Not all herbs are created equal. Some are simply used to spice up your meals, while some can effect significant changes in your body. Take the case of yerba mate, or mate for short. This South American plant is packed with beneficial substances, which is why native Guarani Indians used it as an all-around medicine for hundreds of years. Today, this plant enjoys an increasing popularity among health drinkers and it has even reached the same status as coffee and tea.

A member of a class of hollies that is native in countries like Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina, yerba mate can grow up to fifteen meters covered with evergreen leaves. It is basically prepared as a tea beverage; whereby the leaves and young twigs are dried, reduced to shreds, and added with hot water. For some people, toasting the leaves instead of drying them under the sun will give off a distinctive smoky aroma and flavor.

At present, yerba mate is well-known as one of the basic food supplements available online and in health stores. But the rising demand for this plant around the world prompted beverage manufacturers in South America to include it as a major ingredient in bottled or refreshment drinks as well. If you visit places where the plant is indigenous, you will be surprised that bars serving yerba mate brew entirely are more ubiquitous than coffee and tea shops.

Yerba mate's claim to fame is its extensive amounts of antioxidants. The presence of these substances makes this plant effective in preventing or reversing the damages to the body's cells brought about by free radicals or the process of oxidation. Apart from antioxidants, this herb also possesses considerable amounts of minerals like iron and vitamins C, E, and B5. Mate also has plenty of chlorophyll that can help improve the immune system and wash away harmful toxins inside the body.

Drinkers of mate brew and beverages swear that the plant helps them attain higher levels of energy. This effect is not a mystery at all, given the plant's beneficial substances. In fact, Spanish invaders centuries ago brought the plant along to take away their exhaustion in their sea voyages. Early South Americans used mate primarily as an energy drink to relieve tiredness of the mind and body.

Today, as more and more secrets of the plant become known around the world, the list of benefits derived from drinking mate keeps on growing. Some drinkers of yerba mate tea attest that it has cured their sleep problems and even their allergic reactions. As if these advantages are not enough, the herb is also proven to ease away depression and perk up one's brain functions. Amazingly, mate does not have nasty elements like caffeine which is common among other popular plants like coffee and tea.

Interestingly, the biggest appeal that this herb has is its ability to melt away fat and reduce one's weight. Proof of this is the inclusion of mate as a fundamental ingredient in a number of medications designed to combat obesity and excess weight. But you really do not have to try these meds to believe, just take a look at the people in places like Argentina and Paraguay; you will find that there are very few obese people in places where yerba mate is a mainstream drink.

A research done in Denmark discovered that this plant can trigger significant weight loss because it can help in suppressing one's appetite. Together with healthy diet and regular exercise, this plant holds the promise for a healthier weight. You do not have to look far and wide just to get the benefits of this plant.