How to brew mate in a cup. Mate. methods of preparation and consumption. Let's get acquainted with amazing tea
Julia Vern 5 005 1
Mate tea (in some sources mate) is a surprisingly aromatic, tasty and invigorating drink that came to us from the Indians of Paraguay. Thanks to its composition, it is a natural energy booster and, when taken correctly, even helps to preserve beauty and youth longer. Every year this drink is gaining more and more popularity.
Mate became known to European colonialists in the 17th century. They found this tea to be an effective remedy against scurvy. True, in European countries it was not popular as a tea drink. They did not drink it, but made tinctures of alcohol to add to medicinal balms. As a tea, it has become in demand relatively recently.
This drink is made from the leaves and shoots of the Paraguayan holly, which is a 15-meter-tall evergreen shrub. This plant grows in countries such as Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay. Paraguayan holly is found both in the wild and on plantations, where it is cared for by specially trained people.
In terms of its taste and properties, mate is a tea that can be considered something average between tea and coffee.
It is similar to traditional tea in the way it is collected and dried. And the similarity with coffee is that green mate tea contains the substance matein, which in its effects is very similar to caffeine, which is the main component of coffee beans.
This drink has a unique taste, bordering between the bitterness of green tea and the sweetness of vanilla. In addition, this delicious hot drink is very beneficial for the human body; it can be used for weight loss, but there are some contraindications for drinking it. In order to preserve the beneficial properties as much as possible and enjoy the full range of its taste, it is important to know how to brew and drink mate tea.
The benefits and harms of the Paraguayan drink
To discover the mystery of mate tea, you need to learn more about its benefits and harms.
Beneficial properties of tea:
- lifts your mood, helps cope with depression;
- has a positive effect on the nervous system, strengthens it, helps fight stress;
- invigorates, fills with energy, relieves fatigue, enhances concentration and performance due to mateine, while there is no rapid heartbeat, increased agitation and insomnia, as from caffeine;
- helps you sleep and regain strength in a shorter period of time;
- helps the body remove toxic substances and waste;
- saturates the blood with oxygen, which improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system;
- helps strengthen the immune system, increases the body's protective properties;
- has a good effect on digestion, helps with stomach diseases, has a beneficial effect on the mucous membrane;
- has a positive effect on the liver;
- useful when playing sports, as it helps the body remove lactic acid from the muscles, which relieves pain;
- reduces excessive appetite and hunger, which is important when losing weight;
- has a beneficial effect on the skin, relieves redness and irritation, increases its elasticity, protects from sun exposure;
- improves hair condition;
- normalizes blood pressure;
- contains many vitamins and microelements necessary for normal life;
- it contains pantothenic acid, which is responsible for normalizing the level of adrenaline in the blood and is directly involved in the process of cellular restoration;
- regulates blood cholesterol levels;
- has an antispasmodic effect;
- increases potency;
- stimulates endorphin production;
- With constant consumption of mate tea, the craving for alcoholic beverages and smoking decreases;
- helps to recover faster from illnesses;
- used for prevention purposes during epidemics of influenza and ARVI;
- has a mild effect and is not addictive.
Contraindications for use
Despite the incredible number of beneficial properties of Paraguayan tea, reviews from doctors indicate that there are restrictions for its use and it is not recommended to drink it:
- pregnant women;
- when breastfeeding;
- small children;
- patients with atherosclerosis;
- at high temperature and blood pressure;
- for urolithiasis, gallstones and other kidney-related diseases;
- with high acidity, the presence of stomach and duodenal ulcers;
- with a tendency to allergies;
- in case of individual intolerance to the components.
One of the significant disadvantages of the drink is the presence in it of a large number of carcinogens that can cause cancer, so you should not abuse it. It is better to drink it not daily, but from time to time for preventive purposes. It is also not recommended to drink very hot tea, so as not to damage the walls of the esophagus. The composition of exotic tea is destructive to tooth enamel, so it is better to drink it through a straw.
How to brew mate tea correctly
The Paraguayan drink has other features - it needs to be brewed in a special container “calabash” (a container for mate tea), from which tea is drunk through a “bombilla” straw with a mouthpiece on one side and a strainer on the other. Previously, the calabash was hollowed out from a small pumpkin, and the bombilla was made from an empty grass stem. Nowadays the calabash is made from wood, metal and even plastic, while the bombilla is made exclusively from silver or stainless steel. Of course, you can brew the drink in an ordinary ceramic teapot, but then you won’t be able to feel the true taste of mate.
The process of brewing this tea is quite unusual and should not be rushed. With the classic method, the calabash is filled 2/3 with mate powder, then the container is covered with your hand and shaken.
Then you need to tilt the calabash on its side and insert the bombilla into the free space so that it reaches the bottom, after which the container is turned vertically again. Then the vessel is filled with water so that it just covers the dry tea leaves, while the bombilla is plugged with a finger. It is important that the water is clean, soft, the optimal temperature for brewing is 70-80 degrees.
After two minutes, add water to the top. For the drink to be completely ready, seven minutes is enough; long brewing is undesirable; the drink must be drunk fresh, as its beneficial properties are lost over time. It is important to know one subtlety: when brewing, you cannot move the bombilla, much less try to stir the drink with it, otherwise it will become clogged with fine tea leaves and it will be impossible to drink from it.
In order to diversify the taste and aroma of tea, you can add pieces of citrus peel when brewing; for a soothing and relaxing effect, mint, lemon balm, chamomile, valerian, linden; to increase the tonic effect, ground coffee is added to the prepared mate, but you need to be careful with such a drink and take it only in extreme cases.
You can also make nutritious mate tea, which is perfect for breakfast. To do this, you need to heat the milk to 70-80 degrees and pour mate leaves over it, then add a little honey. The drink has a very pleasant mild taste.
How to drink an exotic drink
You should start drinking mate immediately from the very bottom in small sips. It is possible to brew the same portion of mate up to ten times; experts believe that it becomes most delicious after the third or fourth time. It is better to drink tea right away; if you leave it for a long time, it will begin to ferment and release bitterness, which will subsequently permeate the walls of the calabash, and all subsequent teas will become bitter.
So, we can conclude that mate tea is not only an exquisite, but also a healthy gourmet drink, containing vitamins and valuable substances. Each of its leaves contains a unique taste and smell, which helps to recharge with positive energy for the whole day.
Mate is a tonic drink of South African Indians. For its preparation, leaves and young shoots of Paraguayan holly are used. The holly leaves are dried and crushed. People call them “mate grass.” The drink itself and the vessel for its preparation have the same name. But in the CIS countries, another name for the vessel has taken root - calabash, which means “pumpkin” in Spanish.
Chemical composition and properties of the drink
The drink has a rich chemical composition. Contains approximately 196 active vitamins and minerals. It includes vitamins C, E, P, tannins, alkaloids from the xanthine group, beta-carotene, micro- and macroelements (sodium, potassium, iron, sulfur, magnesium, copper, etc.), B vitamins (mostly B1 and B2), pantothenic acid, as well as other biologically active substances.
The strongly brewed drink resembles green tea in taste, but has a slightly sweet aftertaste.
Tea is rich in medicinal qualities. The main ones include improving the general condition of the body, relieving fatigue and depression, improving mood, increasing physical and mental activity. At the same time, tea has a gentle effect on the body. Experts recommend using mate for people who are emotionally unbalanced, fussy, or suffering from insomnia; moreover, drinking the drink does not disrupt the sleep cycle.
Unlike many sedatives, tea use does not lead to addiction. It does not tend to irritate the nervous system; the drink calms it, relieving excessive tension.
Tea is also irreplaceable for people who are overweight. It promotes rapid weight loss without harming the body. Your appetite will decrease and the pounds will quickly fall off.
Harm of tea
Like any medicinal drink, mate, in addition to its positive qualities, also has negative ones. A number of studies conducted at the Montevideo Institute of Oncology indicate a possible connection between drinking the drink and cancer (esophageal cancer). But scientists have proven that the reason for this is improper brewing of tea with very hot water.
At the same time, there is a danger of cancer in organs that do not come into contact with mate, namely the genitourinary system and lungs.
With prolonged use of the drink, a decrease in sweating and dry skin is observed.
But you should understand that the drink has a negative effect only if consumed frequently. The above information mostly applies to countries where it is a national drink and is consumed daily in large quantities. When using the drink for medicinal purposes, you should not take mate as a risk factor for cancer.
Brewing technology
Mate is drunk from a special vessel - calabash. Calabash is made from pumpkin. It is believed that a drink brewed in this vessel retains all its taste and medicinal qualities.
It is correct to drink the drink using a bombilla. Bombilla is a straight tube. In the upper part it looks like a mouthpiece, and in the lower part there is a flask-shaped strainer that acts as a filter. In appearance it resembles a smoking pipe.
According to custom, the process of preparing the drink is called “sevar”, and the person who brews (conjures) is called “sevador”.
The main rule for brewing a drink is that the water temperature should not exceed 80 degrees.
So, the sevador pours mate into the calabash to fill one quarter of the vessel. Pour in a little cold water to moisten the tea leaves. Then you should wait a couple of minutes for the tea leaves to absorb water, and fill the contents with boiled water (but not more than 80 degrees). After steeping for about 5 minutes, the drink will be ready to drink. This tea should be drunk in small sips, sipping all the flavor and healing substances from the very thick with the help of a bomb.
The tea turns out strong and quite bitter. Therefore, the same portion can be brewed repeatedly, on average 7-9 times.
If you like, you can add honey, sugar or a little cognac to the drink to taste. But a true gourmet drinks pure mate, as it is believed that additives spoil the true taste of the drink.
European ways
There are several more “European” ways of brewing mate tea that do not require special national attributes. The first, the most common one for us, is to brew mate like coffee. To do this, take mate with the calculation of 5 tablespoons per liter of water. The drink should be poured into cups through a strainer.
The second way is to brew mate with milk like cappuccino. To do this, you need to heat half a liter of milk (about 50 degrees), add 2 tablespoons of tea leaves. Stirring occasionally, add sugar or honey. Boil. The drink must be poured into cups through a strainer.
The third method - “cold mate” is ideal for the summer season. To prepare it, pour 2 tablespoons of tea into a kettle, add a little honey or sugar to taste and pour in 250 ml of boiled water (no more than 80 degrees). Leave for about 10 minutes. When serving summer tea, place tea rose or mint petals and ice cubes at the bottom of the glass. The drink is poured through a strainer.
Some have only heard about it, others have already appreciated this magnificent drink that gives vigor and good mood. Mate tea, a heritage of the Indians of South America, has become a real gift for lovers of exotic drinks.
This is a fragrant drink that has a pronounced tonic effect. It is made from the dry collection of leaves and young shoots of the Paraguayan holly. This tall (up to 15 meters) shrub also grows in other countries of South America, but Indian tribes were the first to brew a drink from holly many hundreds of years ago.
Mate is a tonic drink with a high caffeine content.
Even then they noticed its beneficial properties. After drinking the tea, a surge of strength came and stomach ailments went away. The Indians gave the drink the name “Mate” (“Mate”), which means “a jug made of pumpkin” - it was in such vessels that tea was brewed and served in the past.
The habit of drinking Mate was adopted by travelers and conquerors who arrived on the continent. He provided them with invaluable assistance in combating the effects of scurvy that occurred after long sea voyages.
The Spanish conquerors brought Mate to Europe. But the drink was not an acquired taste and did not immediately take root in European countries. Initially, it was used as a medicine to strengthen the body and combat anemia.
Today Mate tea is popular. Holly grows both in natural conditions and on specially created plantations, where the bush is cared for and then the leaves and shoots are collected to make tea.
Chemical composition and calorie content of the drink
Mate tea contains alkaloids, tannins, iron, potassium, sodium, manganese, copper and magnesium. Also, those who drink Mate receive beta-carotene and vitamins C, B, P and E.
Tea to combat stress and colds. 100 g contains 151.8 kcal, as well as 13% proteins, 11.3% fats and no more than 2.5% carbohydrates.
Thus, Paraguayan tea can provide a person with many necessary substances. And it is simply amazingly tasty.
Health benefits of Mate tea:
One of the most common drinks on the planet. This drink is truly invaluable:
- The benefits of Mate tea are used in the treatment of a number of diseases. First of all, it should be drunk by those who suffer from ailments of the digestive system - gastritis with high acidity and heartburn, constipation.
- The drink can normalize blood pressure in hypertensive patients. It tones the walls of blood vessels and improves cerebral circulation.
- Cholesterol levels are reduced by drinking tea.
- A mild diuretic effect is also one of the beneficial properties of this tea.
- Mate is also used to strengthen the immune system. It helps a person gain strength after suffering serious illnesses.
It’s also worth considering that matein, which is part of tea, invigorates no worse than coffee.
What is useful for women
Drinking tea helps you lose extra pounds. Women drink Mate to lose weight faster. It allows you to lose extra pounds, as it accelerates metabolic processes in the body. In addition, with regular consumption of this drink, diets are easier to tolerate, since it dulls the feeling of hunger.
Mate is also useful for heavy, painful menstruation.
Beneficial properties for men
Paraguayan tea is invaluable for men who cannot get rid of bad habits. It removes toxins from the body and reduces dependence on tobacco and alcohol. Thanks to tea, the body is renewed and cleansed.
Instructions for use
Mate tea is brewed in a slightly different way than regular black tea. You will have to acquire a calabash and a bombilla - special utensils that are close in properties to the authentic ones.
How to brew and drink Mate tea correctly
The best option is to brew this type of tea in a calabash. It is a special vessel that can be purchased in stores selling various types of tea. There you can also ask for a bombilla - an interesting tube with a filter.
- Mate tea is poured into a calabash. It should fill approximately two-thirds of the container's volume.
- The calabash is shaken and slightly tilted.
- Then a bombilla is installed in the vacant space, after which the vessel is placed on the table.
- Cold water is poured according to the line of the tube. It should also occupy two-thirds of the remaining space. The remaining third is filled with boiling water.
- After this, the tea is allowed to brew for 1-2 minutes.
In addition to this basic one, there are various other recipes for making Mate tea. You can serve it with milk or with milk. In the latter option, pour up to 5 tablespoons of tea into a liter of boiling milk, let it brew for a couple of minutes and only then drink it.
Instead of cold water, you can use any sweet juices. Pour apple, peach, orange, pear or multifruit nectars into the calabash. It is also allowed to add cinnamon and ginger to the drink.
Having learned how to brew and drink Mate tea correctly, you understand that you have mastered a real art, which all lovers of this drink should definitely master.
You also need to know how to drink Paraguayan tea correctly. It is customary to slowly sip it from the container in which it was brewed, that is, from a calabash. It is categorically not recommended to leave the drink “for later” - it will begin to taste bitter, and the further you go, the more so.
Those who have taken the time to study the rules of brewing Mate tea remain faithful to this magnificent drink for many years.
Mate tea as a means for weight loss
Mate tea is included in many diets. If you simultaneously adhere to moderation in food and give your body physical activity, you can achieve excellent results. If all conditions are met, you can lose up to 4-5 kg per month.
Regular use has a beneficial effect on the body. For Mate to give maximum effect, you need to drink it for at least a month. But no more than 1 liter per day. Otherwise, you can develop severe tachycardia and insomnia, because the drink contains caffeine.
Thanks to this tea, metabolic processes accelerate, which helps burn calories, break down and remove fat. The diuretic effect of the drink helps the body get rid of excess fluid.
Mate also dulls the feeling of hunger. A cup of tea instead of dinner or an afternoon snack - and you will feel great, quietly losing pounds.
To whom is the drink contraindicated, and what harm does it cause?
Before use, please read the contraindications. - These are small children and women expecting a child or breastfeeding.
- Those who suffer from colds with high fever do not drink the drink either.
- It is not advisable to use Mate for people with gallstones or kidney stones, for allergy sufferers and for those who have an individual intolerance to this drink.
- Those with a predisposition to cancer of the esophagus or lungs (inflammatory processes, heredity) are also better off avoiding regular consumption of Paraguayan tea.
How to store it correctly
Mate tea is a tonic drink made from a collection of herbs. When choosing tea in a store, you should pay attention to the following points:
- The country of origin is indicated on the packaging. It is best to buy tea made in Paraguay.
- Also look at the expiration date. The collection should not be old - it loses its aroma and properties over time.
- The best Mate tea is made from hand-picked leaves. It is not at all clear how this can be verified, but knowing this fact will not harm anyone.
- The most fragrant and tasty drink will be made from dry raw materials, which contains a minimum number of shoots and a maximum number of leaves.
- The packaging must be undamaged.
- Tea may contain various additives. Which option to choose is a matter of taste.
To preserve tea for a long time, you should choose suitable containers for it. A tightly closed lid and sealed packaging will preserve the pleasant smell of Mate and prevent it from absorbing foreign impurities. It is recommended to keep tea in a dry place.
You should not buy such a herbal mixture hastily at the first retail outlet you come across. It’s better to go to specialized stores - there you can choose the tea you like best from several options, as well as purchase everything you need to brew it. And let tea drinking become a holiday for you!
The benefits and harms of Mate tea is a topic of interest to everyone who loves tasty and unusual tea drinks. It is interesting to know what properties Latin American tea has and how it should be drunk.
History of the origin of Mate tea
The unusual golden-green drink is of Latin American origin - the raw materials for it are the leaves and shoots of the Paraguayan holly. It is no longer possible to find out exactly the history of the origin of Mate - this drink is shrouded in too many legends. However, researchers agree on one thing - Mate tea first appeared in Europe in the 16th century, and it was imported from South America.
In the 19th century, Paraguayan holly began to be widely cultivated in Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina. Tea has gained unprecedented popularity both in its homeland and in countries around the world; real connoisseurs have developed a whole drinking ceremony that maximizes the taste properties of the drink.
Chemical composition and calorie content of Mate tea
Despite the fact that Latin American tea attracts attention with its unusual taste alone, its main value lies in its beneficial properties. And they are due to the presence of the following components in tea:
- vitamins C, E, A, B, PP;
- bioflavonoids rutin and quercetin;
- beta-amyrin;
- organic acids - resin, isobutyric, isovaleric and isocaproic;
- microelements magnesium, sodium, iron, potassium and manganese;
- tannins;
- antioxidants;
- alkaloids.
The calorie content of Latin American tea per 100 g is only 2 calories. This is very little, so drinking a healthy drink under no circumstances contributes to weight gain.
What are the benefits of Mate tea?
The drink has a number of beneficial properties for the body. In particular, tea:
- improves intestinal function and helps establish proper metabolism;
- plays the role of a good diuretic;
- has a mild analgesic effect as it relieves muscle spasms;
- reduces appetite and suppresses the feeling of hunger;
- has a beneficial effect on the condition of blood vessels and the heart;
- has a good effect on the nervous system, invigorates and helps fight stress and disorders.
Important! The composition of Mate is similar to green tea, but its tonic properties are milder, since it contains mateine rather than caffeine. The vigor from drinking the drink is not accompanied by tachycardia, and the tonic effect lasts for several hours.
For women
The benefits of Mate green tea for women lie primarily in the fact that tea helps you lose excess weight very quickly and without any problems. It triggers fat burning processes in the body, regulates appetite and thereby facilitates even the most strict diets. In addition, tea lifts your mood and restores vigor, which can be beneficial during PMS.
For men
South American tea is considered a strong natural aphrodisiac, as it contains a large amount of vitamin E. It also gives strength and increases endurance, making it recommended for use by athletes.
Is it possible to drink Mate during pregnancy?
Any drink that increases the tone of the body can be dangerous during pregnancy - Mate is no exception. The properties of tea provoke unnecessary muscle contractions, which can be harmful and cause miscarriage or premature birth. In addition, when drinking tea, iron is less absorbed - and this is also harmful for both the mother and the fetus.
Thus, throughout pregnancy, a healthy drink is a potentially risky product - it is better to avoid using it.
Is Mate tea good for nursing mothers?
In normal situations, the tonic properties of tea are very useful, but during lactation they can harm the baby. Components that have a stimulating effect on the nervous system will enter the baby's body along with mother's milk - and will lead to sleep disturbances in the child.
It is not recommended to return the drink to the diet until the baby is 7–8 months old. Later, you can start drinking tea again - but weakly and only in the first half of the day.
Mate tea for children
The drink, which stimulates the nervous system, is also prohibited for young children. Mate should not be offered to a child until the age of 8, and Latin American tea can only be given to schoolchildren in the morning and no more than once a week.
Attention! Since Mate has a number of strict contraindications, you can give unusual tea to a child only after permission from the pediatrician.
Benefits of Mate tea for weight loss
The drink not only stimulates metabolism, but also suppresses the feeling of acute hunger. These properties of tea make it very beneficial for the diet. True, you can’t drink Mate all the time - you need to take it no more than three times a week. It is best to drink the drink in the morning, but if you have no problems sleeping, you can drink some tea with dinner to avoid night hunger.
How to brew Mate tea correctly
The taste and beneficial properties of tea largely depend on whether it is brewed correctly. There is a whole ceremony for Mate tea that fully reveals this drink. First of all, it is recommended to purchase a special teapot. It is called a calabash and looks like a round ceramic or metal vessel with a narrow, high neck.
As for the brewing process itself, the algorithm is very different from the traditional one.
- The dry tea mixture is poured into the calabash to fill about 2/3 of the vessel, and then cold, clean water is poured in.
- After the tea leaves soften and swell, which will happen in about 3 minutes, insert a bombilla tube into the neck of the calabash and pour in some hot water at a temperature of about 80 degrees.
- After this, the tea is infused for another 2 minutes, and then drunk through a bombilla directly from the bottom.
It is not recommended to brew Mate in a regular teapot with boiling water - this will harm the taste of the drink and it will become bitter. In addition, beneficial properties will also decrease.
Advice! You can add hot water to the calabash several times in a row. This will not cause harm - on the contrary, gourmets believe that the true taste of tea is revealed only after 3 - 4 brewings.
Classic way
For the simplest brewing recipe, you only need calabash, high-quality Mate tea and some clean water. The tea leaves are poured into a special teapot, poured using a special technology, first with cold and then hot water, leave for a couple of minutes and drink delicious and healthy tea.
It is the classic recipe that allows you to truly get acquainted with the taste of undiluted Mate and its beneficial properties.
Cold Mate
If you really want to cheer up in hot weather, but hot tea does not excite you, you can prepare cold Mate. It is brewed very simply - in this case there is no need to soak the tea leaves in cold water; they are immediately filled with hot water. But this tea is infused a little longer - for 10 minutes.
Then the drink is allowed to cool a little more and ice cubes are added to the Mate. If desired, tea can be flavored with sugar, honey, vanilla.
Mate with milk
Healthy South American tea can also be prepared according to the “European” recipe - with the addition of milk. Usually the drink is made like this:
- half a liter of milk is heated to 60 degrees;
- Dry mate leaves are added directly to the milk in the amount of 2 large spoons;
- Stir and remove the drink from the stove as soon as it starts to boil.
After this, tea with milk is drunk as usual - with or without sugar.
Mate with ginger and mint
Tea with the addition of mint and ginger has an excellent warming and fat-burning effect.
- To begin, heat up clean water on the stove and bring to a boil with 1 teaspoon of ginger added to it.
- When the water boils, it must be removed from the heat and cooled to about 80 degrees.
- Place several tablespoons of dry mate leaves into hot but not boiling water and leave for 3 to 4 minutes.
A little aromatic mint is added to the finished tea - and Mate is drunk, enjoying an even more unusual taste and unconditional benefits.
Citrus Mate for immunity
Latin American tea with the addition of citrus fruits is perfect for the winter season as it strengthens the immune system. It's very easy to prepare:
- Mate is brewed in a calabash in the traditional way - first the tea leaves are poured with cold and then hot water;
- Add 1 to 2 thin slices of lemon, lime or orange to the finished drink.
Tonic Mate
South American tea has an invigorating effect even in the classic version - but if desired, the tonic effect can be enhanced. To do this, you need to pour 1 glass of water into a teaspoon of Mate and a teaspoon of natural ground coffee, and then steam the mixture for 4 minutes. The finished tea is filtered and drunk as needed.
Important! You can take this drink no more than twice a month - otherwise Mate will harm the blood vessels and heart.
How to drink Mate tea correctly
In order for unusual tea to bring only benefits to the body and not cause harm, it must be consumed according to the rules.
- It is recommended to drink Mate in the morning or afternoon - but not at night. In most cases, drinking tea in the evening leads to problems with sleep, since the drink has pronounced tonic properties.
- The rate of consumption of Mate is 2 - 3 cups per week - it is not recommended to introduce tea into the daily diet.
- Tea is best consumed fresh, immediately after preparation. You cannot leave the cooled tea leaves in the calabash and use it after a few hours - during this time the tea will have time to acquire an unpleasant bitterness and will lose all its benefits.
- For convenience, the drink can be poured into cups. But it is more correct to drink tea through a bombilla directly from a calabash - this will allow you to fully experience the taste, and the benefits will be more pronounced.
The calabash intended for brewing Mate and the bombilla straw are washed regularly so that toxins do not accumulate on them and bacteria do not appear.
The benefits and harms of Mate tea for certain diseases
Reviews from doctors about the benefits and harms of Mate tea indicate that when drinking the drink you need to be careful and take into account your health status. In some cases, the volume of tea needs to be reduced, sometimes it is worth giving up the drink altogether.
For diabetes
If you have diabetes, the properties of Mate are certainly beneficial - tea lowers glucose levels. Despite this, you still cannot drink it in large quantities - the drink is taken only twice a week, 1 cup in the morning.
Of course, you cannot add sugar to the drink - this will harm the body.
For pancreatitis
In case of a sharp exacerbation of the disease, Mate is excluded from the diet until the remission phase begins. After the pain and nausea associated with pancreatitis subside, you can drink Mate from time to time - but not hot, but only warm, and no more than once a week.
For cholecystitis
Mate has choleretic properties, so its use will be beneficial for cholecystitis. You need to drink tea literally a few sips during the daytime.
But if cholecystitis is accompanied by stones in the gall bladder and ducts, you will have to give up the drink. It can promote the movement of stones, which will certainly cause harm.
For gastritis and stomach ulcers
During an exacerbation of ulcers and gastritis, Mate will have to be excluded from the diet - the properties of tea have an irritating effect on the mucous membranes. During the period of calm illness, you can drink tea, but you need to brew it weakly - and it is better to drink no more than half a cup once a week.
The use of Mate tea in cosmetology
The benefits and harms of the Mate drink are important not only for internal, but also for external use. Paraguayan holly is actively used in cosmetology - Mate extract is included in skin care products and is used in spa treatments. The product has a rejuvenating, firming and anti-cellulite effect, which is why it is highly valued by women.
Scrub
At home, you can prepare a scrub that will remove dead skin particles from the skin throughout the body, significantly soften the epidermis and nourish the skin with beneficial substances. They do it like this:
- 3 large spoons of dry tea leaves are poured with hot water;
- add 1 glass of medium-sized sea salt and 5 drops of any essential oil with anti-cellulite effect;
- the resulting product is mixed with your favorite shower gel;
- The mixture is applied to the body and rubbed in with light massage movements.
The effect will be noticeable after the first use, and after several procedures the skin will become much softer and cleaner.
Wrap
Mate helps get rid of cellulite - for this you need to carry out healthy wraps using Latin American tea a couple of times a week.
- 5 large spoons of dry powder and Mate leaves are poured with hot water until a thick mixture is obtained, similar to sour cream in consistency.
- Add 2 large spoons of liquid honey and half a teaspoon of cinnamon to the mixture.
- The mixture is applied to clean skin in problem areas, wrapped in cling film and placed under a warm blanket for half an hour.
After 30 minutes, the mixture is washed off. With regular treatment, cellulite is reduced and body contours become more toned.
Side effects and possible harm of Mate tea
No matter how great the benefits of South American tea are, sometimes its properties can be harmful. Contraindications to the use of Mate are:
- oncology;
- pregnancy and lactation;
- hypertension;
- stomach ulcer and gastritis in the acute stage;
- severe diseases of the bladder and kidneys with the formation of stones;
- children under 12 years of age;
- elevated temperature with a cold.
Side effects from drinking the drink too often include sleep problems and tachycardia. There is an opinion that an excess of Mate can lead to cancer. Mate is not recommended to be combined with drinking alcohol and smoking.
How to select and store
Healthy Mate tea must certainly be of high quality. When purchasing exotic tea, you need to pay attention to:
- for expiration date- Mate can be stored for no more than 5 years, after which the tea begins to taste bitter and is harmful to health when consumed;
- on the appearance of the tea mixture- high-quality Mate consists of finely chopped leaves, powder and small pieces of twigs, and the powder should occupy the largest volume.
Conclusion
The benefits and harms of Mate tea are a matter of proper use of the exotic drink. If you brew Latin American tea rarely and according to all the rules, it will delight you with its bright taste and bring health benefits.
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