What are yerba mate’s main benefits?

Yerba mate tea is commonly used for its stimulant properties, similar to coffee or other teas. The amount of caffeine in yerba mate can vary greatly (11 to 57 grams of caffeine per 100 mL) depending on the type of leaves used and how the beverage is prepared.^[1] Caffeine can reduce drowsiness, increase alertness, and improve some aspects of cognition,^[2] but research on yerba mate hasn’t specifically assessed these outcomes.

Yerba mate is rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds. Regular consumption has been reported to improve markers of oxidative stress — the most consistent finding being increased levels of glutathione — in a variety of populations.^{[3][4][5][6][7][8]}

Yerba mate may positively affect metabolic health, including increased fat oxidation during exercise or at rest^{[9][10][11][12]} and small (likely clinically insignificant) reductions in body fat in people with overweight or obesity.^[13][14][15] Some research has also reported decreases in LDL cholesterol in people with dyslipidemia^[16][5][17] and reductions in HbA1c and blood glucose in people with type 2 diabetes;^[18][7] however, this research should be considered preliminary. While appetite suppression has been reported occasionally,^[10][6] this is not consistently found.^[5][18]