Teas from across the globe are becoming more popular in the U.S. One relative newcomer, yerba mate, is attracting fans for its allegedly jitter-free caffeine boost and high antioxidant content.
Lab research suggests some potential health benefits of drinking yerba mate, but studies of lifelong yerba mate drinkers in the tea's native South America suggest the brew increases the risk of some cancers, a fact most marketing campaigns omit.
Yerba mate, from leaves of the Ilex paraguariensis tree, is traditionally brewed and served in a dried-out gourd and sipped through a metal straw with a filter on one end to prevent drinkers from getting a mouthful of leaves.
In the U.S., the tea is rarely served in gourds. A small but growing number of companies, however, sell the loose or bagged leaves, and some are offering cold bottled blends of the tea.
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Lab research suggests some potential health benefits of drinking yerba mate, but studies of lifelong yerba mate drinkers in the tea's native South America suggest the brew increases the risk of some cancers, a fact most marketing campaigns omit.
Yerba mate, from leaves of the Ilex paraguariensis tree, is traditionally brewed and served in a dried-out gourd and sipped through a metal straw with a filter on one end to prevent drinkers from getting a mouthful of leaves.
In the U.S., the tea is rarely served in gourds. A small but growing number of companies, however, sell the loose or bagged leaves, and some are offering cold bottled blends of the tea.
full story
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