Green Tea vs. Yerba Maté: Which is healthier?

Both beverages have lots of health benefits, but they slightly differ. 

What is yerba maté?

Maté is the traditional beverage of the indigenous people of South America. For centuries, they harvested leaves of the Paraguayan holly, a plant native to Argentina, but also Paraguay, Uruguay, and south of Brazil, and brewed them into drinks. The local Guaraní tribe considers the drink a sacred gift from the gods, which consequently earned it the nickname “drink of the gods”. The Guaraní use it not only to stimulate the body and mind or suppress hunger – the average South American drinks six times more maté than coffee, totaling an unbelievable 2 liters of maté daily.

The customary preparation of yerba maté is a little bit of a ritual. Dried yerba maté leaves are placed in a special vessel called the maté gourd. Traditionally, maté gourds were made from a hollowed-out fruit of the calabash tree, however nowadays, the material is mostly ceramic. Once the leaves are added, they need to be hydrated with water at around 70°C. Once they’re done brewing, the drink is commonly sipped through a special metal straw that’s equipped with a filter – bombilla. This method preserves most of the beneficial nutrients of yerba maté. However, if you prefer simpler methods, you can easily brew it in a French press, with a regular tea strainer or even just get it in the form of tea bags.

The taste of maté is strong, earthy and herbal, in a way similar to green tea. Depending on how you prepare it, it may either be even more intense or pleasantly milder. Those who try the “drink of the gods” for the first time often find it too strong, however, once you get used to it, you’ll be left craving more. Whether that’s pure 100% yerba maté or an herbal blend that includes it is up to you.

Introduction to green tea

Originating in the countries of Asia, green tea is one of the oldest drinks on Earth. Its benefits have been known for generations, and its roots reach an amazing 5,000 years back. According to a legend, green tea was discovered by the Chinese emperor Shennong when a wind blew some tea leaves into his water, and he discovered that the water somehow tasted better. In comparison to black tea, green tea contains less caffeine and more of the beneficial compound called L-theanine.

After the leaves are harvested, they need to be briefly heated to stop further oxidation. This process keeps their green color and most of the natural content in-tact, but the methods vary depending on the region. Tea veterans can even notice the differences in aroma and flavor or various green teas.

Overall, the taste of green tea is mild, refreshing and slightly grassy. Depending on its origin, it may have floral, fruity or nutty tones. Japanese green teas are famous for their umami flavor that’s similar to seaweed while Chinese varieties are usually milder and sweeter.

In comparison to yerba maté, green tea is much easier to prepare. You just need to cover the leaves with boiled water cooled down to 60-80°C and leave them to infuse for 1-2 minutes. But if your water is too hot or you steep the leaves for too long, your tea may turn bitter. Both green tea and yerba maté can usually be steeped repeatedly, often up to 3 times before the leaves start to lose their flavor.

So, what are the differences?

If you’re looking for a great natural source of energy or a much-needed pick-me-up during your day, you should know that yerba maté has higher caffeine content than green tea. Maté can have around 42mg of caffeine per cup, whereas green tea is usually around 35mg.

Yerba maté can also help you focus for longer, unlike the usual caffeine bombs, which often give you a quick boost that leads to an inevitable crash. Green tea has lower caffeine content, so it’s more suitable for a small refreshment – ideal for people looking for a little boost, or a small spark of energy in the evening. Green tea also contains the beneficial amino acid L-theanine.

Yerba maté wins nutritional value

If you’re looking for a high nutritional value, maté is a true treasure. Even just one cup is packed with beneficial antioxidants and amino acids which help refresh your body. Antioxidants are also present in green tea, which also helps maintain eyesight.

Both beverages have remarkable benefits

Maté supports the normal function of the cardiovascular system and helps flush excess water from your organism. Besides that, it can alleviate mental and physical fatigue and in lieu of that it provides some much-needed energy and helps maintain a healthy weight.

Green tea is very beneficial for women’s health and similar to maté, helps in controlling body weight by flushing excess water from the organism. It also supports cardiovascular health as well as cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Pure green tea can even help manage a healthy microbiome of your digestive tract or support your heart function. Since it also has beneficial effects on your complexion, green tea is often used in skin care products.

Differences in preparation

These differences may be the critical factor in deciding which of these beverages you’ll pick up. While yerba maté requires at least a few dedicated minutes, green tea is done in a moment. Yerba maté needs to be pre-hydrated in cold water for about 5 minutes before you can fill the rest of your maté gourd with water cooled down to 70°C. However, these leaves can be then re-steeped for up to 5 times and with stronger yerba maté variants such as citrus yerba maté, the number of steepings can reach up to 10.

Preparing green tea is much easier. All you need is some tea bags or a tea strainer with the required amount of leaves to make your delicious beverage. One of the top picks is green tea infused with dragon fruit. The recommended water temperature is 70-80°C – never boiling. Unlike yerba maté, green tea is steeped for only 2-3 minutes and usually, they can usually be re-steeped at least one time.

So, which should you pick?

Yerba maté is the ideal drink for people looking to boost their energy and improve focus. Maybe you’re also looking to enhance your stamina during exercise, in which case, maté is the perfect choice. The same goes for lovers of stronger, more intense flavors.

Green tea is for those looking for a gentle source of energy. The caffeine content is lower, the flavor is sweeter, and the number of fruity or herbal blends you can make with green tea is almost endless. Actually, why not combine the two? Have an invigorating cup of maté in the morning and switch to milder green tea in the afternoon.

Our pure green tea is everything good that nature has to offer. Those who prefer a more varied flavor can try our green tea infusions, such as apricot green tea, where you’ll find the pleasant, fresh taste of green tea infused with the sweet, juicy tones of apricots.