Yerba Mate Vs. Green Tea: Comparing Caffeine & Nutritional Value

When looking for a beverage that’s high in nutrition and energy, your health comes first. If you’ve been considering leaving coffee behind, but still want to get a bit of an energy boost, yerba mate and green tea are great options. But yerba mate versus green tea: which one is better?

Which one is healthier overall? And what’s the difference between the two anyway?

If you’ve been looking for a no-nonsense breakdown of these two plant-based beverages, you’ve come to the right place.

Ola Mate here: Our team of materos researched how yerba mate and green tea stack up, so you can pick the right beverage for the right time of day.

In this article, we’ll cover a few different angles of yerba mate and green tea, including:

• What are yerba mate and green tea?

• Where do they come from?

• What are the health benefits of yerba mate and green tea?

• Which one should you choose: yerba mate vs. green tea

• Yerba mate versus green tea for physical fitness

• Frequently asked questions (FAQ) about thirst-quenching, nutrient-rich beverages

• The sustainability of packaged yerba mate and green tea products

• Frequently asked questions (FAQ) about green tea and yerba mate

Table: Yerba mate versus green tea (a summary)

What’s the difference between yerba mate and green tea?

The primary difference is the botanical origin of the plant. For example, green tea comes from Camellia sinensis, the tea plant, whereas yerba mate comes from Ilex paraguariensis, a holly plant. Because of its origins, yerba mate is technically an herbal infusion (sometimes referred to as a tisane), not necessarily a tea.

In practice, here’s how green tea and yerba mate stack up:

• Caffeine content: Yerba mate usually has about twice the amount of caffeine as green tea. In comparison, an 8-ounce cup of coffee averages around 95 mg, just a bit more than yerba mate.

• Taste: Mate is earthy and bold. Green tea is lighter and grassier.

• Preparation: Green tea steeps for two to three minutes, whereas mate is traditionally brewed by pouring hot water over the leaves and sipping it through a metal straw (called a bombilla) from a hollow gourd.

• The culture of each: In Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and across South America, mate is shared among friends and family. Passing the gourd from one person to another is a cultural indication that the person drinking the mate trusts the people around them. Green tea traces its long and storied history to China and Japan. It’s often consumed daily and used as a ceremonial beverage.

What are the health benefits of yerba mate and green tea

Truth be told, both drinks are rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants are compounds that help protect cells from oxidative stress, a type of cellular damage linked to aging and chronic inflammation.

Preliminary research is promising on the health benefits of yerba mate and green tea. Most of the research is still in its infancy, though, so many studies suggest that yerba mate and green tea support overall health.

Let’s take a look at how each compares:

• Yerba mate: Contains chlorogenic acid, a compound also found in green, young coffee beans. In fact, a few studies suggest that yerba mate may support healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels, while also providing steady energy from caffeine and other natural stimulant sources.

• Green tea: Contains an antioxidant called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and L-theanine, an amino acid linked to calm and focused energy. Green tea may also support heart health, recent studies suggest.

Note: While both plants may offer benefits, neither should be used to treat or prevent disease. If you have specific health concerns or caffeine sensitivities, we recommend consulting with a health professional.

Drinkers: When should you choose yerba mate versus green tea (or matcha)?

Many people who transition away from coffee begin with green tea. Others gravitate toward matcha, a Japanese style tea where whole green tea leaves are ground into a fine powder.

The latter provides a more concentrated dose of nutrients and caffeine (roughly 35- 70 mg per serving).

One way to determine whether yerba mate is the right choice is by checking if you fit the following situations:

1. You need longer-lasting, sustained physical and mental energy.

2. You want to participate in a social ritual that plays a central role in building a community.

3. You prefer a bold, earthy, full-bodied flavor profile for your beverage.

In contrast, we recommend choosing green tea or matcha green tea in any of the following situations:

1. You want gentler caffeine and a calmer focus.

2. You're having a drink later in the day.

3. You like a smooth, slightly sweet taste.

Yerba mate vs. green tea for physical fitness

Caffeine is a well-documented stimulant used for enhancing athletic performance and stamina. It can help provide endurance and energy needed for a healthy workout.

Based on our research, we recommend yerba mate for pre-workouts and green tea for post-workout recovery. Let’s take a closer look at each in the next sections.

Pre-workout with yerba mate

The reason yerba mate may be a better choice for pre-workout energy is because of its higher caffeine content. It makes for a natural pre-workout choice.

Sipping a cup 30 to 60 minutes before training may help with alertness and effort. Nevertheless, you’ll want to stop drinking it six hours before bedtime, since caffeine can affect sleep and post-workout recovery.

Post-workout with green tea

In contrast, matcha and green tea both have less caffeine, so their effects are milder on the body post-workout. As such, green tea is an optimal choice for post-workout recovery, as it replenishes much-needed water and antioxidants that you lose after a workout.

Research shows that the catechins and polyphenols in tea include anti-inflammatory properties that may help manage the production of harmful free radicals and exercise-induced oxidative stress. In other words, you can think of green tea as a calming herb that helps you wind down and recover.

The sustainability of yerba mate vs. green tea

That’s all good, but how about the sustainability of yerba mate and green tea? You might wonder. How these plants are sourced is just as important as their effects on the body.

Yerba mate and green tea differ most prominently in the way that each plant is harvested and packaged. Let’s take a look at each in greater detail.

How yerba mate and green tea are harvested

After the trees that contain yerba mate have reached a ripe age of four to six years old, workers prune the trees. They then spread a white nylon tarp or sheet on the ground to prevent direct contact with the soil and branches, place the leaves in tarps, and send them to processing plants.

The leaves and branches are placed through a fire, dried, cut, sifted, and mixed for specific flavor profiles. This process of flash-heating is called sapecado.

Every two years, yerba mate trees are harvested on a rotating system, where only part of the yerba mate crop is harvested at a time, allowing the trees time to naturally regenerate their foliage .

In contrast, green tea bushes (Camellia sinensis) are harvested multiple times per year. The early spring yield provides the most tender, high-grade leaves, followed by summer harvests that are used for matcha, tea blends, and roasted tea varieties (like hojicha).

Cultivators harvest either by hand or using specialized machinery, depending on the landscape and scale of the harvest.

The environmental impact of packaging yerba mate and green tea

Alas, many conventional commercial green tea teabags contain microplastics or non-biodegradable sealants, meaning they’re not compostable. In contrast, investing in loose-leaf green tea and bulk-sized yerba mate orders helps drastically cut down on single-use plastic waste.

For example, we take packaging seriously. Our Ola Mate team crafts each can with respect for the planet, using eco-friendly practices from sourcing to packaging. We craft our sparkling infusions in recyclable aluminum cans and prioritize environmental sustainability every step of the way.

Every can purchased helps support community-driven initiatives in New York for a more equitable future.(To explore the organizations we support, check out our story here).

Ola Mate’s take: “¿Por qué no los dos?” (Why not both?)

So, what’s your take? Would you prefer yerba mate or green tea? Why not both?

That’s what we believe. Why choose when you can enjoy the taste and health benefits of both functional beverages?

As we like to say, “¿Por qué no los dos? Why not both?”🤷🏼♂️

We decided to fuse the steady, powerful energy of yerba mate with the calm focus of green tea into a ready-to-drink, 12-ounce can that’s perfect for on-the-go sipping.

If you’re looking for a non-GMO, all-natural beverage that keeps you hydrated, energized, and focused all day long, we invite you to try Ola Mate.

With four delicious, fruity flavors to choose from, including Raspberry Bliss, Grapefruit Ginger, Watermelon Lime, and Berry Coconut Lavender, there’s a flavor just for you.

Not sure which one to choose? No sweat.

To explore our entire collection of yerba mate and green tea-infused sparkling beverages, shop online today. We look forward to hearing what you think. 👋🏼🧉

Frequently asked questions (FAQ) about green tea vs. yerba mate

1. Which has more caffeine, yerba mate or green tea?

Yerba mate tends to have more caffeine than green tea. An 8-ounce cup of yerba mate contains about 70-80 milligrams (mg) of caffeine, while an 8-ounce cup of green tea has about 25 to 45 mg. Matcha green tea’s caffeine falls in between that of yerba mate and green tea, delivering 35-70 mg per cup.

Caffeine levels vary depending on the cut of leaf, water temperature, and steep time.

2. What's healthier, yerba mate or green tea?

The honest answer is that neither is clearly healthier than the other. Yerba mate tends to boost physical energy and provide pre-workout support, while green tea supports calm and focus.

• Both are rich in antioxidants.

• Both help support the immune system.

• Both help contribute to steady blood sugar levels by improving glucose regulation and assisting with insulin sensitivity.

• Both provide natural support for weight management.

3. What are the pros and cons of yerba mate?

The advantages of yerba mate are that it tends to have higher caffeine than green tea, contains antioxidants, helps give a powerful boost of energy, and is a cultural symbol that’s used in social rituals to bring community together, particularly in South America.

The disadvantages of yerba mate are that pure yerba mate often has a bitter taste, so it takes time to get used to. When brewed as a hot tea, it can burn the throat if not consumed at moderate temperatures.

4. Is it safe to drink yerba mate every day?

Yup. Yerba mate and green tea can be consumed daily in moderation. Doing so may offer a number of health benefits.

5. How can yerba mate and green tea be consumed?

Yerba mate and green tea can be consumed separately or together in a variety of ways, including:

• As a brewed tea via tea bags or loose-leaf tea

• As a sparkling beverage

• In a fruit-infused, water-based beverage

• In a ready-to-drink can or bottle that’s made for on-the-go sipping

• Using a French press

• With a bombilla and gourd

Note: While yerba mate shows great promise, and while the market for yerba mate is projected to grow exponentially over the next decade, the content in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider regarding any health-related questions.

🧉Ola Mate: Harnessing the Energy of Yerba Mate and the Focus of Green Tea🍵