Nutrition and Health Benefits
Whether mate is healthier than green tea depends on one’s health goals and needs. Mate has more vitamins and minerals. Green tea has more antioxidants.
Mate tastes earthy and robust. Some find it acquired; others enjoy it immediately. Green tea tastes grassy, refreshing, and slightly bitter.
Both provide energy. But mate has more caffeine for a stronger boost.
Mate has more polyphenols. These reduce inflammation and help hearts. Its antioxidants also may fight cancer and help brains.
Green tea is from Asia; yerba from South America. Both take three years before first harvest. Both are culturally iconic drinks with health benefits.
They both have some caffeine, less than coffee. They both have antioxidants and can provide energy.
Flavor and Preparation
Mate is prepared by steeping the leaves in water. It has an intense, bitter flavor compared to the delicate, earthy green tea. Mate contains more antioxidants and nutrients than green tea. It has anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-obesity effects. Mate helps regulate blood sugar and promotes weight loss. It has a stronger taste than the slightly grassy green tea. Mate provides more caffeine than green tea.
Nutrients and Antioxidants
Mate packs more vitamins and minerals. Green tea has high antioxidant catechins. Both are rich in antioxidants protecting cells from damage by free radicals. However, studies show mate has more antioxidants than green tea.
Mate contains chlorogenic acid, which helps reduce and attack cancer cells, destroy bacteria, and influence one’s caloric intake and meal satiation. Mate has more antioxidants and nutrients than green tea. While green tea has a delicate, earthy flavor, mate is more intense and bitter.
Caffeine Content
There is some confusion about how much caffeine mate contains, but studies show that typical preparations contain about 78 mg caffeine per cup. This can vary depending on the freshness of the leaves. Generally speaking, mate contains more caffeine than tea, but not as much as coffee.
Whatever your flavor, drink tea to boost your health.