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Yerba Mate Benefits

Yerba mate benefits the mind and body. Yerba mate or mate as it is often called is traditionally consumed in the central and southern regions of South America, where it is often a social event to drink mate.

Yerba Mate Benefits – The Social Aspect

It’s not unusual to see people walking down the street sipping mate while carrying a thermos of hot water to refresh their drink. When you are asked to share mate with someone, it is a sign of friendship and bonding.

Yerba Mate Benefits – A Physical Impact

Yerba mate is made from the dried leaves of the evergreen holly, a plant native to South America. Due to the high quantity of polyphenols found in mate, many health promoting claims have been made about it.  Studies have concluded that Yerba mate benefits include improved allergy symptoms, reduced risk of diabetes mellitus and high blood sugar in mice.

Yerba Mate Benefits – A Weight Loss Tool

Mate also acts as an appetite suppressant and could be effective as a weight loss tool.  It increases energy expenditure, improves insulin sensitivity, and burns stored fat.  Athletes have been known to use it to enhance physical performance.  This tea has been shown to increases mental energy and focus, improves mood, and promotes deeper sleep.  Yerba mate benefits include being used as a digestive aid, its use as a general nerve tonic for pain, fatigue, and depression.

With a powerful nutrient profile Yerba mate benefits the body.  It is said to have the strength of coffee, the health benefits of tea, and the euphoria of chocolate all in one beverage.  That is a big claim; lets look more deeply at the benefits and side effects of consuming Yerba mate.

Yerba Mate Benefits – A Powerful Mood Enhancer

Providing gentle, clean and calm energy replacing your morning coffee with Yerba mate will bring about alert wakefulness with out the jitters or crash often associated with coffee.  Mate stimulates the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain which is the cause for increased motivation and productivity.

Yerba Mate Benefits – Nutritional Impact

Each serving of mate contains the following vitamins and minerals:

•vitamin A

•vitamin C

•vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B5

•vitamin E

•calcium

•iron

•magnesium

•manganese

•phosphorus

•potassium

•selenium

•sodium

•sulfur

•zinc

This doesn’t include the beneficial phytonutrient tannins, trace minerals, chlorophyll, flavonols, polyphenols, and 15 amino acids.  The polyphenols in Yerba mate exhibit more antioxidant power than any other tea-based drink.  These potent antioxidant compounds protect the cardiovascular system as the theobromine in mate relaxes the blood vessels allowing for better flow.

Yerba Mate Benefits – Boost Your Immune System

Yerba mate is high in compounds called saponins which boost the immune system. These natural anti-inflammatory properties have been shown to be useful for treating bladder infections.  This compound is also helpful in modulating an overactive immune system.  Helpful in treating constipation, diarrhea, indigestion and parasites it’s natural antibacterial properties fight against E. coli, one of the most common causes of food poisoning.  It’s also useful for both preventing and treating bladder and kidney stones.

Yerba Mate Benefits

Yerba Mate Benefits – Enjoy A Cup Today

Traditionally, you would drink Yerba mate out of hallowed out gourds packed with the loose leaves. Leisurly you would sip the mate through a “bombilla”, a special metallic drinking straw.  The easiest way to get started is using Yerba mate tea bags and drinking it out of a regular mug.  Some find the taste earthy, like grass.  The tea can be diluted so that you can build your way up to a stronger cup. Add some honey to your mate to make the taste more palatable.

Yerba Mate Benefits – Resources

Be Brain Fit

Guayaki

Wikipedia – Yerba Mate

Turmeric Health Benefits

Nature provides many herbs, plants and foods that heal us. Turmeric is one of the most versatile healing spices in the world with over 600 experimentally confirmed health benefits. This brightly colored spice from India has been a staple in Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian cuisine. Chinese medicine has used turmeric for ages. Though turmeric is just now gaining mainstream popularity it has existed throughout history.

When we breakdown the turmeric plant we find it is made up of curcuminoids. Curcumin could be argued as the most important component of turmeric. Curcumin is most commonly known for giving curry its yellow color. Turmeric can be used in a variety of recipes from soups and curries to a marinate for meats or simply sprinkle it on veggies. With a mild flavor this spice makes for an easy addition to any diet.

Turmeric Health Benefits – How it works…

The antioxidant properties of turmeric reduce the damage free radicals have in the body and alleviate inflammation says a University of Maryland’s Medical Center. Studies at the University of Arizona have suggested that adding turmeric to the diets of lab rats significantly reduced the symptoms of those suffering with rheumatoid arthritis. This is great news for people suffering with joint pain as is works rapidly.

It is so effective that it matches some anti-inflammatory drugs on the market. In that way, curcumin delivers a one-two punch against free radicals. It blocks them directly, then stimulates the body’s own antioxidant mechanisms.

Chronic, low-level inflammation is known to play a role in almost every chronic dis-ease. This includes heart disease, cancer, metabolic syndrome, Alzheimer’s and various other degenerative conditions.

Recently, doctors at UCLA found that curcumin could block the enzyme that promotes the growth of head and neck cancer, inhibiting and preventing the spread of malignant cells. Curcumin works to stimulate the growth hormone of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF). Alzheimers patients have decreased levels of BDNF. Increasing curcumin in the diet may be effective in delaying and possibly reversing many brain related dis-eases. It could also improve memory and brain function.

Over time curcumin improves the endothelium, which is the lining of the blood vessels and the major driver of heart dis-ease. The endothelium regulates blood pressure, blood clotting and other factors in the optimal functioning of the body.

Randomized controlled trials conducted by Department of Pharmacology at the Government Medical College in India have found that turmeric health benefits include: treating depression, producing anti-depressant effects in the brain and raising the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain that are known to cause depression.

This spice is so beneficial to our bodies, it behooves us to incorporate it into our daily routine.  Add turmeric to your diet either through supplementation or using it as a seasoning in meals. Here is an easy to make tea that can be substituted for your morning coffee or added as an afternoon treat.

Turmeric Health Benefits – Tea recipe

What You’ll Need:
1 cup Coconut Milk (or almond)

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric

1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg

Dash of Cayenne Pepper

Raw honey or maple syrup to taste

 

What You’ll Do:
Put coconut milk, spices and honey in a sauce pan heat up slowly on low heat. If you put it on high heat the coconut milk will get too thick. Pour and enjoy.

This recipe makes one serving. Modify the ingredients to the number of people you are serving.

Turmeric Health Benefits

Turmeric Health Benefits

 

 

Resources:

Authority Nutrition

Mother Nature Network

SELF Nutrition Data