Last Updated on November 1, 2020 by James Matthews
Yerba Maté is a tea that is known for its energizing properties and has also been said to help in muscle recovery after workouts, as well as being beneficial to overall health. The drink has also grown in popularity thanks to the endorsements of celebrities like Tim Ferriss. However, not all Yerba Maté brands are created equal, and some make a much better and more pure product than others.
Most of the claims about Yerba Maté are not regulated by the FDA, so it can be difficult finding a brand that is going to live up to its promises. Thankfully, there are plenty of amazing brands that customers come back to time and time again for their Yerba Maté needs.
If you want to experiment with Yerba Maté and see if it is the coffee and tea alternative you’ve been looking for in order to have more energy and positivity throughout your day, keep on reading. We are going to go over the benefits of Yerba Maté as well as tell you our top brands of Yerba Maté that you should try for yourself.
What Is Yerba Maté?
Yerba Maté originated in South America. It has hundreds of years of history of being a drink that energizes the body and promotes well-being and good health. The drink is made from the leafs of a plant similar to tea. People claim that it improves the cardiovascular system as well as helping you with increased focus and concentration.
Similarly to coffee, every brand of Yerba Maté is going to have its own unique flavor profile, so you might need to try a few before you find the perfect one for you. You will eventually find the one that you like the best, and will likely stick with that one for years to come. However, like some coffee drinkers, it can also be fun to vary your preferences depending upon the season to fit your ever-changing tastes.
The Benefits of Yerba Maté
There are many great benefits to including Yerba Maté into your daily routine, here are just a few:
Yerba Maté Has Plenty of Nutrients and Antioxidants
Yerba Maté contains Xanthines, which are one of the stimulants found in coffee, chocolate, and tea. This is the component of Yerba Maté that wakes you up. It also contains polyphenols, which are an antioxidant that will help your blood and your body stay healthy. Yerba Maté also contains Saponins, which can be anti-inflammatory and cholesterol-lowering, further improving your health and well-being.
Yerba Maté Helps You Focus
Yerba Maté contains just enough caffeine to wake you up and help you focus without getting the caffeine jitters that coffee can sometimes give you. If you are looking for an alternative to coffee, Yerba Maté may be just the thing.
Yerba Maté Can Help You At The Gym
The caffeine in Yerba Maté will help you perform better at the gym, which will help you gain more muscle more quickly. Additionally, the Saponins can help reduce muscle fatigue and muscle recovery time, due to their anti-inflammatory properties, which can help you get back to your next workout more quickly and speed up your results over time.
Yerba Maté Can Help You Lose Weight
Yerba Maté is said to help boost your metabolism as well as suppress appetite, which are both keys to losing weight. There is even some research that indicates that Yerba Maté helps you burn fat for energy instead of muscle when you are dieting, which will help you reach your weight loss goals in a healthier manner and give you better results over time.
The Best Yerba Maté Brands In 2020
Now that you know the benefits of Yerba Maté for your body and mind, let’s get right to discussing our favorite brands of Yerba Maté and what makes them so great.
Canarias
This Brazilian company is one of the most popular brands of Yerba Maté in the world, and for good reason. Canarias sources its Yerba Maté from Uruguay, which is one of the best locations to grow Yerba Maté naturally, as it grows easily and plentifully in that unique environment and terrain.
Canarias has a creamy taste with a bit of smoke and bitterness to it. If you like your coffee with cream and no sugar, you will probably enjoy the taste of Canarias. The flavor is very strong. However, the energy-benefits of Canarias are strong as well. This brand is popular precisely because it packs a punch, so if you want something with the most energy-boosting benefits, this brand is a great place to start.
Cruz De Malta
If you are worried about the stronger flavors found in Canarias, and aren’t sure if you’d like it, we recommend Cruz De Malta for beginners. This is one of the least bitter Yerba Maté brands, so it is a great option for people who have a low tolerance for bitter flavors. In fact, this brand of Yerba Maté actually has a slightly sweet flavor.
Yerba Maté often has something called polvo in it, which is the dust that is produced during the roasting of the Yerba Maté. This is a natural occurrence, and will not harm you or the tea, but it can be annoying to some people as it can clog up whatever method you are using to brew the tea. Cruz De Malta has very low amounts of polvo in it, so this is another reason why this brand is one of the most popular.
However, polvo is also one of the things that make Yerba Maté so potent, so this brand is going to be one of the more mild options in terms of energizing benefits. However, if you are looking for a good Yerba Maté to help re-energize you midday, or before a workout later in the day, this could be a great choice for you.
Guayaki
Guayaki is one of the most accessible Yerba Maté brands, as it is already brewed in a can for you. This also allows you to drink it cold, which makes it a great option for the summertime or for people who are drinking it during a workout or live in a hot climate.
While you can also buy Guayaki in its original form, we have decided to review the canned version as it is the most popular with fans of Yerba Maté.
Guayaki is based in Argentina and they source their Yerba Maté from there as well. Yerba Maté is such an old tradition in South America, that there are different types of preparation, so this brand uses the traditional Argentinian method.
This brand is one of our favorites because it is easy to find in many grocery stores around the US as well as throughout the world. In some places, you can even buy it in convenience stores when you are on the go. If you are looking for it, try looking in the section with energy drinks and coffee drinks.
One of the other benefits of Guayaki’s canned or bottled Yerba Maté is that it comes in a variety of flavors. If you have tried traditional Yerba Maté but did not like the taste, the pre-brewed Yerba Maté from Guayaki may be a great alternative for you to try.
Rosamonte
Rosamonte is a Yerba Maté that is suggested only for those who like strong flavors as well as need a lot of energy-boosting.
Rosamonte has one of the more bitter flavors – but it comes with a lot of polvo and, in turn, a lot of caffeine. This will make it one of the brands of Yerba Maté that is going to have the most similar effects as a traditional cup of coffee might.
If you drink your coffee black and have an acquired taste for bitter flavors, you are likely to love Rosamonte. It has a unique and complex flavor that Yerba Maté aficionados swear by, but it certainly is not a flavor for the complete novice or the faint of heart.
The flavor of Rosamonte has some notes of coffee, wood, and even some butter, making it a rich flavor that is perfect for chilly mornings. If you are looking for something unique and different, Rosamonte is a brand that you should most certainly try for yourself.
Nobleza Gaucha
Nobleza Gaucha is another brand of Yerba Maté that we suggest for beginners. It has a flavor and potency that is more in the middle of the road, so it is great for those who are fine with the flavors of coffee or green tea but don’t want anything that is going to be too strong.
Nobleza Gaucha has a creamy and buttery flavor and texture, which makes it a pleasant drink for anyone who is interested in trying out Yerba Maté for themselves.
Conclusion
Now that you know a little bit more about Yerba Maté and what makes it so great, feel free to experiment with our choices for the best brands listed above, as well as any others that you come across. While not all Yerba Maté brands are created equal, you are sure to find one that suits your tastebuds and energy-boosting needs in no time. Before you know it, you will be well on your way to reaping the energy and health-boosting rewards of drinking Yerba Maté.
