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Home , Mate (drink), Yerba mate

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Peer-reviewed | Manuscript received: March 31, 2014 | Revision accepted: July 03, 2014 – a “new” -containing ingredient for the food and beverage industry

Gertrud Winkler, Miriam El Damaty, Christa Schröder, Sigmaringen; Dirk W. Lachenmeier, Karlsruhe

were used [1, 9, 10]. Two additional Summary articles [2, 3] were identified through Google Scholar or elsewhere. Mate has gained increasing popularity. The concentrates and extracts are claimed A market control was performed from to be innovative substances with various, mostly unsubstantiated health claims. 30 December 2013 to 4 January 2014 Mate contains approximately 0.5 g/L caffeine, which is more than the amount within the metropolitan area of Stutt- in other caffeinated beverages (cola 0.1 g/L, tea 0.2 g/L, 0.3 g/L). Mate may gart, Germany. This covered different be added to tea mixtures and soft drinks, including energy drinks. types of food retailers: 4 consumer or Keywords: mate, caffeine content, health effects, health claims, energy drinks wholesale supermarkets, 3 discount stores, 4 organic grocery stores and 3 health food shops. This was comple- mented by parallel internet searches. Introduction fects and is now also added to beers, The search was continued until no The leaves of the mate tree (Ilex pa- soft drinks, juices, sweets and ice additional products were found after raguariensis) were already used as a [1–3]. Mate tea has recently become reasonable effort. recreational drug and medicine by more popular in the USA and in Eu- the original inhabitants of South rope and is sold and advertised as an America. In the 17th century, Je- innovative ingredient for beverages suit missionaries started to culti- and food supplements [1]. Current knowledge vate mate in plantations and Product research studies were per- about mate spread the mate tree throughout formed during previous work on the Botany and production . At the end of the caffeine intake of children and ado- 18th century, mate was introduced lescents and these have shown that The mate tree or bush (Ilex paragua- to Europe as a medicinal . Mate mate is present in many different riensis) is a member of the (or tea is now a widely used and popu- beverages [4–8]. ilex) family (Aquifoliaceae). In the lar caffeinated beverage in South The present article describes the cur- wild, it grows up to 15 m in height. America and the Middle East. It is rent knowledge of mate products It requires a humid, subtropical cli- drunk for its and stimulant ef- and lists the foods and beverages mate (20–23 °C and intermediate to that contain mate. high air humidity) and grows at a mean elevation of 400–800 m. The tea is produced from the leaves, Citation: which are light green, ovate, slightly Winkler G, El Damaty M, Methods dentate and leathery. They are up Schröder C, Lachenmeier DW A literature search from 2000 for to 20 cm long and 8 cm broad (2014) Mate – a “new” caffeine-con- English language review articles was (• Figure 1). The harvest takes place taining ingredient for the food performed in the scientific databases during the South American winter – and beverage industry. Ernah- PubMed and Food Science and Tech- both manually from wild growing rungs Umschau 61(10): 160–163 nology Abstracts (FSTA), using the trees and mechanically from planta- This article is available online: keyword Ilex paraguariensis. Eleven tion bushes. Both leaves and whole DOI: 10.4455/eu.2014.027 articles were identified in PubMed branches are harvested. These are and nine in FSTA and three of these then processed [9].

160 Ernaehrungs Umschau international | 10/2014 After cooling, the material is dried tain a very high proportion of poly- for a further 4 h at 80 °C under hot cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. How- air, giving 8–9 % residual moisture. ever, only very small proportions of The leaves and stems are then crushed these contaminants are transferred and pulverised and undesired por- to mate tea during the brewing pro- tions of the stems are removed by cess [13]. sieving. The crude mate is then fer- mented. This may be conducted for Mate and mate tea several months at room tempera- as an additive for food ture or for 30-45 days under warm and beverages air (50–60 °C). After the fermentation, there is a To prepare mate tea, hot (but not final drying step to 2–3 % residual boiling) water is added to about 1 moisture. Green mate is then isola- teaspoonful of mate per cup. After ted by further pulverisation, siev- 5–10 min, the mate is removed by ing and mixing. For roasted mate, sieving. The can be re- the raw mate is vigorously roasted peated several times. As the caffeine at a higher temperature in the final is more rapidly dissolved than the Fig. 1: Drawing of Ilex paraguariensis drying process. This gives it a strong , the tea is more stimulating [taken from Köhler‘s Medizinal Pflanzen [Medicinal Plants], smoky taste. The mate can then be and the taste less strong after short Vol. 3 (1898). Verlag F.E. Köhler, ground, mixed, roasted, packed or infusion times. However, the taste is Gera. Copyright expired, Scan used otherwise processed. Instant mate is always bitter, tart and smoky. Mate with permission from prepared from raw mate by steam tea contains approximately 78 mg Missouri Botanical Garden distillation. caffeine per 150 mL cup [9], corre- (www.illustratedgarden.org)] The process steps and thus the final sponding to approximately 0.5 g/L. product vary greatly between diffe- This is clearly higher than the aver- rent regions, producers and the desi- age content of other caffeinated be- The total mate harvest in 2012 was red final product [9, 12]. Mate gene- verages (cola 0.1 g/L, tea 0.2 g/L, 888,746 t in a cultivated area of rally has a comparatively high pro- coffee 0.3 g/L) [6]. 275,646 ha, of which more than 50 % portion of stem fragments. It may • Table 1 lists our own current re- was in Brazil, more than 30 % in also contain fragments from other sults on the caffeine content of mate and the remaining 20 % varieties of ilex – either accidentally tea and soft drinks containing mate. in and [11]. or to improve the taste. The heating Most of the exported products are process over fire appears to have a Around the traditional cultivation currently transported to the eastern major effect on the smell and taste areas, mate possesses cult character. Mediterranean, where hot caffeinat- of the product [9]. As a result of the It is still sometimes prepared and ed tea beverages are particularly po- production process, mate may con- drunk in the traditional manner in pular [2].

Sample Caffeine content (n = 1) Processing Mate tea, without further information* 0.5 g/100 g tea powder After the harvest, the leaves must Mate tea with , origin not given 1.6 g/100 g tea powder be treated. The commercial forms Mate tea, roasted, origin not given 0.6 g/100 g tea powder are green mate (mate taragin) and roasted mate (mate real). For both Mate tea, green (Argentina) 1.4 g/100 g tea powder variants, crude mate is first pro- with added mate, 190 mg/L beverage duced. This is achieved by heating origin not given the leafy branch material in wire Soft drink with added mate, 228 mg/L beverage drums over fire for approximately origin not given 1 min at 400 °C. The water con- tent is then reduced from 60 to 25 %. Tab. 1: Caffeine content in 6 randomly selected mate products The material is next partially dried (determined by HPLC in accordance with DIN ISO 10727) for 1–2 min at 80 °C in warm air, * : 51 mg/100 g (theobromine was not determined in the other giving 15 % residual water content. samples) ▸

Ernaehrungs Umschau international | 10/2014 161 Science & Research | Original Contribution

Number Data or claim for Product group Comments Anmerkungen of products caffeine content

mate tea, pure 6 no information: 6 supermarket green or roasted (loose or in ) health food shop internet mixture of herbal or 14 no information: 13 supermarket some product fruit with mate Imprecise information: health food shop names refer to (loose or in tea bag) 1* internet (putative) effect alcohol-free soft 23 no information: 4 internet including one drinks and energy 0–19 mg/100 mL: 1 supermarket drinking powder drinks 20–31 mg/100 mL: 13 organic grocery 32 mg/100 mL: 5 store

alcoholic beverages 2 no information: 2 internet sports food 1 no information: 1 internet carbohydrate gel

Tab. 2: Foods and beverages with mate which are available in food retail sale and through the internet (market  check in the Stuttgart metropolitan area in January 2014) * “2 cups of tea contain as much coffee as one cup of coffee”

the community, from special drink- vourable effects on health. These may increase the risk of cancer of ing vessels with a metal straw. For have been subject to intensive re- the oral cavity and oesophagus. It details, see e.g. [3]. search [1, 9] and are already used in remains uncertain whether this is For the preparation of foods and the marketing for fitness and health due to the fact that the tea is nor- (particularly) beverages, not only purposes. This includes effects on fat mally very hot, or that it contains green or roasted tea leaves and metabolism and weight regulation, harmful polycyclic aromatic hy- powders are used, but also liquids as well as anti-oxidative, anti-in- drocarbons – which are formed in or concentrates or extracts dried to flammatory, immune regulatory, relatively high levels during heating powders. These are used for teas, anti-mutagenic and anti-carcino- over fire [10]. soft drinks, juices and sweets. genic effects. However, with the Mate is rarely used as a medicine. exception of caffeine‘s pharmacolo- Because of caffeine‘s diuretic acti- gical activity [14], most of the ef- vity, mate is occasionally contained Bioactive ingredients fects of mate have only been studied in tea mixtures recommended for and health effects in vitro. Thus, the available scientific mild infections of the urinary tract evidence is not appropriate to justify [18, 19], although – as mentioned Mate leaves contain a number of se- stating health claims on labels or in above – there is no adequate scienti- condary plant metabolites, includ- food advertising. For example, in the fic evidence for this. ing (1–2 % caffeine in context of health claims approval, dried leaves), theobromine, theo- the European Food Safety Authority phylline, saponins, minerals and vi- (EFSA) has refused to accept indus- tamins [1, 9]. try claims that mate has diuretic or Market check: foods and The content and transfer to the infu- cell-protective activity beverages with mate sion depends on the type, processing [15, 16]. Claims have also been re- • Table 2 lists the foods and drinks after harvest, degree of grinding, jected that there is a connection be- containing mate that are currently mixing and type of preparation. tween caffeine and weight loss [17]. available. The caffeine in mate is in the bound On the other hand, there is a proved The market check shows that the form, so that it is more slowly me- correlation between caffeine intake available products are focused on two tabolised than the caffeine in coffee of more than 75 mg/portion and in- areas. Firstly, mate is often added to and its stimulating effect therefore creased alertness and attention [17]. tea mixtures. These are not intended lasts longer [9]. Aside from the positive effects of to achieve stimulant effects, but for Mate is claimed to have several fa- mate, it has been suggested that it the putative benefits in health main-

162 Ernaehrungs Umschau international | 10/2014 tenance or weight loss. The second paraguariensis research: Minireview. Journal chemie/kontaminanten/pak/ue_2009_pak. focus is on alcohol-free soft drinks and of Ethnopharmacology 136: 378–384 htm Zugriff 20.02.14 energy drinks. These usually empha- 2. Martin W. Hot, caffeinated, and expand- 14. Lachenmeier DW, Steffen C, el-Atma O et al. sise the stimulatory effect. Some of the ing: the global geography of coffee, tea, and (2012) What is a food and what is a medi- packaging and appearance is clearly . URL: www.geocurrents.info/ cinal product in the European Union? Use intended for adolescents and young economic-geography/hot-caffeinated-and- of the benchmark dose (BMD) methodology users. The products are regarded as expanding-the-global-geography-of-coffee- to define a threshold for „pharmacological “cool” in some scenes, as can be seen, tea-and-yerba-mate Zugriff 21.02.14 action“. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharma- for example, in some mate blogs. 3. Folch C (2010) Stimulating consumption: cology 64: 286–295 yerba mate myths, markets, and meanings 15. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and from conquest to present. Comparative Stu- Allergies (NDA) (2010) Scientific Opinion on the dies in Society and History 52(1):6–36 substantiation of health claims related to various Conclusion 4. Waizenegger J, Castriglia S, Winkler G et al. food(s)/food constituent(s) claiming an increase The market check shows that mate (2011) Caffeine exposure in children and adole- in renal water elimination, “kidneys health”, tea and mate as beverage additive scents consuming ready-to-drink coffee products. “urinary health”, “bladder health”, “health of are now available on the German Journal of Caffeine Research 1(4): 200–205 lower urinary tract”, “blood health”, “elimi- market. On the one hand, added be- 5. Waizenegger J, Winkler G, Kuballa T et nation”, “urinary system benefits” and/or nefit is claimed in the lifestyle area, al. (2012) Analysis and risk assessment of “supports/promotes the excretory function of e.g. for putative weight loss, even furan in coffee products targeted to adole- the kidney”, and treatment/prevention of renal though there is no adequate evidence scents. Food Additives and Contaminants gravel/kidney stones and urinary tract infections for this. One the other hand, mate Part A: Chemistry, Analysis, Control, Ex- pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No is marketed as an alternative and posure and Risk Assessment 29(1): 19–28 1924/2006. EFSA Journal 8(10): 1742 trendy source of caffeine for young 6. Lachenmeier DW, Wegert K, Kuballa T et 16. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition consumers. al. (2013) Caffeine intake from beverages in and Allergies (NDA) (2010) Scientific Opin- german children, adolescents, and adults. ion on the substantiation of health claims Journal of Caffeine Research 3(1): 47–53 related to various food(s)/food constitu- 7. Bühler E, Lachenmeier DW, Schlegel K, Wink- ent(s) and protection of cells from premature Prof. Dr. Gertrud Winkler1 ler G (2013) Entwicklung eines Instruments aging, antioxidant activity, antioxidant 1 B. Sc. Miriam El Damaty zur Abschätzung der Koffeinaufnahme content and antioxidant properties, and Prof. Dr. Christa Schröder1 Dr. Dirk W. Lachenmeier2 von Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen protection of DNA, proteins and lipids from Ernährungs Umschau 61(4): 58–63 oxidative damage pursuant to Article 13(1) 1 Hochschule Albstadt-Sigmaringen 8. Lachenmeier DW, Winkler G (2013) Caffeine of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. EFSA Fakultät Life Sciences content labeling: a prudent public health policy? Journal 8(2): 1489 Anton-Günther-Str. 51 Journal of Caffeine Research 3(4): 154–155 17. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition 72488 Sigmaringen E-Mail: [email protected] 9. Heck CI, De Mejia EG (2007) Yerba mate and Allergies (NDA) (2011) Scientific Opinion tea (Ilex paraguariensis): a comprehensive on the substantiation of health claims related 2 Chemisches und Veterinäruntersuchungs- review on chemistry, health implications, to caffeine and increased fat oxidation lead- amt (CVUA) Karlsruhe and technological considerations. Journal of ing to a reduction in body fat mass (ID 735, Weißenburger Str. 3 76187 Karlsruhe Food Science 72(9): R138–R151 1484), increased energy expenditure leading E-Mail: [email protected] 10. Dasanayake AP, Silverman AJ, Warnakulas- to a reduction in body weight (ID 1487), uriya S (2010) Maté drinking and oral and increased alertness (ID 736, 1101, 1187, oro-pharyngeal cancer: a systematic review and 1485, 1491, 2063, 2103) and increased meta-analysis. Oral Oncology 46(2): 82–86 attention (ID 736, 1485, 1491, 2375) pur- 11. Food and Agricultural Statistics Division suant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No Conflict of Interest (FAOSTAT) (2012). URL: http://faostat.fao. 1924/2006. EFSA Journal 9(4): 2054 The authors declare no conflict of interest org/site/567/default.aspx#ancor Zugriff 18. Teuscher E, Melzig MF, Lindequist U. Biogene according to the guidelines of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. 21.02.14 Arzneimittel – Lehrbuch der Pharmazeuti- 12. van Wyk BE. Handbuch der Nahrungspflan- schen Biologie. 7. Aufl., Wissenschaftliche zen. Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft Verlagsgesellschaft, Stuttgart (2012) mbH, Stuttgart (2005) 19. Schönfelder I, Schönfelder P. Das neue Hand- 13. Bayerisches Landesamt für Gesundheit und buch der Heilpflanzen. 2., rev. Ausg., Kos- References Lebensmittelsicherheit. Polycyclische aroma- mos, Stuttgart (2011) tische Kohlenwasserstoffe (PAK) in Lebens- 1. Bracesco N, Sanchez AG, Contreras V, Menini mitteln – Untersuchungsergebnisse 2009. DOI: 10.4455/eu.2014.027 T, Gugliucci A (2011) Recent advances on Ilex URL: www.lgl.bayern.de/lebensmittel/

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