# yerba mate (caffeine substitute?)



## kev (Jan 28, 2005)

Anyone use yerba mate for energy?

I am a self-confessed caffeine addict. I drink a lot of energy drinks (a couple a day). I try to convince myself I'm being healthy by always buying the sugar-free kind. However, I know caffeine is addictive and has withdrawal effects (which I have experienced first-hand).

I've found that certain energy drinks are more effective despite similar amounts of caffeine. I especially like sugar-free rockstar. I've noticed it has not only a ton of caffeine but also yerba mate, green tea extract, and b-vitamins? My question is are these supplements actually more helpful (and healthful) than the caffeine itself? I'm thinking of buying yerba mate supplements, since I seem to like other energy drinks with yerba mate as well. 

So I'm not looking for a lecture here. I know excessive caffeine is bad in the long run for anxiety. But I'm just looking for some healthier alternatives. Any advice? Is yerba mate another useless supplement or worth trying?


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## n1kkuh (Jul 11, 2008)

I was interested in yerba mate myself. I've searched the stores but they don't sell in extract form. SO, I went out today and bought a sobe drink with only yerba mate and ginseng, no caffeine in it i don't think. Let u know how it goes tomorrow morning when I drink it.


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## Vini Vidi Vici (Jul 4, 2009)

i just bought a pound of it in the mail. it hasnt come yet. research indicates that it might have a 40-50% MAOI component, which might be responsible for its stimulating effects.

another supplement that might help you is DL phenylalanine. it is converted into the body into tyrosine, which is converted to catecholamines. it works very well for me. it also inhibits the destruction of enkephalins, which accounts for its pain relieving and antidepressant properties.
it also makes my skin somewhat tanner. it definetly works alot for me in reducing social anxiety, pain, and depression and tiredness. i usually take 1-2 grams a day, in capsule or powder form


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## PickleNose (Jul 11, 2009)

I've only tried it in the form of Numi tea with yerba mate in it. The tea had an interesting flavor but I'm not sure if it was the yerba mate I was tasting or the other flavors. I didn't notice any effects I don't get from ordinary tea. I think ordinary tea works better, actually. 

I wouldn't worry too much about caffeine unless it gives you a bad reaction when you consume it or your doctor tells you to lay off of it. Caffeine has gotten kind of an undeserved bad rap, I think. It can be bad but I don't think it necessarily always is. Breathing the air in a large city is probably worse for you than a little caffeine.

By the way, I did some research on yerba mate a while back and I don't remember what the exact details were but the basic thrust of everything I was able to find out is that yerba mate basically breaks down exactly the same way as caffeine in the body. So it may not be a caffeine substitute if you're not supposed to have caffeine. Ask a pharmacist if you're not sure.


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## Equisgurl (Nov 22, 2004)

I've been drinking Yerba Mate for about 3 years now and I love it. Its pricy, but you might be able to find it cheaper at hispanic markets, or international type stores. I get the loose kind since I can regulate how much I want to use. Its a great energy booster and a lot of people use it as coffee substitute.


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## thaswasup (Mar 20, 2009)

it actually gives u something like a calm energy but still very nice also doubles as a thermogenic(fat burner) google yerba mate cafe and click on the first link thats where i get mine from and its usually cheap


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## Lateralus (Oct 28, 2007)

I just read the wiki on yerba mate and it says:

"Maté products are sometimes falsely marketed as "caffeine-free" alternatives to coffee and tea, and said to have fewer negative effects. This is based on a mistaken claim that the primary active xanthine in maté is "mateine", erroneously said to be a stereoisomer of caffeine. However, it is not chemically possible for caffeine to have a stereoisomer, and "mateine" is an official synonym of caffeine in the chemical databases.[15]"

Apparently this is no different than drinking caffeine. Too bad, I was hoping for a good alternative as well.


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## leonardess (Jun 30, 2009)

^ Oh, poop. So was I. I can't drink caffeine anymore, it makes my heart palpitate. Let this be a warning, kids.


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## Equisgurl (Nov 22, 2004)

mate has small ammout of caffeine, it does not have the same effect as coffee though and is not addictive.


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## dessibel (Jul 28, 2009)

fyi, if you have allergies caffeine can aggravate them. caffeine does something to your body where it releases more histamines. so if you run around with the sniffles all day every day even though your popping reactine like pez then maybe them 20 cups of coffee at breakfast might be the offendor (I be exaggerating sum tings)


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## Aleforge (Jul 8, 2009)

Wow I didn't know caffeine could cause allergies to be worse? I suffer from seasonal ones and they get really bad, and I have a tendency to intake a lot of caffeine. I will defaintly lower it before ragweed comes out!


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## PickleNose (Jul 11, 2009)

Well, I got curious enough to buy myself a half pound bag of this at the vitamin store. The verdict? It's good stuff! If you can drink three ten ounce cups of strong mate and not feel great for hours, you might want to check with a doctor and see if your problem might be more serious than you thought. 

This stuff is potent! I've had two cups this morning and I feel really nice. And it is true what they say about yerba mate. It doesn't make you jittery like coffee (or even tea sometimes) UNLESS you drink way too much of it. The best thing is that if you drink a couple of cups of it, wait about an hour and drink something with caffeine in it, it seems to do something that makes you feel even better (again without the jitters).

I love it! The taste takes a bit of getting used to but I plan to keep this stuff on hand for those days when I really need a boost. Brewing is a bit temperamental (I don't do the gourd thing. Just an ordinary tea strainer) but once you get the hang of it, it's like brewing anything else. You get used to the ritual and even enjoy it.

A good tip is if you're just brewing it in an ordinary cup with a strainer, make sure you use plenty of herb and start with about 3 and a half minutes steeping so you get a strong cup. I started out with brewing it way too weak (Because I followed the directions on the bag) and it took me a lot of experimenting to get it just right.

All of this is to say that it didn't cure my SA by a long shot but it did/does make me feel better, less depressed and more like doing stuff.


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## Benoibe (Apr 28, 2011)

*Yerba Hate*

My experience with Yerba Mate has been disastrous. I can handle strong coffee, red bull, caffeine shots, etc. Sometimes I feel a bit jittery, but NOTHING prepared me for the heart- pounding misery I experienced from one and a half cups of YerbaMate. The package indicated that it induced a calm, pleasant, relaxed feeling. I thought it would be like chamomile with a bit of caffeine. 
Boy was I in for big surprise... 
I cried for an hour because it felt like I was having something worse than a panic attack. I took a 1mg Xanax. That did nothing. I suffered another 2 hours and finally took my night meds. Xanax 1mg and hydroxyzine antihistamine. I certainly am not sleepy, but at least I'm not crying. So altogether I had to take 2 mgs Xanax and 50 mgs hydroxyzine to feel moderately normal.

Never again.


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## PickleNose (Jul 11, 2009)

^ Everyone is different, I guess. I still drink it from time to time and like the effects. It's never given me anything like the effect you described.


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## CopadoMexicano (Aug 21, 2004)

I use to take those hulk hogan energy drinks that contained yerba mate and it helped my depression


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## PickleNose (Jul 11, 2009)

I just got myself a one pound bag of unsmoked yerba mate. I was afraid it wouldn't taste as good but I bought it anyway because it was much cheaper. It tastes about the same (obviously without the smoky notes) and has about the same kick.


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## jvirg (Aug 2, 2011)

I had the same thing happen to me as benoibe. I can drink strong coffee, tea and energy drinks and not have what i experienced with Yerba Mate. I drank mine out of gourd filled about half full like the package tells you too. I am wondering if it was just made too strong? Because if you were to replace that amount in volume with coffee you'd probably be strung out! There really wasn't that much water in there drink either. I filled it once then sipped it out and it was gone in a few sips. I added more water and did it again. Then I went and sat down on the computer for 10 minutes got up and all of sudden felt dizzy. My heart rate felt slightly elevated and i was some what hyper, i caught myself talking fast on the phone too. It was like i was about to have a panic attack only that i wouldn't let it happen. Instead i went and lied down and tried to calm myself. The effects went away after this but weren't completely gone. I didn't feel right the rest of the day. This was not the first time this happened to me either. It happened when i was work and drank some yerba out of a larger gourd but i contributed it to be really tired and maybe having to much caffeine and maybe making it to strong. Although coffee on the other hand has never done this to me to that effect. Perhaps i am over reacting? or has this happened to other people?


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## PickleNose (Jul 11, 2009)

Well, yeah. If you use a lot, you're going to get a bigger jolt from it. Some people might be more sensitive. I don't know. I fix mine in a french press and only use three tablespoons to about 16 oz of water. Makes me feel good but I've never had any bad reactions to yerba at all.


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## Event Horizon (Feb 23, 2011)

Wow if you're a caffeine addict then yerba mate might be a bit of a longshot for you right now. I used to be one, and I had to wean off of caffeine first and downgrade to decaf and then full quit it. I use yerba mate sometimes and the effect is not like caffeine at all. it is a good gentle pick me up, but otherwise i don't see it as a stimulant unless you're maybe taking yerba mate extract pills. or at least the type I've drank, it might just be a weak strain... personally I'd recommend loose leaf green tea over yerba mate - now there's a good alternative to coffee.


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## PickleNose (Jul 11, 2009)

Event Horizon said:


> personally I'd recommend loose leaf green tea over yerba mate - now there's a good alternative to coffee.


 Maybe but the good kind is very expensive and where I live, if you want it, you pretty much have no choice but to order it and I hate that with a passion. I drink it but not as often as I would if I could get large quantities of it for a good price locally.

I have to order yerba too but at least I can get it in bulk for pretty cheap.


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## robtyl (Sep 2, 2010)

I've been drinking this stuff for over a year.

It's a great alternative to coffee - just as much stimulation without the crash... plus, it doesn't make me as anxious as coffee can.

It also seems to get me a bit randy (!) and reduces my appetite.


It doesn't taste the best though, but you get used to it after a while - and if you drink it for long enough, you come to long for that bitterness 

It's cheap as chips here in Australia - I bought the Cruz de Malta brand (from Argentina) for $2.50 a kilogram!

Check expiry dates when you do buy though, since stale mate really doesn't do the trick (I know this from experience).


You can find the stuff in Middle-Eastern grocery stores often, since they import all sorts of exotic things.

I still drink coffee for the taste - or if I'm out and I need a bit of a perk - but when at home (or at work, where I keep a kilo of the stuff), yerba mate it is 


RE: The above posts about caffeine, heart palpitations and the like - from someone who has drunk it for over a year, it's nowhere near as anxiety- or heart-palpitation-inducing as caffeine. If you can drink a cup of coffee without being admitted to hospital, you'll be fine with yerba mate - it's certainly not dangerous or 'strong' or anything crazy like that. Or at least it won't kill you - and if you don't like it (most likely because of the taste, than any physiological reaction), just don't drink it anymore.


But make sure you get a good South American brand. There's tea shops here in Australia (T2, Oriental Tea House, etc.) that are just chains selling tea at a big mark-up - they don't have the good stuff. If you drink yerba mate from here you'll be disappointed.

Get a proper South American brand, which will be more potent and far cheaper. If you can read the label, you're doing it wrong (unless you can read Spanish).

And I think that's about all I can say about yerba mate.

Except for that it doesn't work as an anxiolytic. So don't think it will help with anxiety. But it won't make it worse either.



OH and, you can drink it all day!  Like you put a quarter-cup (metric) in a mug, and reuse the mate by refilling the mug with hot (but not boiling!) water. And you can reuse it like 3-4 times, depending on your preference.

And you can keep drinking it all day. So you keep this mild stimulation that is nice in terms of providing you with a baseline of energy - but you can still fall asleep if necessary.

I also took it while on meds and never had an issue. And I've been on a few diff meds (SSRIs, as well as modafinil).

x


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## PickleNose (Jul 11, 2009)

I have three 2.2 pound bags (Three kilos if I have the math right) of Rosamonte right now. Been drinking it for days since I got it. 

The taste is bitter at first but I find after a few sips, the bitterness turns real mellow and kind of sweet. I think many people just have a problem getting past the initial bitterness. 

I also love the way this stuff smells when you put the cold water on it for the presoak. It has a strangely familiar smell that I can't quite nail down. Like something from my childhood, maybe?

Edit - Does mate make anyone else fart more? I noticed right away when I started drinking more of it that I was farting all the time (and huge, Harley Davidson farts too). I don't mind because I get a kick out of rattling the windows with my gas but it seems like an odd effect.


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