Factoids about Yerba Mate:
- In Argentina, mate is consumed 6-1 over coffee and is the leading ingredient in their diet.
- Yerba mate is rich in a group of compounds called the chlorogenic acids. These agents help to suppress appetite, regulate metabolism and inhibit fat production.
- The leaves of the yerba mate tree contain 24 vitamins and minerals, 15 amino acids, abundant antioxidants and naturally occurring caffeine.
- "Yerba" means herb. "Mate" is derived from the quichua word, "matí," which is the name of the traditional gourd. So, literally, yerba mate means "herb cup".
- Yerba mate has roughly the same caffeine content as coffee; however, caffeine-sensitive individuals do not experience the harsh side effects (jitters, stomach upset, headaches, addiction) that are common complaints with coffee.
- In South America, yerba mate has been revered for centuries as the "drink of the gods" and is drunk daily for optimum health, sustained energy and mental clarity.
-
Vitamins: A, C, E, B1, B2, Niacin (B3), B5, B Complex
Minerals: Calcium, Manganese, Iron, Selenium, Potassium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Zinc
Additional Compounds: Carotene, Fatty Acids, Chlorophyll, Flavonols, Polyphenols, Inositol, Trace Minerals, Antioxidants, Tannins, Pantothenic Acid and 15 Amino Acids
About David Karr, Co-Founder and Director for Gauyaki Yerba Mate:
After graduating from Cal Poly State University in 1996 with degrees in International Business Management and Financial Management, David Karr combined his education, social ideals and passion to co-found Guayakí Yerba Mate.
Having lived in Europe for a couple of years pursuing foreign language studies, David returned to the U.S. with a sense of purpose and a heartfelt passion for community and local farming. After drinking yerba mate in ceremony from the traditional yerba mate gourd with an Argentine friend, he fell in love with yerba mate and the way he felt sip after sip.
The vision for this award-winning company was born when David met Alex Pryor and they journeyed to Alex's home country of Argentina where the centuries-old "Drink of the Gods" called yerba mate outsells coffee 6-1.
David experienced the Argentine peoples' passion for invigorating yerba mate and observed the environmental and social crisis facing the rainforest ecosystem and its native people.
