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The South American herbal drink mate was considered a sacred elixir from the ancient Indians. It was used to raise the spirit, strengthen the body, protect against various diseases, and even to conduct cultural and religious rituals. The drink is similar to tea with a specific herbal bitterness, most often it is prepared with the addition of citrus peel. A feature of Paraguayan tea is its powerful antioxidant effect. Read more about the beneficial properties of mate in more detail below.
What is mate, and how to get it
A warm invigorating drink similar to tea is made from a similar plant - holly, which grows in Central and South America. The homeland of drinking is considered Paraguay. For brewing, young sprouts and leaves of the tree are collected, after which they are naturally dried without fermentation at high temperatures, crushed and stored. The drying process of raw materials is very painstaking and specific, and in order to get high-quality tea leaves, the leaves must be brought to a certain condition and not spoiled.
On sale you can find mate with additives - lemon peel, grapefruit or lime, mint or lemon balm, guava, feijoa and other spices.
The mate tastes grassy, has a sweetish and slightly tart taste, sometimes with bitterness. The color of the drink is golden green. When brewing, foam usually forms.
The drink was brought to Europe by Spanish sailors, after which the "novelty" quickly dispersed among the nobility, and later hit the kitchens of tea lovers. Today, everyone can enjoy a mate, observing a canonical Indian ritual or brewing a fragrant plant in the usual way.
Composition of the drink
The plant contains vitamins E, A and C that support skin health, strengthen the walls of blood vessels, stimulate brain activity and have an antioxidant effect. Niacin, B vitamins, iron and copper, potassium, manganese, magnesium, sodium, as well as chlorine and sulfur are also present.
It is noteworthy that the drink does not cause sleep disturbances. He invigorates several times stronger than coffee or tea, the effect of which is observed 3-4 hours. The action of the mate lasts all day, so they drink it little by little. In this case, the drink does not cause arrhythmias, impaired consciousness, overexcitation and exhaustion of the body, like other stimulants.
What is the use of mate
- The undeniable benefits of mate are its tonic properties. It helps to cope with drowsiness, opens a "second wind". At the same time, coffee usually invigorates the body artificially, awakening its reserve energy reserves. Mate, according to sources, nourishes the body with useful minerals, strengthening the nervous system, enhancing the conductivity of nervous tissue, making the body more flexible and resilient. Mate improves thinking, stimulates memory and imagination, sharpens perception. Also, the infusion promotes concentration and perseverance.
- The drink has a beneficial effect on the digestive system, eliminating discomfort, dulling the feeling of hunger and removing excess fluid from the body. Drinking this “tea” will help to cope with the diet (but you need to be careful not to drink the drink on an empty stomach and not exceed the norm). Optimal - drink a cup with a morning or lunch meal. This will prolong the charge of energy and help you feel faster.
- The antioxidant effect of the drink plays a particularly important role. It helps fight the action of free radicals, removes toxins, and also prevents the oxidation and deposition of salts in the body. Thanks to this, you can improve complexion, normalize digestion and increase muscle tone. Paraguayan tea helps to remove lactic acid from muscle tissue, which relieves fatigue and strength after physical training.
- In addition, the substances contained in the drink participate in the process of hematopoiesis, remove cholesterol deposits from the vessels, preventing the development of atherosclerosis, and also contribute to the saturation of the body with oxygen.
Harmful mate properties and warnings
Along with the healing effect, mate also has some insidious effects.
- So, the drink can not be combined with alcohol and cigarettes, so as not to harm the nervous system and mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Mate is not recommended to drink with kidney disorders, since it causes a diuretic effect. People with urolithiasis should be especially careful.
- Also, mate should not be used for children under 12 years of age and pregnant women. Since the drink has an effect on the nervous system, it is better for a fragile body to refrain from drinking it. Mate and people with nervous and hormonal disorders are contraindicated; the stimulating properties of “tea” can overexcite unstable NS.
- Researchers say that in abundant amounts of mate can lead to memory loss and a condition like intoxication. In this case, the mat is not a hallucinogen. In addition, an overdose can cause nausea, stomach cramps, dizziness, and other unpleasant symptoms.
- With constant use, mate can be addictive. Also, in South Americans with constant active use in combination with alcohol and smoking, this "tea" caused cancer. That is why it is customary to drink mate in a cool and warm form so that it acts less aggressively on the body.
There is also a warning about the use of mate during fasting. Tea perfectly mutes the feeling of hunger. This happens not due to nutritional components, but by affecting the areas of the brain that are responsible for hunger and satiety. Therefore, mate is recommended to drink with obesity and bulimia in order to dull the nervous feeling of hunger. During the heyday of Native American civilization, the mate helped to survive heavy trips to the mountains and through the jungle, and also increased endurance during battles. However, when drinking Paraguayan tea, you need to eat well and do not keep the body "empty."
It is necessary to introduce mate into food gradually, especially if the body is not used to exotic products. The plant usually does not cause allergies.
Traditional dishes for mate
Mate made to drink from special dishes. According to tradition, a special bowl with a lid called calabash is made from a gourd. The fruit is cleaned from seeds and pulp, dried and burned, after which decor with cultural elements of the Indians is applied to the dishes. Ornaments were scraped out on calabash and decorated with silver. Complete with a bowl is a special tube - a bombilla, at one of its ends there is a strainer so that the tea leaves do not clog the straw. They are made of wood, reed or silver. The noble metal keeps the bombilla clean and kills bacteria.
Mate is brewed individually. Passionate drink lovers always carry a mate kit with them like a tobacco pipe.
In the homeland of mate, such dishes are made in the traditional way from original materials. But also in the world you can find many analogues, for example, clay or wooden cups for mate, repeating the original form.
You can drink mate from the most common glass and ceramic cups. This will not affect the beneficial properties of tea. In addition, the brewing ritual can be repeated in a thermos or thermo-mug.
How to cook
Mate is drunk cool and warm. Boiling water "tea" is not brewed so as not to destroy all the useful components. Even ancient Native Americans believed that this "kills the soul" of the drink, which was attributed to divine power.
Good to know! Mate infusion opens gradually, it can be poured several times. Optimal - 3-4, but it is possible up to 6 times, until the plant ceases to give away its aromatic juice with oils.
Usually mate is not filtered. According to tradition, the dry powder of the tea leaves is placed on one, or even two third vessels, after which it is gradually filled with warm water and drunk almost immediately. The fact is that in Paraguay and Argentina they drink such a drink throughout the day, adding fresh water to a vessel. For a person who is not used to mate, the drink may seem strong, so if you are just taking a sample from an exotic drink, it is recommended to use about 3 tablespoons of raw materials per 250 ml of water. If you wish, you can always adjust the strength of the tea by adding tea leaves or diluting with water.
If you adhere to the ritual, pour the tea leaves to the bottom of the cup, tilt the vessel to one side and insert the tube so that it touches the bottom without touching the leaves of the drink. Then pour a little warm (about 60 °) water, steam the powder under the lid for about a minute and a half, and then add hot water (about 80 °). You can add lemon juice or honey to the tea leaves, but then it will quickly lose its freshness. It is better to add dry ingredients: zest, herbs and candied fruits.
The authentic taste of mate presents it as a separate dish. It is not customary to serve desserts or drink at dinner. Mate is sipped in small sips before or after a meal.
How much mate can you drink?
The drink is strong and very invigorating, it quickly awakens and mobilizes the body, maintaining its active state throughout the day, therefore, experts do not recommend drinking more than 1 cup per day. It is best to drink mate in the morning to wake up, or after dinner, when the body is already tired of work and requires recharging - then in the evening you will remain energetic.
So that the mate probably does not harm the body and does not cause addiction, it is recommended to drink it no more than 2-3 times a week.
Video: mate tea properties
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