Superfoods are essential in any type of diet, since they not only help you lose weight, but also have a high content of antioxidants, healthy fats or vitamins that strengthen the immune system. These can be easily obtained in supermarkets or herbalists at very affordable prices for the general public.
There are superfoods from nature that are consumed regularly, such as bananas, pomegranates, salmon, cinnamon or the aloe vera; although there are also others whose origin is unknown and are used in recipes, such as fenugreek, moringa, maca or the okra. But, a powerful superfood that should be used more is yerba mate.
What yerba mate is
Yerba mate is an herbal tea that is made from a plant from South America, specifically, it can be found in the rivers of Argentina or Panama. Due to its properties, it has become a powerful ally to lose weight once and for all.
The tea has to be drunk from a mate, which is a container similar to a gourd that has a metal straw installed, and a bulb that serves to filter the water and prevent the herbs passing through and being taken by mistake.
To prepare a yerba mate tea, you have to grind the branches of the plant thoroughly, and let its leaves dry. Then, it is put into the mate until it covers ¾ of the container, and hot water, previously prepared, is added through the straw. After letting everything mix for a few minutes, you can drink it.
Yerba mate tea is a product that has a wide variety of nutrients, such as phosphorus, magnesium, proteins, and iron, as well as vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, C, and E. This load helps prevent diseases such as diabetes, cancer and decrease cellular aging.
Benefits and indications of yerba mate
One of the main reasons why people drink yerba mate tea is because it provides a chemical known as mateine, similar to caffeine, which stimulates the nervous system and gives an extra recharge of energy to get through the day. Being an excellent option to replace coffee, without becoming addicted.
In the same way, this product also serves to increase good cholesterol, also known as HDL, in the body, which, in turn, decreases the chances of suffering a heart attack, and any type of cardiovascular or coronary disease.
If taken daily, yerba mate tea can reduce infections in the body. But, you have to be careful, because if you take it in large amounts per day, it could have side effects on the body such as irregular heart rate, nervousness, anxiety or headache. So you should never drink more than 5 cups a day.
Otherwise, yerba mate tea should not be consumed, under any circumstances, by children under 10 years of age, nursing or pregnant women, or people suffering from liver disease.
Other healthy superfoods
Apart from yerba mate, there are other foods of natural origin that can serve to improve the body in various aspects, with a simple preparation method and that can be easily included in the diet.
Among the most outstanding superfoods can be included millet which helps in digestion, cañihua which is full of iron, lychee which reduces aging and is full of vitamin C, tahiti which enhances memory and increases energy, escort that serves as a slimmer and okra that reduces cholesterol.
The products we mention individually cause the same benefits as yerba mate, so they can be consumed as a replacement for yerba mate, or they could be used to support the effects of the tea. As long as you are sure that eating them together does not cause any side effects.