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Meet Mate: Your New Morning BrewThe traditional vessel for brewing mate is a hollowed out, cured gourd and a metal bombilla straw. The straw has a strainer built into the bottom, and the leaves are strained as you sip! Preparation is simple. The straw is inserted first, and then the leaves are poured in to surround the straw. Just add hot water and it’s ready to drink!
Drinking mate is often a social experience, a stark contrast from the American disposable coffee cup on the run. A single gourd is often shared and passed around amongst company. The gourd is small, and each steep contains less than ten sips. The leaves are continuously re-steeped until there is no flavor left to extract. Boiled water can be poured over the leaves up to 20 times before they need to be refreshed.
Since mate is not traditionally served in an 8 or 16 oz. cup, but rather steeped and sipped continuously, the amount of caffeine that the drinker is consuming is also variable and not entirely comparable. The brew is extremely energizing. It definitely provides a boost, regardless of the stimulant’s name or the true amount of milligrams consumed. The boost it gives often comes without unwanted jitters.
Mental
Researchers are discovering some antidepressant qualities in the leaf as well! A possible MAO inhibitor, it may help to level out serotonin and other feel-good chemicals in the brain, alleviating stress, anxiety, and depression. Although it is a stimulant, it doesn’t cause the jittery sensation commonly associated with caffeinated beverages. Drinking mate doesn’t affect natural sleep cycles either, and it has been suggested that consumption of the tea may actually increase the time spent in REM (rapid eye movement) and delta (deep) sleep states. A significant magnesium content increases GABA function. GABA is a neurotransmitter that calms the nerves and helps to relax the mind. Magnesium is also a subtle sleep aid.