Smoked versus unsmoked yerba mate is one of the few things that divide us mate drinkers.

One side doesn’t care whether it’s smoked (I fall in this category) and the other wants to avoid it altogether. Do they have a point? Is smoked mate unhealthy? Or are people just overly concerned?

Today’s post will go over it all and more.

But first, a little backstory…

The Rise Of Unsmoked Yerba Mate

There was a time when unsmoked mate was never a thing, nor did anyone think twice about it.

Meanwhile, smoked mate has been around for centuries dating back to the Guaraní tribes. The barbacuá drying system they used is still used today and is exactly what led to our current controversy.

It wasn’t until yerba mate became more popularized and reached global markets that unsmoked mate started t ocome about. And this was all thanks to purported studies linking yerba mate to cancer with the main cause being that it’s smoked.

Many negative connotations are already associated with smoking of any kind, so naturally, you can assume this spread like wildfire.

And it did…

We now see articles coming out of the New York Post and The Sun with sensational headlines like Drinking this tea [yerba mate] is as dangerous as ‘smoking 100 cigarettes’. Which is only true in the sense that they made it to be. But anyone with common sense will realize ingesting and inhaling are two completely different things, but I digress.

So take a study linking yerba mate to cancer and large media sites spreading the word with fear-mongering headlines, and unsmoked yerba mate was born.

With this new unsolved problem in the market, companies began producing mate that wasn’t smoked, but air-dried to reduce the level of PAH (more on this later).

However, it’s not this simple and clear cut.

Before we get ahead of ourselves though, let’s first get a better understanding of how smoked and unsmoked mate is produced.

Smoked Vs Unsmoked Yerba Mate

The difference between smoked and unsmoked yerba mate is a matter of one processing step.

When the leaves are cultivated and harvested, they’re transported to their first drying step known as sapecado or sapeco. This is important for later so pay close attention.

During this step, the leaves are quickly dried over a live flame for about 30 seconds. Traditionally, this would be done by hand, bunching branches together and rotating them over the fire. But as things became more industrialized, the leaves are now passed through the flame of a furnace and into a large rotary cylinder flowing with high heat (temps of around 1,000ºF) and residual smoke from the kiln. This short, yet crucial step is done within 24 hours of harvesting to prevent the leaves from oxidizing and losing their green color.

See it in action below (2:52 – 3:02):

But this isn’t the determining factor. This next step, secado, is what changes it all.

Secado is the second (and final) drying process the yerba mate goes through. It’s dried either on a conveyor belt or in a large room sometimes on mesh tarps or racks to allow better airflow. Secado is done at lower temps (170-230ºF) and for longer periods of time (10-12+ hours). The traditional step may or may not use firewood. If not, the hot air can be produced by water, natural gas, or electricity. But if smoked, otherwise known as barbacuá, smoke from burning wood is intentionally used to fill a chamber where the yerba is left to dry.

And that’s the main difference between the two.

As well as the main issue people have with smoked mate…

Is Smoked Yerba Mate Bad For You?

Several studies in the past have associated traditional mate (smoked yerba mate) with an increase in cancer, especially esophageal cancer.

The problem with these studies though is they used populations who smoked tobacco and consumed alcohol, and were already sick in the hospital. Not to mention, they gathered info from these subjects using surveys and questionnaires which leaves the door open for misinterpretation, misunderstanding, and misrepresentation.

For example, if you asked someone how much yerba mate they consume, they probably can’t give you an accurate answer. Why? Because when preparing yerba mate traditionally, you fill the gourd about halfway with yerba, not by using a specific measurement or weight. Depending on the size of the gourd, you use more or less. So most traditional drinkers don’t really know how much they’re consuming.

But nevertheless, an association with cancer was shown.

And the possible causes are twofold: water temperature and PAHs.

I’ve touched upon this before here, but for now, I want to focus just on PAH since water temperature isn’t directly related to the plant itself.

Smoked Yerba Mate And PAH

Studies have shown yerba mate to contain carcinogenic compounds known as PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). These compounds occur naturally in coal, crude oil, and gasoline, and can also form by burning wood which is what we see in smoked mate.

Being in a chamber intentionally filled with smoke for hours and sometimes days, there’s no doubt these compounds are imparted into the leaves.

In fact, one study shows they’re present in all eight of the commercial brands they tested, including benzo[a]pyrene which seems to pose the greatest risk.

Benzo[a]pyrene is a known carcinogen classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)

However, another study tested for benzo[a]pyrene content in mate (hot and cold) and found none of them to exceed the suggested maximum amount by the World Health Organization which is 700ng/L for drinking water.

Now, no one is denying yerba mate contains PAH. But there’s also no study proving the PAH in yerba mate to directly cause cancer. So whether smoked yerba mate is bad for you or not, more research still needs to be done.

Does Unsmoked Yerba Mate Contain PAH?

If smoked yerba mate contains PAH, then unsmoked yerba mate should contain no PAH, right?

Well, the answer’s a bit more complicated than that.

But in short, yes, it still contains it.

According to a study published in 2012 that tested the PAH levels of various samples of yerba mate, the sample with the lowest concentration of benzo[a]pyrene was processed without ever touching smoke.

And logically, that makes sense.

Unsmoked brands like Kraus, Anna Park, and EcoTeas to name a few, are dried with warm/hot air produced from a boiler, gas flame, or electricity. And when consumed, you can barely taste any smokiness.

But do note: the study did not say unsmoked mate contained zero PAH. It contained the least.

How is that possible if it’s not smoked?

Well, think back to the first processing step of yerba mate – sapeco. The leaves are held over or passed through an open flame to dry at extremely hot temps. As a result, the leaves crack, pop, and are crisped. Despite it being for a short time, the leaves are still in direct contact with burning wood, inevitably imparting PAHs.

And as reported in this study,

The presence of PAH in mate is believed to be due to the degradation of mate compounds and the burning of wood during the sapeco (rapid drying process) and the final drying steps.

However, as Rick from GoYerbaMate said, even if the sapeco step is replaced with air, the extremely hot temps can still char the leaves, producing smoke.

Avoiding PAHs in yerba mate is nearly impossible.

Even if no heat is introduced like in the brand Meta Mate Raw – which is freeze-dried and dehydrated at low temps – it’s unavoidable.

As stated in this study,

A small amount may be accumulated in the unprocessed green leaves due to soil and atmospheric contamination.

But don’t fret.

Just because PAH is present, does not mean you’re exposed to the same amount.

Is Unsmoked Yerba Mate Safer?

According to the same study mentioned before, it states:

…mate infusions may contain insignificant amounts of PAHs, as carcinogenic PAHs are typically hydrophobic. The heavier, more carcinogenic PAHs (e.g. Benzo[a]pyrene) have very low water solubility and tend not to transfer from dry leaves into infusions.

However, it does state that the opposite is also argued:

…some studies have argued that the repeated soaking of the leaves, as it is done in daily life, will release substantial amounts of PAHs.

At the end of the day, the research is conflicting and more studies are needed to come to an accurate conclusion.

Several things are still unclear around PAH and yerba mate. Mainly, how much PAH is transferred in yerba mate infusions and how much of that is absorbed when ingested. The current studies show a wide variation regarding these numbers.

But remember, from what we’ve seen so far, the PAH content in yerba mate does not exceed the suggested maximum amount. There are also no studies proving that PAH in yerba mate is causing cancer.

With that said, we can’t accurately conclude whether unsmoked yerba mate is safer if we don’t know how dangerous smoked mate is.

If in regards to PAH alone, then without a doubt, unsmoked mate contains far less.

So if you want to err on the side of safety, stick to unsmoked organic mate. That is as safe as you can get it.

Final Words

The debate between smoked versus unsmoked yerba mate is an ongoing conflict.

At today’s current stage of research, there is still no clear answer as to whether one is better than the other. Or if there’s even a real cause for concern.

My point regarding this is always not to major in the minor.

There are lots of things we all do that potentially pose a greater risk to our health.

PAH – which is found in many things you probably already consume like barbecued meats – in yerba mate that is proven to house a laundry list of healthy vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and more, shouldn’t be your biggest concern.

But if you want to play things safe for now, there’s nothing wrong with that either.

Just know smoked yerba mate has still yet to show a direct cause for cancer. And unsmoked yerba mate has yet to show a decreased risk of it.

P.S. If you enjoyed this post, check out our store to add some exclusive gourds and bombillas to your current collection.