Yerba Mate

Ilex paranguariensis

PART USED: Leaf

PROPERTIES: carminative, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, nervine, mild stimulant

SYSTEMS AFFECTED: Endocrine, Digestive, Nervous, Liver, Heart, Lymph, Immune System

POSSIBLE USES: Improving the production of bile when needed, improves digestive function generally, weight loss, enhancing memory, improving alertness, helps with mental and physical fatigue, improves motivation Uses related to Serotonin/Dopamine production as discussed below: peristalsis in bowels, fluid and mucous levels in the bowel, communicates that enough food has been consumed, limits food cravings, dulls or eliminates sensitivity and pain in the bowels

INGREDIENT IN: TLC

Yerba Mate also contains Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, C and E, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sodium, sulfur and zinc, several other trace minerals, chlorophyll, flavonoids, and 15 amino acids. It also contains 11 polyphenols and some very powerful anti-oxidants.

Yerba Mate stimulates the production of serotonin, dopamine, and other neurotransmitters in the gut. It is an interesting, and not well-known fact, that many of the neurotransmitters utilized by the nervous system throughout the body are produced in the intestinal tract. More than 90% of the body’s serotonin is produced and found in the gut and about 50% of the body’s supply of dopamine is also produced there.

Why are neurotransmitters produced in the intestinal tract? Because that is where it is needed on a daily basis! Specialized cells squirt serotonin into receptor sites on the walls of the small intestine. The reception of serotonin then communicates the need for a variety of digestive enzymes to be produced and dispatched as needed. In a healthy person, the serotonin released to start the digestive process is immediately swept out of the bowel when its work is done. Certain drugs, among them chemotherapy drugs anti-depressants, and ant-anxiety medications, slow the processes by which serotonin is removed when its work is finished. The result of this excess serotonin is nausea and vomiting and irritable bowel syndrome.

Yerba Mate aids digestion by stimulating increased production of bile and other gastric acids. It helps keep your colon clean and effective. In addition, Yerba Mate prevents the accumulation of fat in the liver and affects body weight gain while it is also improving glucose tolerance.

A study conducted on subjects suffering from obesity showed that those who consumed only 3 grams of yerba mate per day lost an average of 0.7 kg of body weight and 2% of abdominal fat in a period of 12 weeks, with a statistically significant difference compared to the placebo group.

Yerba mate is a good source of polyphenols, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

CAUTION: Yerba Mate, as a strong tea, contains approximately 80 milligrams of caffeine per cup (Coffee contains approximately 120 milligrams per cup.) This very nutritious herb needs only—and should only—be consumed in small quantities or as a small percentage of a formula. As a tea, it is recommended that consumption be limited to only a few weeks at a time. Care should be taken with children, especially.

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