Post by Auset on Mar 21, 2004 14:10:13 GMT -5
In current practice in industrialized, modem Argentina and Paraguay, maté tea is made from the leaves steeped in hot water. Actually, a large quantity of ground leaf is first soaked in cold water, then the hot water is added, over and over again, until all the good stuff has been extracted. In between each addition of hot water the tea is ingested through a special wood or metal straw, called a bombilla, that filters out the leafy material.
Among the native Guarani, the natural use of maté for healthful purposes has persisted. They use it to boost immunity, cleanse and detoxify the blood, tone the nervous system, restore youthful hair color, retard aging, combat fatigue, stimulate the mind, control the appetite, reduce the effects of debilitating disease, and so forth.
Several attempts to characterize part or all of the constituents of maté have been made during the last few decades. The one thing that unites the various assays is the consistent detection of numerous vitamins and minerals. There is the usual array of resins, fiber, volatile oil, tannins that characterize many plant substances. But then there is the growing list of vitamins and minerals, including carotene, vitamins A, C, E, BI, B2, B complex, riboflavin, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin C complex, magnesium, calcium, iron, sodium, potassium, manganese, silicon, phosphates, sulphur, chlorophyll, choline, and inositol. Different assays find different nutrients; there is probably no single assay that has found all of them.
One group of investigators from the Pasteur Institute and the Paris Scientific Society concluded that maté contains practically all of the vitamins necessary to sustain life. They focused especially on pantothenic acid, remarking that it is rare to find a plant with so much of this significant and vital nutrient. It is indeed difficult to find a plant in any area of the world equal to maté in nutritional value.
In addition, maté contains xanthine alkaloids. Though only small amounts of xanthine occur in maté, the presence of this substance has generated a huge amount of attention. The xanthine in maté is called matéine. Matéine is thought by most authorities to be identical to caffeine; but the effects of maté on the body are substantially different from those of simple caffeine. Doctors sometimes find it useful to give yerba maté to their patients who need to stop using caffeine products for health reasons. As mention in the chapter on Pharmacology, it seems to be the pattern of xanthine constituents in a plant that lends to it a distinctive profile.
There is only one xanthine property that seems to be shared by all xanthines: smooth muscle relaxation. It is this action that makes them, with the exception of caffeine, whose smooth muscle relaxant effects are diminished by other properties, good clinical dilators of the bronchi and hence useful in the treatment of asthma.
The effect of yerba maté may not even be attributable to any degree to the caffeine, yet its stimulant nature is well known. Researchers at the Free Hygienic Institute of Hamburg, Germany, concluded that the amount of caffeine in maté is so tiny that it would take 100 tea bags of maté in a six ounce cup of water to equal the caffeine in a six ounce serving of regular coffee (an opinion not shared by all experts). They make the rather astute observation that it is obvious that the active principle in yerba maté is not caffeine!
At any rate, maté appears to possess the best combination of xanthine properties possible. For example, like other xanthines, it stimulates the central nervous system, but unlike most, it is not habituating or addicting. Likewise, unlike caffeine, it induces better, not worse, attributes of sleep. It is a mild, not a strong, diuretic, as are many xanthines. It relaxes peripheral blood vessels, thereby reducing blood pressure, without the strong pressor effects on the medulla and heart exhibited by some xanthines. We also know that it improves psychomotor performance without the typical xanthine-induced depressant after effects.
Dr. Jose Martin, Director of the National Institute of Technology in Paraguay, writes, "New research and better technology have shown that while matéine has a chemical constituency similar to caffeine, the molecular binding is different. matéine has none of the ill effects of caffeine." And Horacio Conesa, professor at the University of Buenos Aires Medical School, states, "There is not a single medical contraindication" for ingesting maté. Clinical studies show, in fact, that individuals with caffeine sensitivities can ingest maté without adverse reactions.
Summarizing the clinical studies of France, Germany, Argentina and other countries, it appears that we may be dealing here with the most powerful rejuvenator known to man. Unlike the guarana of the Tupi, the coca of the Incas, the coffee of India, or the tea of China, maté rejuvenates not by the false hopes of caffeine, but simply through the wealth of its nutrients.
Dieters use maté to suppress the appetite, while providing necessary nutrition, energy and improved elimination.
Better than any other xanthine alkaloid, maté has the ability to quicken the mind, increase mental alertness and acuity, and do it without any side effects such as nervousness and jitters. These observations have been made time and again by qualified medical experts as well as by the lay user. The effects of maté on the nervous system are varied and not very well understood. The best guess is that it acts like a tonic, stimulating a weakened and depressed nervous system and sedating an overexcited one. Certainly the nutritiona] value of the plant cannot be overlooked as a possible substrate for improved health and function.
Our knowledge of maté's effects are currently limited almost exclusively to observations on gross changes in behavior: more energy and vitality, better ability to concentrate, less nervousness, agitation and anxiety, increased resistance to both physical and mental fatigue. One consistent observation is the improvement in mood, especially in depression, that follows the ingestion of the tea. This may be a direct result, or it may be an indirect result of increased energy.
Anecdotal reports of improved memory have not been substantiated experimentally or clinically, but are logical, and may again be attributed the nutrients, especially choline, and important central nervous system neurotransmitter. One of the remarkable aspects of maté is that it does not interfere with sleep cycles; in fact, it has a tendency to balance the cycles, inducing more REM sleep when necessary, or increasing the amount of time spent in delta states. Many people report that they require less sleep when using maté usually such an experience is accompanied by a deeper more relaxing sleep.
Heart ailments of all kinds have been treated and/or prevented through yerba maté use. Yerba maté supplies many of nutrients required by the heart for growth and repair. In addition, it increases the supply of oxygen to the heart, especially during periods of stress or exercise. The metabolic effects of maté appear to include the prevention of anaerobic glycolysis and the resulting build up of lactic acid during exercise. Reports of maté reducing blood pressure are not uncommon.
A consistent observation in most South American literature on maté is that it increases the immune response capability of the body, stimulating the natural resistance to disease. This also involves a nourishing and strengthening effect on the ill person, both during the course of the illness and during convalescence, sometimes dramatically accelerating recovery times.
Maté has long been known to prevent and reduce fatigue. The most logical mechanism of action at this time seems to be a direct stimulating effect on metabolism in muscle cells. Additionally, there is growing clinical evidence that maté stimulates the adrenal glands to produce corticosteroids. This mechanism of action may account for the commonly observed action of maté to decrease the severity and incidence of allergy and hay fever. The adrenocortical action may help explain reported cases of hypoglycemic patients responding to maté. It is possible that maté, by stimulating the adrenal cortex to secrete glucocorticoids, helps balance blood glucose levels. Similarly, it may also stimulate the production of mineralcorticoids, thereby helping to regulate electrolyte metabolism. These hypotheses are attractive, given certain clinical observations, but need to be scrutinized more closely in experimental settings. maté reduces the effects of stress on the body; this property probably involves a combination of effects on the endocrine system, the nervous system and the immune system, but is one of the most important of the herb's actions.
The combined effect of all of the above properties of maté on thermogenesis is to augment the action of ephedra, tone the adrenals, nurture the entire body, increase energy, mildly suppress the appetite, and improve cardiovascular function. None of these actions is extremely powerful, but added together, they may contribute a large measure of beneficial synergy with other thennogenic substances.
FDA Disclaimer: The statements in this article have not been evaluated by the FDA. The products mentioned herein are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For medical advice, always consult your health care professional.
Among the native Guarani, the natural use of maté for healthful purposes has persisted. They use it to boost immunity, cleanse and detoxify the blood, tone the nervous system, restore youthful hair color, retard aging, combat fatigue, stimulate the mind, control the appetite, reduce the effects of debilitating disease, and so forth.
Several attempts to characterize part or all of the constituents of maté have been made during the last few decades. The one thing that unites the various assays is the consistent detection of numerous vitamins and minerals. There is the usual array of resins, fiber, volatile oil, tannins that characterize many plant substances. But then there is the growing list of vitamins and minerals, including carotene, vitamins A, C, E, BI, B2, B complex, riboflavin, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin C complex, magnesium, calcium, iron, sodium, potassium, manganese, silicon, phosphates, sulphur, chlorophyll, choline, and inositol. Different assays find different nutrients; there is probably no single assay that has found all of them.
One group of investigators from the Pasteur Institute and the Paris Scientific Society concluded that maté contains practically all of the vitamins necessary to sustain life. They focused especially on pantothenic acid, remarking that it is rare to find a plant with so much of this significant and vital nutrient. It is indeed difficult to find a plant in any area of the world equal to maté in nutritional value.
In addition, maté contains xanthine alkaloids. Though only small amounts of xanthine occur in maté, the presence of this substance has generated a huge amount of attention. The xanthine in maté is called matéine. Matéine is thought by most authorities to be identical to caffeine; but the effects of maté on the body are substantially different from those of simple caffeine. Doctors sometimes find it useful to give yerba maté to their patients who need to stop using caffeine products for health reasons. As mention in the chapter on Pharmacology, it seems to be the pattern of xanthine constituents in a plant that lends to it a distinctive profile.
There is only one xanthine property that seems to be shared by all xanthines: smooth muscle relaxation. It is this action that makes them, with the exception of caffeine, whose smooth muscle relaxant effects are diminished by other properties, good clinical dilators of the bronchi and hence useful in the treatment of asthma.
The effect of yerba maté may not even be attributable to any degree to the caffeine, yet its stimulant nature is well known. Researchers at the Free Hygienic Institute of Hamburg, Germany, concluded that the amount of caffeine in maté is so tiny that it would take 100 tea bags of maté in a six ounce cup of water to equal the caffeine in a six ounce serving of regular coffee (an opinion not shared by all experts). They make the rather astute observation that it is obvious that the active principle in yerba maté is not caffeine!
At any rate, maté appears to possess the best combination of xanthine properties possible. For example, like other xanthines, it stimulates the central nervous system, but unlike most, it is not habituating or addicting. Likewise, unlike caffeine, it induces better, not worse, attributes of sleep. It is a mild, not a strong, diuretic, as are many xanthines. It relaxes peripheral blood vessels, thereby reducing blood pressure, without the strong pressor effects on the medulla and heart exhibited by some xanthines. We also know that it improves psychomotor performance without the typical xanthine-induced depressant after effects.
Dr. Jose Martin, Director of the National Institute of Technology in Paraguay, writes, "New research and better technology have shown that while matéine has a chemical constituency similar to caffeine, the molecular binding is different. matéine has none of the ill effects of caffeine." And Horacio Conesa, professor at the University of Buenos Aires Medical School, states, "There is not a single medical contraindication" for ingesting maté. Clinical studies show, in fact, that individuals with caffeine sensitivities can ingest maté without adverse reactions.
Summarizing the clinical studies of France, Germany, Argentina and other countries, it appears that we may be dealing here with the most powerful rejuvenator known to man. Unlike the guarana of the Tupi, the coca of the Incas, the coffee of India, or the tea of China, maté rejuvenates not by the false hopes of caffeine, but simply through the wealth of its nutrients.
Dieters use maté to suppress the appetite, while providing necessary nutrition, energy and improved elimination.
Better than any other xanthine alkaloid, maté has the ability to quicken the mind, increase mental alertness and acuity, and do it without any side effects such as nervousness and jitters. These observations have been made time and again by qualified medical experts as well as by the lay user. The effects of maté on the nervous system are varied and not very well understood. The best guess is that it acts like a tonic, stimulating a weakened and depressed nervous system and sedating an overexcited one. Certainly the nutritiona] value of the plant cannot be overlooked as a possible substrate for improved health and function.
Our knowledge of maté's effects are currently limited almost exclusively to observations on gross changes in behavior: more energy and vitality, better ability to concentrate, less nervousness, agitation and anxiety, increased resistance to both physical and mental fatigue. One consistent observation is the improvement in mood, especially in depression, that follows the ingestion of the tea. This may be a direct result, or it may be an indirect result of increased energy.
Anecdotal reports of improved memory have not been substantiated experimentally or clinically, but are logical, and may again be attributed the nutrients, especially choline, and important central nervous system neurotransmitter. One of the remarkable aspects of maté is that it does not interfere with sleep cycles; in fact, it has a tendency to balance the cycles, inducing more REM sleep when necessary, or increasing the amount of time spent in delta states. Many people report that they require less sleep when using maté usually such an experience is accompanied by a deeper more relaxing sleep.
Heart ailments of all kinds have been treated and/or prevented through yerba maté use. Yerba maté supplies many of nutrients required by the heart for growth and repair. In addition, it increases the supply of oxygen to the heart, especially during periods of stress or exercise. The metabolic effects of maté appear to include the prevention of anaerobic glycolysis and the resulting build up of lactic acid during exercise. Reports of maté reducing blood pressure are not uncommon.
A consistent observation in most South American literature on maté is that it increases the immune response capability of the body, stimulating the natural resistance to disease. This also involves a nourishing and strengthening effect on the ill person, both during the course of the illness and during convalescence, sometimes dramatically accelerating recovery times.
Maté has long been known to prevent and reduce fatigue. The most logical mechanism of action at this time seems to be a direct stimulating effect on metabolism in muscle cells. Additionally, there is growing clinical evidence that maté stimulates the adrenal glands to produce corticosteroids. This mechanism of action may account for the commonly observed action of maté to decrease the severity and incidence of allergy and hay fever. The adrenocortical action may help explain reported cases of hypoglycemic patients responding to maté. It is possible that maté, by stimulating the adrenal cortex to secrete glucocorticoids, helps balance blood glucose levels. Similarly, it may also stimulate the production of mineralcorticoids, thereby helping to regulate electrolyte metabolism. These hypotheses are attractive, given certain clinical observations, but need to be scrutinized more closely in experimental settings. maté reduces the effects of stress on the body; this property probably involves a combination of effects on the endocrine system, the nervous system and the immune system, but is one of the most important of the herb's actions.
The combined effect of all of the above properties of maté on thermogenesis is to augment the action of ephedra, tone the adrenals, nurture the entire body, increase energy, mildly suppress the appetite, and improve cardiovascular function. None of these actions is extremely powerful, but added together, they may contribute a large measure of beneficial synergy with other thennogenic substances.
FDA Disclaimer: The statements in this article have not been evaluated by the FDA. The products mentioned herein are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For medical advice, always consult your health care professional.
