When I was on my weight loss journey a few years ago, I would drink yerba mate on an empty stomach every morning since I was intermittent fasting.

Instead of breakfast, I’d drink about a liter of mate within a span of two hours.

Back then, this was my little weight loss secret.

Drinking yerba mate first thing in the morning helped suppress my hunger until late into the afternoon. It gave me the boost of energy I needed to workout consistently. And it even helped cleanse my bowels, making me feel extra light on my feet.

It was great.

But should everyone else drink yerba mate on an empty stomach?

Let’s find out…

Yerba Mate On Empty Stomach

In short, most people should avoid drinking yerba mate on an empty stomach. Doing so puts you at high risk of experiencing negative side effects such as acid reflux, heartburn, nausea, anxiety, restlessness, headaches, and heart palpitations just to name a few.

Now of course, this varies from person to person and depends on your caffeine tolerance.

But despite all the magical good things you hear about yerba mate, it still features the same side effects as coffee. Though, not to the same degree.

I’ve experienced it first-hand and let me tell you, it’s not pleasant.

What Can Happen

It only takes one bad experience to never want to drink mate first thing in the morning or on an empty stomach again.

One day, I woke up feeling great and excited to start the day. As per routine, I prepared a gourd of mate and started sipping. My first sip was about 10-15 minutes after waking (I get ready pretty fast). And after several delicious refills, it started to hit.

I couldn’t sit still anymore.

My legs were restless.

And I was having a million thoughts per second.

I felt like I was hopped up on some drugs I’ve never heard of before. I was so anxious and jittery that I couldn’t function. The only thing I was able to do was exercise. Anything requiring thought was impossible. And no matter what I did – drank more water, took deep breaths, laid down – the feeling wouldn’t go away. Only after eating. But even then, it didn’t get rid of it completely.

Now, none of this is to say yerba mate is bad. This should just be a warning of what it’s capable of.

Also, to clarify, this doesn’t happen to me often. I still love my mate and drink it every day. But I will start getting symptoms when I drink too much, too early.

Which raises the question…

When Is The Best Time To Drink Yerba Mate?

The best time to drink mate is in the morning, after or during a meal. A meal high in fat and protein, and low in carbs is even better as some studies suggest this can help combat anxiety. It’s also a good idea to  avoid drinking until 1-2 hours after you wake up. Your cortisol levels are highest in the morning and drinking mate will only spike it higher which is no good.

Again, yerba mate on an empty stomach is not a good idea for most people. Especially if you’ve never done it before or if you’re hypersensitive to caffeine.

Once the bad feeling kicks in, you’re essentially bedridden for the next few hours.

But having a meal beforehand helps dampen the effects of mate so it doesn’t get too out of control.

You see, caffeine can enter your bloodstream through the stomach and small intestine. If there’s not much there because you haven’t eaten anything, it gets passed through and absorbed much faster. But with food in your belly, it slows down the absorption rate, and in return, reduces the effects.

But this is only one part of it.

You also need monitor how much you’re drinking.

Know Your Caffeine Tolerance

No matter what measures you take, if you’re still taking in more caffeine than your body can handle, you’ll almost always have a bad time. (Ask me how I know…)

If you’re a beginner, the best rule of thumb is to always start small and work your way up.

For the more experienced on the other hand, you’ll have to work your way backwards if you’re experiencing any bad side effects. Gradually lower the amount of yerba you’re using until you hit a sweet spot. This may be 1/4 less, 1/2 less, or even 3/4 less.

Again, this varies from person to person.

When I went through that terrible time I mentioned earlier, it all came down to me consuming too much. Once I started using a smaller gourd with about 1/4 less yerba than my usual intake, I finally stopped feeling anxious and jittery – even on an empty stomach.

Final Words

Don’t drink yerba mate on an empty stomach unless you want to for dietary reasons or simply because you’re out of time. Just make sure it’s no more than you can handle.

You’ll quickly regret it the moment you feel sick.

It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Despite all the romanticized talk you hear about yerba mate and its extraordinary effects, it’s not always the super herb that it’s pent out to be. Of course, the side effects aren’t nearly as bad as coffee (at least in my experience), but you still need to remain cautious.

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