Students and Gamers turning to Yerba Mate to Stay Awake

Where did Yerba Mate originate?

Many people in the world are turning to Yerba Mate. Year on year, its popularity and availability is growing rapidly. This has stemmed from its prevalent use in South America, where Yerba Mate is the ‘national drink’ for many countries on the continent. 

It was originally consumed by the Guaraní people, who lived in what is known today as Paraguay, as well as Bolivia and Uruguay, but now is widely consumed all over South America. 

How does Yerba Mate affect concentration?

Yerba Mate contains a combination of stimulants: caffeine, theobromine and theophylline. These are natural stimulants which work by impacting the levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain: dopamine and norepinephrine. 

• Dopamine is involved with the reinforcement of rewarding behaviours. It is one of our ‘feel good’ hormones and also plays a role in memory, movement, motivation, mood and attention.
• Norepinephrine affects circulation - things like our blood vessels, blood pressure and heart rate. 

It is through the interaction with these neurotransmitters that yerba mate can help to improve concentration. Due to its direct influence on motivation and alertness, the increased levels of dopamine, in particular, helps elicit this benefit.

Can Yerba Mate improve memory?

It is becoming increasingly clear that yerba mate has an impact on our cognition, which includes things like: memory, alertness, focus and overall brain health. The positive benefits on these core brain functions are thought to be due to the influence of yerba mate on neurotransmitter dopamine, which plays a role in memory, as well as other natural nootropics within yerba mate. 

The direct mechanism behind these benefits need more research, but it is assumed the natural composition of yerba mate, with all the nootropics it contains, is how it benefits the brain, and specifically memory. It helps to provide a safe, non-jittery boost in alertness, that in turn, can help to improve your memory. 

Unlike other sources of caffeine, where you get a huge spike and jitters (such as strong coffees, or energy drinks), yerba mate allows people to work in a calmer state. This enables clear concentration and focus, which again, can contribute to improved memory. 

Why is Yerba Mate so popular amongst gamers?

Gaming and esports require a huge amount of focus, for prolonged periods of time; it’s no wonder that caffeine is rife in the e-sports world. But, it is often a double edged sword whereby it helps in the short term, but then can lead to headaches, jitters and trouble sleeping afterwards, which will have a negative impact on energy levels beyond the game. 

Finding natural alternatives that reduce these negative impacts was crucial for gamers, and it seems to have been found in Yerba Mate. Its combination of stimulants: caffeine, theobromine and theophylline, create a gradual stimulating effect by working on neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine, without causing any jitters or energy crashes. Similarly, relying less on caffeine alone means sleep is less impacted and energy levels are more stable.

Does Yerba Mate help with studying?

Yerba mate is the perfect drink to consume whilst working or studying. In the same way that yerba mate is popular among gamers for its benefits on focus, memory and alertness without the cost of jitters or energy crashes, yerba mate should be used by anyone who wants to get the most out of their work or study sessions. 

Its unique composition helps to provide everything you need for optimal productivity - focus, alertness, improved motivation, mood and memory. And, while you can get some of those from energy drinks, or coffees, remember that they come with a cost of jitters, energy crashes and negative impacts on sleep. To get the same buzz from a 100% natural source, without any of the crash, and for ultimate productivity when studying, yerba mate is the answer.

Is Yerba Mate high in calories?

The calorific content of yerba mate largely depends on the format you choose to consume it in. Brewed and consumed traditionally - steeping the leaves in boiling water - the calorie content will be between 0-30kcals. This is much lower than your traditional energy drinks. On top of this, there is no sugar or anything added to traditionally brewed yerba mate.

For some people, they may prefer to enjoy the benefits of yerba mate in a can. This will impact the amount of calories and other nutrients, so it is always worth checking the label before buying these. However, largely speaking, yerba mate based canned drinks will be healthier alternatives to traditional energy drinks.

Are there any side effects to drinking Yerba Mate?

As highlighted above, Yerba Mate does contain caffeine, alongside other stimulants, which if consumed in high quantities, can lead to side effects such as increased heart rate, stomach issues, headaches, jitters and can impact sleep quality, too. Even though it contains less caffeine than coffee and energy drinks, it is always recommended to be aware of just how much yerba mate you’re consuming and to consume it in moderation. 

There are also some hypotheses that yerba mate causes cancer. The important thing to note is these claims are all made without conclusive results. There are no valid, scientific studies that specifically look into yerba mate and are able to link it to causing cancer. 

For a healthy, 100% natural way to support studying, working or gaming, or anything that requires immense focus, yerba mate is the crash-free solution.