How much yerba mate should I drink?

Is drinking too much yerba mate tea bad for you?

How much is too much anyways?

These are common questions by yerba mate beginners. And if you don’t know the answer, then keep reading.

In this post, you’re going to discover the potential pros and cons of drinking too much yerba mate, how much you should drink a day, plus more.

So without wasting another second, let’s begin…

How Much Yerba Mate Is Too Much?

Personally, I drink one Brazilian cuia each morning of whatever yerba mate I prefer that day.

I drink a gourd of yerba mate a day

I drink until I completely drain every last drop of caffeine in each leaf. By this, I mean I refill the gourd at least 15-20 times of hot water. Once the yerba tastes like nothing but water, that’s when I consider it finished.

My cuia contains about 4-5 tablespoons of yerba.

Now you might be thinking, Is that too much caffeine?

Well that’s difficult to answer.

Why?

Because according to this study,

The concentration of caffeine in relation to consumer consumption has been found to be approximately 78 mg of caffeine in 1 cup of Mate tea (approximately 150 mL)… However, the customary rate of Mate consumption prepared in the traditional method can present intakes of around 500 mL, resulting in 260 mg or more of total caffeine.

This is where things get tricky…

If one cup of mate contains 78mg of caffeine, how much yerba is used in one cup?

We don’t know. The study didn’t make this clear. Other sources don’t address this either. Even with the mentioned traditional method, it doesn’t state how much yerba is used in 500mL to produce 260mg+ of caffeine.

So the best we can do is estimate.

How so?

By taking a look at Guayaki.

They seem to be the only brand that lists an estimate of caffeine per serving.

One tablespoon of Guayaki Traditional Yerba Mate contains ~80mg of caffeine. Building off this, we can now go back to our original question, Is that too much caffeine?

As mentioned before, my cuia contains about 4-5 tablespoons of yerba. This totals to about 320-400mg of caffeine – a commonly held safe amount of caffeine per day. And for me, is enough to get me going without experiencing any negative side effects.

However, keep this in mind…

How Much Yerba Mate Should I Drink?

The answer to how much yerba mate you should drink is dependent on the drinker.

When it comes to caffeine itself, we all experience it differently from the person next to us.

400mg of caffeine to me is perfect, but to someone else, it may be too much for them to handle. And to someone else, it may be too little for them to feel anything.

Individual health issues also come into play here, which is why there’s no concrete answer to this question (and why you should always consult your physician first).

What I do suggest, however, is to start with a small amount and work your way up until you find your sweet spot (your sweet spot is when you experience maximum benefits with minimum side effects).

So start with a small gourd first. And if you think you need more, then gradually increase your intake.

But remember this…

Caffeine In Yerba Mate

Even though we already went over how much caffeine is in a cup of mate, the numbers still aren’t absolute.

Caffeine content in yerba mate depends on a lot of factors.

As you try different brands of mate, what you’ll notice is they’re all different. Especially in the effects they provide, but also taste. And this is because of the varying country origins, blends, and preparation methods (gourd, french press, coffee maker, tea pot).

Some brands contain little caffeine, while others are packed with it.

Unfortunately, not all brands state how much caffeine is in their yerba mate. So again, you’ll have to experiment and see what works for you.

And this is important if you’re worried yerba mate will affect your sleep…

Yerba Mate And Sleep

I wrote a post about how yerba mate affects my sleep before. Specifically, when drinking before bed.

But what about when I drink mate in the morning?

Does the 400mg of caffeine alter my sleep?

For me, no. So long as I don’t consume caffeine after 5pm. Anytime after that, I’ll have trouble falling asleep.

As for others like you though, this may not be the case. Again, we all react to caffeine differently. However, if you already have a history of insomnia and difficulty sleeping, restricting your caffeine and consuming it earlier in the day may prove beneficial.

So as I’ve been repeating in this article, you’ll have to go through trial and error to see how much yerba mate is too much for you.

Is Drinking Too Much Yerba Mate Unhealthy?

This is a tough question as there’s no evidence to support drinking a lot of yerba mate is healthy, nor unhealthy.

But remember, yerba mate is a natural plant like any other tea you drink or vegetable you eat.

Yerba mate is also proven to contain a very unique powerhouse of vitamins and minerals, polyphenols, saponins, and much, much more. Of course, too much of one thing is almost never good either.

What you’re probably really worried about, however, is the cancer talk around this herb.

Will drinking a lot of yerba mate cause cancer?

There’s been a lot of discussion about this, but as of now, the answer is still unclear (even with the studies already done). But with the research so far, yerba mate may actually help prevent it because of its healthy compounds.

The only thing you should be concerned with is drinking mate at extremely hot temperatures since it’s been proven to lead to oesophageal cancer. Other than that, as long as you’re not chugging gallons of mate each day, you have nothing to worry about.

Final Words

If you made it this far, you now know how much yerba mate you should drink. And whether drinking too much yerba mate is a problem.

All you need to do is experiment around and find the perfect dose for your everyday life.

As a beginner, this is the best part about yerba mate.

You get to experience this delicious drink with a brand new palette. As well as try out a bunch of different brands to see what you like best.

But if there’s anything you get from this article, it’s this:

Yerba mate is different for everyone so you have to try it first-hand to understand how it’ll affect you.

How much yerba mate do you drink? Leave a comment below!

P.S. If you enjoyed this article, you might also want to check out our store for exclusive gourds, bombillas, samplers, and more.