Mate - The Trajectory of a Uruguayan Staple

There are few things more characteristically "Uruguayan" than the ritualistic drinking of mate. Enjoyed by countrymen, house moms, and college students alike, there is something about the herb that has allowed it to maintain such popularity throughout the years.

Yerba mate is an herb obtained from the Ilex paraguariensis plant, a tree native to South America. It is most often drank as a tea, flavoring hot water with dried ground leaves.

Mate is believed to be originally linked with the Guaraní people, who inhabited what we now consider the country of Paraguay. Originally consumed through the chewing of the leaves or through a reed straw, the plant was believed to better one’s health and provide longevity (Dellacassa et al. 2007.) The Jesuits then managed to cultivate the herb and utilize it as their main source of funding and the basis of their economy during their missions to Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil (Dellacassa, Bandoni, 2001.) While its methods and customs have evolved, the popularity of the herb has surpassed anyone’s expectations.

Here are the steps to making yerba mate, as outlined by Yerba Mate Argentina:

The health consequences of mate consumption range from wildly positive to extremely negative. The most prominent complaint against mate consumption is the risk it poses as a carcinogenic material. Mate has been most closely linked to higher rates of and risks for cancers of “the upper aerodigestive tract,” which includes cancers of the “esophagus, larynx, and oral cavity” (Pintos et al. p.583, 1994.) It is worth noting that a portion of the scientific community has rejected these complaints, citing the numerous health benefits mate consumption begets and instead attributing higher risks of upper aerodigestive tract cancers to confounding risk factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption. Yet, in a 1994 study of these very confounding factors, a research team found that even after correcting estimates to account for confounding risks (including smoking and alcohol consumption), some excess risk for these cancers lingered. They instead found that given its widespread consumption in South America, “mate drinking may be linked to as many as 20% of all digestive tract cancer cases occurring in this region” (Pintos et al. p.583, 1994)

The positive consequences of mate consumption are far more varied, though perhaps not greater in collective magnitude. A 2021 research study found much higher antioxidant activity in mate extracts and oral ingestion, which has been shown to decrease the chance of diseases arising from cellular damage due to oxidative stress, including some cancers. Oxidative stress is caused by an excess accumulation of “oxygen reactive species” – in essence, compounds that react with oxygen in volatile ways – and the inability of the body to “detoxify” those products. Antioxidant-rich diets have been shown to reduce both the risk and severity of oxidative stress in cell bodies, including post-menopausal oxidative stress, which has historically been a particularly stubborn health issue to treat in older assigned-female-at-birth women. 

The same study also showed several other benefits, including a reduction in the risk of atherosclerosis, protection of heart function, protection against diabetes and its complications, increased bone density, decreased DNA damage, non-antioxidant forms of protection against certain cancers, as well as anti-inflammatory and antifungal properties. 

The risk of atherosclerosis is most notably decreased by the oxidation of LDL (low-density lipoproteins) in plasma, a component of blood. LDL is the most common culprit behind plaque buildup in blood vessels. The buildup of plaque along the lining of arterial walls – atherosclerosis – is therefore decreased as those plaques are oxidized. The oxidizing properties of mate were confirmed in both in vitro studies of the compounds commonly found in mate as well as in clinical studies including control groups to account for confounding factors. As a result, mate exhibits “cardioprotective” effects, though it should be noted that these protective effects were most commonly and most noticeably observed when mate was consumed at low temperatures (around -3 degrees Celsius), as opposed to the usual, hot formulation (around 55 degrees Celsius). 

Because mate has also been found to reduce UV damage to epithelial and dermal tissue after UV exposure due to its antioxidant properties, it has also been shown to protect against diabetic complications surrounding tendon and dermal tissues, including deep skin fractures. ‘trigger finger,’ and decreased elastin content, which makes skin less resilient. Because it also increases sensitivity to insulin and reduces the products of glycation (the attachment of sugars to lipids in the body, and a common cause of diabetic complications), its anti-diabetic effect is amplified. 

This anti-glycation-end-product behavior that interacts between cellular components and mate also means the herb has been shown to decrease complications of neurodegenerative diseases, which result from the production and accumulation of the end products of glycation, called AGEs, or advanced glycation end-products. These properties could be especially relevant to the prevention or slowing of the progression of Parkinson’s disease. 

Yerba Mate’s anti-inflammatory properties, in contrast to its cancerous activity, was actually found to prevent certain kinds of colorectal cancer. This is likely due to the lack of expression of apoptotic cell-death-inducing) and proliferating parts of the colorectal genetic code, which mitigates cancer risks. This anti-inflammatory activity also reduces the effect of free radicals in the brain, the most common and most destructive everyday perpetuator of cell aging, cell death, and unwanted mutation. 

Mate’s antifungal benefits are derived from its caffeinic properties, which brings us to the most well-understood and most common effect of mate consumption – increased caffeine in the system. While this does increase alertness and focus, excess consumption of mate, the class in which positive effects like increased bone density occur, also causes headaches, nausea, hyperactivity, low-level addiction, and other common symptoms of excessive caffeine consumption found in compulsive drinkers of both tea and coffee, as well.  

It seems that the general consensus is that mate consumption at high temperatures is highly detrimental to the human body, with thermal damage exacerbating the (fairly limited) carcinogenic effects on the body. It is worth noting that this is the most common way of consuming mate. However, when consumed as a cold drink, gel, or used as an extract, Yerba Mate has numerous positive effects, incredible for their breadth, intensity, relevance, and potential. 

Drinking mate in Uruguay is way more than just the act of drinking alone. Mate represents a desire to slow down, to connect, and to share experiences with ones we love. All of this is seen in the process of drinking mate itself, a long and somewhat tedious occurrence that must be done properly in order to enjoy the tea. As explained in the book El Mate: Su Historia y Cultura, there are three basic elements that comprise the drinking of the tea: the herb, the mate (in this case used to refer to the container in which the herb is placed in,) and the bombilla, or the special straw used in order to prevent any herb pieces or stems to reach the drinker’s mouth. While the preparation varies throughout nations, Uruguayans tend to go for a smaller container which is only filled with herb on one half of the mate, leaving room in the other half for the water. Uruguayan mate is characterized by the use of hot water, though some may overheat their water and impatiently use boiling water, which can burn the herb and the drinker’s mouth and throat. However, the first two rounds are prepared with warm water, but are also considered undrinkable and are meant to be spat out by the person who is priming the mate. Properly primed mate will release its aroma and produce a light foam inside the container itself. Once the mate has been primed and prepped, the bombilla must be inserted properly, ensuring not to stir the herb with the water (Barreto, 2002.)

The sheer complexity and attention required to craft the drink makes the occasion an event, and forces the drinker to be mindful when consuming it. However, it is the group consumption that most characterizes the culture surrounding the drink in Uruguay. When walking through the beach or a park you can see groups of people, most often sitting in a circle, passing around a mate. Mate is meant to be shared, to be enjoyed by many, but it also creates a sense of intimacy and camaraderie unlike the drinking of coffee or alcohol. There is an unspoken sense of trust that is shared when a group of people drink mate together. The most obvious reason being the sharing of a singular bombilla, which equates to the sharing of a straw or the drinking out of a singular cup. But it isn’t just faith that others will not share any sickness or disease with the group, there is also trust that everyone will abide by the customs surrounding the drink, such as respecting order and one’s turn. 

With such a ritual comes customs, many which are unfamiliar to nondrinkers. One of these would be the drinkers’ refrain from saying “thank you” until they are done drinking (Barreto, 1989.) This is so the person who is priming and prepping the mate knows who no longer to give it to. Customs regarding for how long a singular person holds the mate vary per group, but regardless of whether it is in one go or throughout all the rounds, it is most normal for a person to drink at least one whole mate on their own. 

In Uruguay, there is no time or place where it is deemed unacceptable to drink mate. One can see people walking around with a thermos in one hand and a mate in another in stores, banks, jobs, pretty much everywhere. College students have even been known to pass around a mate throughout class. It is simply in line with the way of life, and has become second nature to those who partake. 

While it would have been inconceivable to think the passing around of a mate would ever decline, the sharing had to come to a halt due to the global pandemic. With fears surrounding COVID-19, it was no longer safe to share one bombilla among ten friends living in different households. This reality created a need for a shift when it came to the advertising by yerba mate companies. As explained by Diego Ferreira in an article called “La yerba mate resiste la distancia física con ventas y consumidores fieles,” brands have published campaigns focused on the push towards staying home and staying safe throughout the outbreak. This need for isolation goes against the very nature of the experience of drinking mate, but is required in order to maintain public safety. While the lack of shared drinking could have been disastrous for yerba mate sales, brands actually saw an increase throughout the first months of quarantine (Ferreira, 2020.) This may be due to multiple factors, such as an increase in free time or even a need for more yerba mate due to the preparation of more mates themselves for individual consumption. Most importantly, it points to the fear of a shortage in product, one which we have seen tied to “essentials” such as toilet paper and gasoline. This proves just how seriously Uruguayans consider their mate to be, resorting to stockpiling before risking running out. 

Although it is not clear if we will ever be able to sit around a circle and share a mate with friends in the near future, there is hope that the custom will continue. Families and close friends, especially those who live in more rural areas, are still sharing their mates, attempting to be cautious but yearning for connection. The National Institute of Yerba Mate even released guidelines that explained how to drink mate safely in times of COVID-19, with tips such as the proper cleaning methods, which was published by Clarín, an Argentinian newspaper. Time will tell whether we will go back to passing around a mate, but something tells me Uruguayans will do as much as possible to keep the custom alive.