June 18th, 2006 / by Kevin
Guayaki Yerba Mate
Yerba mate is a highly caffeinated tea that seems like the type of thing that would be popular in parts of South America or maybe Nepal. Guayaki is marketing it here as a tea-slash-energy drink. The ingredients don’t list any of the ADHD-causing additives normally associated with energy drinks, so that seems to be just a marketing angle, rather than a bold new paradigm shift.
As you know from dealing with me offline, I’m normally a pretty spazzy fellow, so in order to conduct a proper scientific study of yerba mate’s alleged energy drink prowess I purposefully made myself extra tired by staying up late watching Newsradio DVDs. I’ve got this whole thesis I’m working on which details the similarities between Matthew Brock and Buster Bluth. Watch the episode where Matthew drops the pen down his pants before he can hand it to James Caan: tell me those facial expressions and physical mannerisms aren’t complete Buster. Or watch the Halloween party episode and compare Matthew’s motorcycle enthusiast/gay biker situation to the Army uniform Gob puts together for Buster. I think the writers of Arrested Development spent a lot of time around WNYX, that’s all I’m saying. Anyways. I can just put this in a email.
So the next morning I was all set for the experiment. I cracked open the bottle and was greeted with the scent of tea and freshly-cut grass. The scent of health. Taste-wise, it was interesting. It’s clearly not like regular tea: the flavor had a harsh edge to it, but fortunately the mint and cane sugar tempered it nicely.
I wish I could end the review there. Knock off early, get a beer. Maybe watch some more Newsradio. (I’m also putting together a list of Lisa Miller’s top 10 cutest moments (#4: Her lunge across the conference table when Matthew warns Dave to keep his woman from mouthing off).) But I can’t do that, because this is where my experience with yerba mate took a turn for the worse. The horribly worse. This is the first drink I’ve ever had that actually scared me. Well, second, if you count Clamato. You should read the rest of this review like you’re Stone Phillips, if you weren’t already. Daniel Schorr also works.
One thing I should have remembered before I drank this is that I’ve had some weird reactions to non-standard stimulants in the past. Taurine and spirulina are some that come to mind. Right when I was halfway through my yerba, my head started feeling very light and dizzy. And then I felt tingly all over my arms and torso. And then my heart was beating double-time, and my carotid artery was threatening to do an Alien baby thing with my neck. Awsum, totally extreme!
It was just a teensy bit terrifying and I stopped drinking right away. But it was cleary too late, and I was all uncontrollably nervous and jittery and wondering if maybe I was going to have a heart attack, or maybe I already had, and this is what that was? And would I have to go home early, or to the hospital, or would I simply pass out at my desk? (Discovered by my coworkers, I groggily confess to having been felled by some tea.) And the jitteriness just would not go away. It was actually pretty un-fun, and I kept on feeling that way. And I kept feeling that way, and I kept feeling that way. All told it was three solid hours before I felt like things were about back to normal.
But I guess it works! So if I lack the moxie and constitution for large doses of caffeine, at least I’ve still got what it takes to conduct some serious science, which is its own sort of manliness. OK not really.
14 Comments
June 19th, 2006 at 12:39 am
Yerba Mate actually contains what is called “mateine” in the same family of caffeine but chemically they are not identical. People generally use it as a caffeine substitute because it isnt addicting, nor is it suppose to cause jitters that are related to caffeine use, and has been proven to reduce caffeine addiction.
I drink pure Mate regularly (sweetened with only Stevia which is how it’s traditionally taken) especially during fasts, and I’ve never (nor have my friends who use it) had what you just experienced by using it. Perhaps you may have an allergy or intolerance for mateine or it must have been the mixture of glucose and mateine. You might react differently otherwise.
July 7th, 2006 at 5:17 pm
I lived in Italy during that summer heat wave in 2003 that killed about half the continent over there. I drank pitchers of iced yerba mate with mint sprigs and slices of little-known-to-the-Americas fruit daily. I don’t know if it was the heat wave or the tea. I died.
October 18th, 2006 at 7:31 pm
Mateine is claimed to be a stereoisomer of caffeine. Caffeine cannot have a stereoisomer, it is impossible. It is a myth perpetuated by the Mate’ industry and almost all docuentation leads to a single non-peer-reviewed study. Mate contains caffeine and a lot of it. It also has lots of other great things in it that account for the different bodily reactions in people. No need to mysify this or engage in magical thinking. It is a great stimulant for some people, for others it is terrible. It has lots of vitamins and minerals and anti-oxidants, that is a good thing but it is caffeine and it IS addictive. And it MIGHT be good for you anyway.
May 5th, 2007 at 3:31 am
I tried this stuff and I’m surprised you didn’t mention the aftertaste, which I can only describe as funky in the old-school sense of body funk.
It wasn’t unpleasant, though. It was like smelling the sweat of someone you don’t mind smelling the sweat of.
June 9th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
I found the comments written about this tea very interesting.
I am generally VERY stimulant sensitive and just cannot tolerate any.
I took a all natural cold medication with a decongestant once and was unable to sleep for 3 nights, that sensitive.
I find this tea to be awesome.
It does stimulate me in a positive, alert and energetic kind of way.
I have done lots of chores I had put off for years.
I feel good and clear minded, not tweaked out of my gourd.
An extra benifit is it makes me not hungry so I don’t eat between meals.
I’ve lost a few pounds drinking a bottle a day.
The taste is unusual but is actually enjoyable after a few times drinking it.
My sister says it tastes like cigarette butts smell, I don’t know if I’d go that far.
It’s very good and enjoyable ice cold.
I have had a positive experience and LOVE it!
It’s my secret weapon for weight loss and energy, and it’s good for me.
How did that song go? I want a new drug.
Yes, thats the one!!
October 23rd, 2007 at 9:40 am
I’ve been drinking Mate for the last 10 years and have never had the negative effects I had with caffeine. The reviewer “Rich” who stated that it does “contain caffeine, and lots of it” is inaccurate and might want to re-research their facts. Mate/ mateine is NOTHING similar to caffeine except in that it is also a stimulant, but a natural one. It does have a plethora of anti-oxidants and is noted by the AMA (American Medical Assoc.) as a positive drink in aiding the relief of many blood related disturbances. It is a mild diuretic and an excellent source (as already mentioned) to provide mental clarity. It is also known (scientifically tested and proven) to be the perfect transition for those addicted to caffeine and is noted as a method for getting off caffeine addiction and onto a more healthy drink in lieu of 2 cups (plus) of coffee daily, and is healthier than green tea.
Also, to the owner of this blog- it is appreciated you realized your reaction and sensitivity to situations with other stimulants. Everyone is different of course, I have drunk this for many years will drink it for many years- I am not dead.
October 31st, 2007 at 1:11 pm
Yerba Mate Fan, you are incorrect and are contributing to the misinformation going on around about mate.
Mate contains caffeine. The same caffeine that is in coffee or tea. It is often billed as “mateine” but mateine is the same thing as caffeine. Some people purport that mateine is a stereoisomer of caffeine but caffeine has no stereoisomers. A quick Google search for mateine yields a lot of results that confirm this and only a couple that deny it, but most chemical dictionaries clearly state that mateine IS caffeine.
It is true that drinking mate does not have a lot of the negative effects of coffee or tea drinking, but this has far more to do with other chemicals present in the mate. People who have been instructed not to drink caffeine due to high blood pressure or other reasons should still not drink mate.
February 20th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
We drink yerba mate every day, morning till night, without ill effects.
It can be prepared in a variety of ways - traditionally you’d drink from a gourd through a straw called a bombilla, even though that can be a little too much for some. Brewed from loose tea (in a french press) is my favorite. You can use juice concentrate or milk and a little sweetener for variety.
February 25th, 2008 at 12:27 am
I am a new Yerba Mate drinker, I was a devoted coffee drinker for years. I love the exotic taste and the “mild lift” I get. I am certain I will continue to drink the loose tea for years to come. I drink it throughout the day and evening. I find I even crave it which is really kinda weird. My position is that it’s a clear beverage with lots of great stuff in it and beats drinking the high pricey coffees I was used to. Oh, I will drink a cup of good coffee now and then still but I believe I am going to stick with the mate for now. Aloha
March 18th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
I just tried a Yerba Mate Latte from the Republic of Tea and about one hour after drinking it I got really dizzy. Every time I moved my head the room would spin. Actually, I was dizzy without even moving. I made it home and to bed and slept for about 4 hours. It’s 11:40pm now, I drank the tea around 3pm and am still slightly dizzy. I have had yerba mate before without a side effect so I’m not sure what is up. This had other ingredients so maybe it was the combo. My fiance told me (too late) that he also felt weird after drinking this tea although not as bad as I did.
BTW to add to the caffeine debate- the side of the container says “Unlike most herbs, Yerba mate naturally contains caffeine (it is fermented and roasted like many teas). A cup of Yerba Mate Latte contains about half the caffeine found in a cup of coffee.
April 9th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Also to YerbaMateFan…stating that Yerba Mate has a stimulant that is natural…”mateine is NOTHING similar to caffeine except in that it is also a stimulant, but a natural one.”
I’m sorry, but, last I checked, caffeine was natural too. It’s certainly not, in the normal sense, synthetic. Neither, for that matter, is nicotine, which naturally occurs in the tobacco plant.
Too many people see the words “all natural” and assume it must be good for them.
Arsenic, hemlock and cyanide are also “all natural” in that they are found in nature without the cultivation or husbandry of humans…but they’re certainly NOT good for you! They are potentially deadly poisons with little to no beneficial properties for human beings.
my $.02
May 11th, 2008 at 3:44 am
standard western tests which detect for the presence of caffeine are not sensitive enough to determine slight variations in the caffeine molecule. for example, little known is that chocolate actually contains no or very minute amounts of caffeine, yet on any nutrition data information sheet it lists a sizeable amount of caffeine, this is because the test they use is seeing the theobromine as caffeine. theobromine and caffeine are worlds apart in terms of effects, but their molecules are very similar. there is no proof that mateine is a real substance, but nor is there proof that it isnt. the most recent research has shown that the molecule in yerba mate IS slightly different from a normal caffeine molecule.. those in the mateine camp claim this as proof that mateine exists, those in the caffeine camp claim this is just tannins or some other compound bound to the caffeine. in the end it doesnt really matter which name you want it to go by. firsthand experience is all that really matters, go out and try it for yourself. it’s an experience unlike anything youve ever had before, and you will almost definitely like it. i am extremely sensitive to caffeine, and have HORRIBLE effects from all manner of caffeinated beverage.. insomnia, anxiety, jitters, irritability. I don’t get that with yerba mate, yerba mate gives me great focus and concentration, while simultaneously chilling me out, and it HELPS me sleep at night, it doesnt hinder me. mateine? caffeine? who cares! its yerba mate, and it’s not your father’s coffee, or your great grandfather’s tea. my own opinion is that if this is not mateine, then there exists something in yerba that has yet to be discovered, to account for the effects. similar to how l-theanine was only within the last 50 years discovered in tea, a psychoactive substance which gives tea a completely unique effect of it’s own over a straight-up caffeinated beverage. as to the experience of the poster.. I hate to say it, but I wonder if it werent just placebo effect? im a drug wimp myself, ill have a horrible first time with racing heart and other ANXIETY effects, with almost any new drug im trying for the first time, ESPECIALLY if im in a public location like my workplace office. maybe that’s not your problem, but dont write off yerba yet, try some at home next time, after reading up more on what you’re ingesting, realising that for millions of people in south america this is their national drink, drank overwhelmingly over tea or coffee. this is not some rare exotic drink who’s effects have not been well-established with a huge voluntary population study in progress for the past 100 years or more.
May 11th, 2008 at 5:46 am
i forgot to add, you mention youre a “spazzy” individual, usually that goes hand in hand with being anxiety-prone. you also claim to have gotten a bad reaction from “non-standard stimulants spirulina and taurine”. spirulina is nothing more than a food source, there is nothing psychoactive whatsoever in it, it’s basically dried algae/seaweed with a high nutritional content. taurine is an organic acid found naturally within the human body which also has exhibited no stimulatory effects despite commonly being found in energy drinks. all this really supports my idea that you’re experiencing nothing more than an acute panic attack over the ingestion of - as you state it - “non-standard stimulants”. youre ingesting substances which you apparently aren’t very educated on, and then freaking out with the expectation of what possible bad effect it might give you - kind of a self-fullfilling prophecy. please don’t take this as derisive, i only recognize the experience as i myself have the same problem. often even with reassuring research ill experience bad anxiety-induced effects from things the first couple of times i consume them, until my mind relaxes and realises im not going to die from it, then i can really judge fairly the effect of it.
June 15th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
To those arguing about mateine and caffeine: the science of food and and the chemicals that make it up is very new. You can’t take something you read or hear about the differences or similarities of mateine and caffeine or which is present in yerba mate to be absolute truth because we are still learning about all this food stuff and will continue learning about it well…forever. Because it is the nature of science to never be finished. So…why argue about it? Shouldn’t it be enough that a vast majority of the people who switch to yerba mate feel better and dont have as many if any negative effects as coffee? I agree whole-heartedly with enjoyment…mateine, caffeine, who cares? if it helps you then it doesn’t matter whats in it as long as there are no other negative effects. which there haven’t been and i seriously doubt there will be. I also agree with enjoyment on the point that: Kevin, you’re experience is probably due to you, not the mate itself. People’s experience with stimulants can be heavily augmented or even completely imagined due to expectations or little knowledge of what the stimulant does.