Key takeaways:
Yerba mate is a traditional tea that’s been used in South America for centuries.
Like coffee and many other types of tea, it’s a stimulant that naturally contains caffeine.
Yerba mate contains lots of vitamins and minerals and has been linked to several health benefits, though the evidence is limited.
Yerba mate (pronounced yer-bah ma-teh) is a South American tea made from the leaves of the tree Ilex paraguariensis. Native to South America, yerba mate was originally consumed by indigenous Guaraní communities. People have used yerba mate as a medicinal beverage for centuries.
It’s now a common drink in many parts of South America. Thanks to its high amounts of vitamins and minerals, yerba mate has also grown in popularity across the globe. It’s been promoted for benefits ranging from better focus to weight loss and improved heart health. In recent years, modern research has confirmed some — but not all — of these health benefits. Let’s take a closer look.
What does current research say about the potential health benefits of yerba mate?
People have consumed yerba mate as both a medicinal and social beverage for centuries. Over the years, many claims have been made about what yerba mate can help with. There’s some promising research to back up some of these claims, though many of the studies were pretty small. Let’s take a look at these claims and what the research shows.
1. It can make you feel more alert
Yerba mate contains caffeine, along with other stimulants, such as theobromine and theophylline. These natural chemicals can make you feel more alert and awake. They also can help with focus. Some people say that yerba mate gives all the mental stimulant benefits of coffee, but it doesn’t have a lot of the associated heart effects, like jitteriness and palpitations.
2. It might help with blood sugar management
Some people claim that yerba mate can help with managing blood glucose (blood sugar), but a 2025 meta-analysis didn’t find significant improvement in fasting glucose or fasting insulin with yerba mate. And only 2 of the 13 studies that were included in this meta-analysis showed improvements in blood sugar after meals, hemoglobin A1C, and insulin resistance in people with prediabetes. It’s impossible to say if the improvements were even due to yerba mate, since the trials used a supplement that combined yerba mate with white mulberry and chromium picolinate.
Both of the studies that showed potential benefits for blood sugar management were done by the same research team. This matters because the team used similar methods in both studies, so the same mistakes or biases could affect both sets of results.
3. It has anti-inflammatory properties
Yerba mate contains a lot of polyphenols. These are compounds that have many benefits, including reducing inflammation in your body. Because yerba mate has so many polyphenols, it makes sense that drinking yerba mate would help with inflammation.
Some research has backed up claims about yerba mate’s anti-inflammatory benefits. In this study, people who drank yerba mate regularly were found to have lower levels of a wide range of inflammatory markers in their body.
4. It might be good for your skin
Because yerba mate contains many vitamins and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals, lots of people believe that it can be used to improve your skin. For this reason, some modern beauty products contain yerba-mate extract.
It makes sense that products with vitamins and anti-inflammatory properties could be good for your skin. But there hasn’t been a lot of research to confirm this benefit. And there are likely better natural ways to improve your skin health. All the same, drinking yerba mate can help you stay hydrated, which is key to skin health. So, you can count any skin benefits as a possible bonus.
5. It might lower your blood pressure
Research has shown that yerba mate can lower blood pressure. In one study, people who drank yerba mate 3 times a day saw their blood pressure drop after just 8 weeks. Scientists believe that this is because yerba mate causes your body’s natural levels of nitric oxide to increase. This makes your arteries relax, and your blood pressure goes down as a result.
6. It has some anti-cancer properties
Research performed in labs has shown that yerba mate does have a cytotoxic effect on cancer cells. In other words, when cancer cells are exposed to yerba mate, they die off.
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Although this proves that yerba mate has some anti-cancer properties, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it can help prevent or treat cancer. People have long believed that yerba mate has a protective effect against cancer but, so far, there haven’t been any studies to confirm this.
Some people turn to yerba mate as a natural appetite suppressant. After all, yerba mate is a stimulant, and stimulants generally increase the body’s metabolism. But that doesn’t mean that it can lead to significant or lasting weight loss. In general, there’s no quality evidence to suggest that natural appetite suppressants really work.
In one study, people with high body mass index (BMI) levels consumed oral supplements made from yerba mate for 12 weeks. Researchers found that these people had lower body fat than people who didn’t receive supplements. Scientists believe that this is because yerba mate contains natural compounds that send signals to your body telling it to produce less fat. In other words, rather than simply helping to burn fat, yerba mate might also make it so that your body makes less fat to begin with.
But the same 2025 analysis of randomized trials mentioned above found no significant change in BMI or waist circumference among people consuming yerba mate.
So, having yerba mate doesn’t seem to support meaningful weight loss.
7. It does not seem to improve cholesterol
Some older research reported that yerba mate lowered “bad” cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, or LDL) levels and raised “good” cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein or HDL) levels. But a 2025 analysis of randomized trials found that yerba mate didn’t improve LDL, HDL, total cholesterol, or triglyceride levels.
In short, if you’re looking for dietary or other natural ways to manage your cholesterol, there are better options.
8. It does not seem to support meaningful weight loss
Some people turn to yerba mate as a natural appetite suppressant. After all, yerba mate is a stimulant, and stimulants generally increase the body’s metabolism. But that doesn’t mean that it can lead to significant or lasting weight loss. In general, there’s no quality evidence to suggest that natural appetite suppressants really work.
In one study, people with high BMI levels consumed oral supplements made from yerba mate for 12 weeks. Researchers found that these people had lower body fat than people who didn’t receive supplements. Scientists believe that this is because yerba mate contains natural compounds that send signals to your body telling it to produce less fat. In other words, rather than simply helping to burn fat, yerba mate might also make it so that your body makes less fat to begin with.
But the same 2025 analysis of randomized trials mentioned above found no significant change in BMI or waist circumference among people consuming yerba mate.
Yerba mate nutritional content
Yerba mate is rich in many vitamins and minerals. It also contains lots of nutritionally important phytochemicals, which are the basis of many of the positive health effects that yerba mate has.
Here are some of the phytochemicals in yerba mate:
Polyphenols: Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants.
Xanthines: These often act as stimulants.
Flavonoids: These have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.
All of these compounds are bioactive, meaning that they have specific effects on your body.
In addition to phytochemicals, yerba mate also contains lots of vitamins, like:
Vitamin B2
Yerba mate is also rich in many minerals, including:
What are the side effects of yerba mate?
Yerba mate is a stimulant, so it can cause many of the same side effects as other caffeinated drinks. This means that drinking yerba mate may lead to:
Trouble sleeping: Drinking caffeinated drinks is more likely to affect your sleep if you consume them later in the day.
Jitters: Yerba mate can cause you to feel like your heart is racing, especially if you drink a lot of it. And although people say that yerba mate causes you to feel less jittery and nervous than coffee does, it can still cause these symptoms as well.
Drinking yerba mate has also been linked with higher levels of esophageal cancer. The truth is that drinking any hot beverage is linked with esophageal cancer. This link has nothing to do with yerba mate itself. It’s linked with esophageal cancer simply because lots of people happen to drink it when it’s very hot. If you drink yerba mate at lower temperatures, you aren’t at an increased risk of developing esophageal cancer.
How do you drink yerba mate?
In South America, yerba mate is traditionally brewed by filling a gourd with the tea leaves and pouring hot water over it. People then drink it using a metal straw. You can drink it unsweetened or sweetened with sugar.
In North America, yerba mate is often packaged into tea bags. It’s brewed by dipping the tea bag into hot water. Some companies also sell it as a cold canned or bottled beverage, or they add it as an ingredient to energy drinks.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, yerba mate does have caffeine. It also has theobromine and theophylline, which are other stimulants that are also found in coffee and in other teas. Yerba mate contains about 1% to 2% caffeine by dry weight. This is less than coffee or tea, but you typically use a lot more yerba mate to brew a single cup of it, so the actual caffeine content in a serving of yerba mate can vary a lot.
Yerba mate has been found to have a lot of health benefits. Some of these include lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol, helping to control your diabetes, and having anti-inflammatory properties. Researchers have also identified a range of health benefits in coffee, too.
There isn’t a lot of research that compares yerba mate and coffee head-to-head, so it’s hard to say if one is really better than the other.
Most of the studies showing health benefits of yerba mate had participants drinking it at least once a day. Some studies that demonstrated health benefits even had people drink it three times a day. What this means is that it’s not dangerous to drink yerba mate every day. In fact, it’s probably OK to do so.
But keep in mind that there are many yerba mate products on the market now. Some contain a lot of sugar. Research findings don’t apply to these types of products.
Anyone who needs to avoid caffeine should also stay away from yerba mate. This includes anyone with heart arrhythmias and people with sleep disorders, like insomnia. Children and people who are pregnant or nursing should also be careful with yerba mate because of its caffeine content. Lastly, since yerba mate is a diuretic (it makes you pee), people with overactive bladders should avoid yerba mate as well.
Yes, yerba mate does have caffeine. It also has theobromine and theophylline, which are other stimulants that are also found in coffee and in other teas. Yerba mate contains about 1% to 2% caffeine by dry weight. This is less than coffee or tea, but you typically use a lot more yerba mate to brew a single cup of it, so the actual caffeine content in a serving of yerba mate can vary a lot.
Yerba mate has been found to have a lot of health benefits. Some of these include lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol, helping to control your diabetes, and having anti-inflammatory properties. Researchers have also identified a range of health benefits in coffee, too.
There isn’t a lot of research that compares yerba mate and coffee head-to-head, so it’s hard to say if one is really better than the other.
Most of the studies showing health benefits of yerba mate had participants drinking it at least once a day. Some studies that demonstrated health benefits even had people drink it three times a day. What this means is that it’s not dangerous to drink yerba mate every day. In fact, it’s probably OK to do so.
But keep in mind that there are many yerba mate products on the market now. Some contain a lot of sugar. Research findings don’t apply to these types of products.
Anyone who needs to avoid caffeine should also stay away from yerba mate. This includes anyone with heart arrhythmias and people with sleep disorders, like insomnia. Children and people who are pregnant or nursing should also be careful with yerba mate because of its caffeine content. Lastly, since yerba mate is a diuretic (it makes you pee), people with overactive bladders should avoid yerba mate as well.
The bottom line
Yerba mate is a beverage that has been consumed for centuries. Indigenous communities have long used it as a social and medicinal drink. Yerba mate contains caffeine and other stimulants, so it’s often used to increase wakefulness and alertness.
Because yerba mate has been gaining in popularity worldwide, there’s increasing attention to its health benefits. Although some early studies linked yerba mate to lower cholesterol, better blood sugar management, and weight loss, newer research paints a more cautious picture. It doesn’t seem to meaningfully improve cholesterol or BMI. At the same time, it’s a drink with a rich cultural history that poses minimal risk.
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References
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Gawron-Gzella, A., et al. (2021). Yerba mate — A long but current history. Nutrients.
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Ramirez-Mares, M. V., et al. (2004). In vitro chemopreventive activity of Camellia sinensis, Ilex paraguariensis and Ardisia compressa tea extracts and selected polyphenols. Mutation Research.
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