb on this planet. Excerpts from his research appear below.

Several attempts to characterize part or all of the constituents of mate have been made during the last few decades. They agree on some points, and disagree on others. This is not unusual; different assay techniques will be sensitive to different nutrients. The one thing that unites the various assays is the consistent detection of numerous vitamins and minerals. There is the usual array of resins, fiber volatile oil, and tannins that characterize many plant substances. But then there is the growing list of vitamins and minerals, including carotene, vitamins A, C, D, Bi, B2, B complex, riboflavin, nicotine acid, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin C complex magnesium, calcium, iron, sodium, potassium, manganese, silicon, phosphates, sulfur, hydrochloric acid, chlorophyll, choline, inositol. Different assays find different nutrients; there is probably no single assay that has found all of them. There are certainly still other nutrients that have not been identified as yet.

One group of investigators from the Pasteur Institute and the Paris Scientific Society concluded that mate contains practically all of the vitamins necessary to sustain life. They focused especially on pantothenic acid, remarking that it is rare to find a plant in any area of the world equal to mate in nutritional value.

In addition, mate contains a substance belonging to a very specialized class of chemical compounds. Though only small amounts of this substance occur in mate, its presence has generated a huge amount of attention. The substance is a xanthine alkaloid called mateine. Because of all the attention heaped upon its presence in yerbamate, the following fairly extensive treatment is given even though in reality the substance probably contributes little if any thing to the activity of the plant.

The xanthines draw a lot of attention because they number among them some traditional nasties, chief of which iscaffeine. Others are theophylline and theobromine.

All of the xanthines have a similar stereo-chemistry but each has its own unique set of properties. For many years, and even now, in some sector, yerbamate was (is) thought to contain caffeine; it differs from caffeine in some rather dramatic ways. Some members of the scientific community still resort to calling mateine a South American term for caffeine, or to maintaining, in perfect knowledge of the falseness of the assertion, that two substances so similar chemically must have the same properties. Slowly, they are being forced to acknowledge the distinction between mateine and caffeine...

Mateine, then, has a unique pharmacology and it is unfair to compare it to caffeine... Mateine appears to possess the best combination of xanthine properties possible. For example, like other xanthines, it stimulates the central nervous system, but unlike most, it is not habituating or addicting. Likewise, unlike caffeine it induces better, not worse, attributes of sleep. It is a mild, not a strong, diuretic, as are many xanthines...

The time has come, therefore, to discard the outmoded ideas that (1) xanthines are all alike, (2) that yerbamate contains caffeine, and (3) that mateine is identical with caffeine. It would be tragic indeed if nature created such a beneficial plant and then, through some bizarre quirk, contaminated it with caffeine. It is more likely that mate is, as some say, "nature's most perfect beverage," or, as others maintain, "the beverage of the Gods."

Summarizing the clinical studies of France, Germany, Argentina and other countries, it appears that we may be dealing here with the most powerful rejuvenator known to man...

Better than any other xanthines alkaloid, mate has the ability to quicken the mind, increase mental alertness and acuity, and do it without any side effects such as nervousness and jitters. These observations have even made time and again by qualified medical experts as well as by the lay user...

A consistent observation in most South American literature on mate is that it increases the immune response capability of the body, stimulating the natural resistance to disease. This also involves a nourishing and strengthening effect on the ill person, both during the course of the illness and during convalescence, sometimes dramatically accelerating recovery times.

An article in "The Society Arts Journal" noted, 'Mate has an amazing power to sustain strength neither tea nor chocolate can pretend to have.

Hikers using mate are able to walk six to seven hours without the necessity of eating.'

We might also point out that the nutrients in mate tea are in a liquefied state and are therefore more easily assimilated than the nutrients in other foods or in pills or capsules.

Mate has long been known to prevent and reduce fatigue. The most logical mechanism of action may account for the commonly observed action of mate to decrease the severity and incidence of allergy and hay fever.

Constipation, acute or chronic, can easily be overcome through the use of maté. Considering the seriousness of this health problem in the United States and other developed countries, a simple and effective solution such as drinking a pleasant beverage should be a welcome addition to treatment regimens. Mate appears to work mainly by softening the fecal mass, but it also appears to stimulate normal peristalsis in some degree.

Sometimes hemorrhoidal relief can also be obtained through drinking the tea, since the bowel movement will reduce pressure on blood vessels caused by the hard stool.

Dieters use mate to suppress the appetite, while providing necessary nutrition, energy and improved elimination to compensate for a reduction in ingested calories...

Mate also belongs to the class of herbal medicines called alternatives. That is, it seems to be continually striving to rid the blood of waste materials and miscellaneous toxins.

One consistent observation is the improvement in mood, especially in depression, that follows the ingestion of the tea. This may be a direct result, or it may be an indirect result of increased energy...

The non-addicting nature of mate makes it an ideal substitute for people who are trying to kick the caffeine habit.

Reported improvement in memory have not been substantiated experimentally or clinically, but are logical, and may again be attributed to the nutrients. Especially choline, an important central nervous system neurotransmitter.

One the remarkable aspects of mate is that it does not interfere with sleep cycles; in fact, it has a tendency to balance the cycles, inducing more REM sleep when necessary, or increasing the amount of time spent in the delta state. Many people report that they require less sleep when using mate; usually such an experience is accompanied by a deeper, more relaxing sleep."

Although North Americans are only now beginning to discover and acknowledge the "unequaled natural nutritional value" yerbamate offers, the south American people have used it and reaped health benefits for centuries by daily drinking yerbamate. Wisdom behooves our learning from the ancients.

These excerpts are not intended as medical advice. Its intention is solely educational. Please consult a medical or health professional for medical advice.

FDA Disclaimer: The statements in this article have not been evaluated by the FDA. The products mentioned herein are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For medical advice, always consult your health care professional.