Anyone tried this stuff?

How does it work for you versus, say, coffee or tea?

My own experience: I find that the buzz doesn't come on half as strongly as it does from coffee--in other words it takes a while to hit a "noticeable" peak. This stuff works slowly and it *lasts.* The most interesting effect--the biggest difference it seems to have from other caffeine sources--is this feeling I get of simply being *awake* and I mean "awake" is the operative word. And it seems to provide a more physical kind of energy (I should mention I don't take any sugar with this at all.) Whereas coffee is more of an addictive "quick mental buzz" that burns for a short while and then you're kinda left with some jitters and a crash.

I wouldn't say that Yerba Mate is even 1/2th as addictive as coffee--the buzz is quite a bit different. The odd thing is that while everyone says it doesn't cause any of the anxiety that coffee causes, for me, I notice almost the opposite. I have quit this stuff before due to anxiety/panic feelings, in fact. (trying it again for the hell of it, I guess.)

it is claimed that yerba mate is a MAO inhibitor - just be wary of this if you are taking other medication (ie stimulants, AD)

it is claimed that yerba mate is a MAO inhibitor - just be wary of this if you are taking other medication (ie stimulants, AD)

I've read about this, too, but I've not been able to find much information about it on the Net.

I take Paxil (SSRI) and have wondered if Yerba Mate causes an interaction, but I don't think I've noticed anything out of the ordinary.

I have lived in Argentina off and on for a good part of my life, and drinking mate is something that I cannot recommend enough. Thankfully, my wife is from southern Chile, where they also drink mate (but with sugar and boiling water!!!!).

Batmann55 is right that the stimulant effect is much more subtle in coming on, and lasts much longer than the caffeine jolt of coffee. This is both good and bad -- good while reading, bad if you need a wake-up before heading out the door. It is also a diuretic, so be prepared for that. And it seems to also, ummm, let's say "aid in elimination" or something like that. The latter, in my opinion, is also a benefit, since it counteracts one of the more annoying side-effects of adderall.

I have noticed no negative interaction between mate and my adderall, though I can't say anything about any other meds. In fact, I would say that mate and adderall get along much better than do coffee and adderall.

Here in the USA mate is usually sold as an insanely expensive "tea" in neat little tea bags, that are prepared in pretty much the same manner as regular tea. In Argentina we call this "mate cocido," and is an acceptable way of taking it in a pinch, while camping, with a quick breakfast, etc.

The more common way is to drink it from a gourd or wooden "mate," into which you put the "yerba" and not-quite boiled water. You then suck the brew out through a "bombilla" which is essentially a metal straw with a filter on the end.

It looks like this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:ArgentummMamerto_menapace.jpg

You can read a pretty accurate account of the ritual etiquette of drinking mate here:
http://www.argentinacafe.com/Background/argentina-yerba-mate.htm

(NOTE: those are Argentine rules -- its different in Chile and different again in Uruguay. In fact, I think that this is actually more Uruguayan, since in Argentina we stop right at the slurping, while the uruguayos tend to slurp.)

Now, ¡a cebar!

I get the same reaction as you do Batman. And I take Zoloft (an SSRI), so maybe it DOES interact with SSRI's in a way that causes anxiety and panic. It stinks. At first I thought I found this awesome energy source, only to later find myself in bed, rocking back and forth and trying to focus on my breath to calm myself, etc. NO FUN!

Sue

I have lived in Argentina off and on for a good part of my life, and drinking mate is something that I cannot recommend enough. Thankfully, my wife is from southern Chile, where they also drink mate (but with sugar and boiling water!!!!).

Batmann55 is right that the stimulant effect is much more subtle in coming on, and lasts much longer than the caffeine jolt of coffee. This is both good and bad -- good while reading, bad if you need a wake-up before heading out the door. It is also a diuretic, so be prepared for that. And it seems to also, ummm, let's say "aid in elimination" or something like that. The latter, in my opinion, is also a benefit, since it counteracts one of the more annoying side-effects of adderall.

I have noticed no negative interaction between mate and my adderall, though I can't say anything about any other meds. In fact, I would say that mate and adderall get along much better than do coffee and adderall.

Here in the USA mate is usually sold as an insanely expensive "tea" in neat little tea bags, that are prepared in pretty much the same manner as regular tea. In Argentina we call this "mate cocido," and is an acceptable way of taking it in a pinch, while camping, with a quick breakfast, etc.

The more common way is to drink it from a gourd or wooden "mate," into which you put the "yerba" and not-quite boiled water. You then suck the brew out through a "bombilla" which is essentially a metal straw with a filter on the end.

It looks like this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:ArgentummMamerto_menapace.jpg

You can read a pretty accurate account of the ritual etiquette of drinking mate here:
http://www.argentinacafe.com/Background/argentina-yerba-mate.htm

(NOTE: those are Argentine rules -- its different in Chile and different again in Uruguay. In fact, I think that this is actually more Uruguayan, since in Argentina we stop right at the slurping, while the uruguayos tend to slurp.)

Now, ¡a cebar!

The way I prepare it is I just get the package of loose tea (NOT the tea-bags). Then I put about 10 teaspoons of it in a large mug. Then I wet the leaves with cold water (it "protects the alkaloids" from being burned away when you apply hot water). Then I fill the mug with hot--but NOT boiling--water, and I let it steep for 5-8 minutes. Apparently it is important not to use boiling water because you lose the antioxidant/vitamin content that way.

I have noticed it does seem to help with reading, in particular. But really the "buzz" is not as good as other sources of caffeine and the anxiety it produces (for me) is not worth it.

I get the same reaction as you do Batman. And I take Zoloft (an SSRI), so maybe it DOES interact with SSRI's in a way that causes anxiety and panic. It stinks. At first I thought I found this awesome energy source, only to later find myself in bed, rocking back and forth and trying to focus on my breath to calm myself, etc. NO FUN!

Sue

Uncanny! I have much the same reaction as you do. It was exciting at first, but later on, it starts to produce anxiety and slight panic.

Do you have an anxiety disorder by any chance? I am diagnosed GAD but my biggest problem is social anxiety.

I don't believe I currently have an anxiety disorder. When I was in my very early 20's, I did go through a time where I frequently had panic attacks. Once I found out what they were - and learned exercises to cope with them (like breathing so as not to hyperventilate, telling myself "It's going to be o.k. You're not dying. This will pass.", etc.) they began to lesson in frequency and length of time until I rarely ever got them. Last one was over ten years ago.

Anyway - I remember I pm'd someone about Yerba Mate many, many months ago. When I did, I told them that it helped me that first time I tried it. The second time - like 2 hrs later I'm under my covers cowering like a baby. Ya - SO NOT worth it!

Sue

I like the Yerba Mate. It is good for your health as well as good for focusing. It is much better than coffee and other teas.

I like the Yerba Mate. It is good for your health as well as good for focusing. It is much better than coffee and other teas.


Out of curiousity, do you have some Argentine in you?

I know that erma is a common name for Argentinian women.

I like it. Doesn't seem to interact with my stims or give me the jitters (and I'm jitter prone). I use the bags with stevia for sweetness, one cup in the AM.

I drink plain old fashioned ground loose leaf Mate. It has a little more overpowering taste than green tea (that same sort of grassy flavor) and effects consistent with xanthines similar to caffeine. It seems to be slightly more potent ounce for ounce compared to coffee but isnt particularly magical or amazing. People claim silly stuff about it such as it not having a crash, if you've never crashed from it in a similar to coffee you havent drank enough.

I drink on average about 3 cups of coffee a day but have experimented with all sorts of teas and similar concoctions.

I drink plain old fashioned ground loose leaf Mate. It has a little more overpowering taste than green tea (that same sort of grassy flavor) and effects consistent with xanthines similar to caffeine. It seems to be slightly more potent ounce for ounce compared to coffee but isnt particularly magical or amazing. People claim silly stuff about it such as it not having a crash, if you've never crashed from it in a similar to coffee you havent drank enough.

I drink on average about 3 cups of coffee a day but have experimented with all sorts of teas and similar concoctions.

The problem I have with it: a patent for Yerba Mate showed that it's actually an MAOI, in addition to the other effects.

I take an SSRI, and MAOIs are a bad idea. It might be the reason about 2 hours after having a strong dose, I get this longlasting anxiety, and it really negates the positive effects it has. It's not the same kind of anxiety I get from coffee, but a different animal. So no more Yerba Mate for me... it's not safe.

I bought mate, but then i read on the net that it might cause liver disease!
got scared from that.

The problem I have with it: a patent for Yerba Mate showed that it's actually an MAOI, in addition to the other effects.


Coffee is a stronger MAOI than Mate.

Quote
"Out of curiousity, do you have some Argentine in you?

I know that erma is a common name for Argentinian women."

NO Batman55, I dont. One of my friend Pablo introduced me to the Yerba Matte. I have noticed that every country has Erma as a common name. I am Albanian :)

Coffee is a stronger MAOI than Mate.

I don't agree. Please, find me a link.

I do not see coffee listed on sites as a must-avoid for the MAOI diet.

Also--you can check the wikipedia article on this--some country, I think in south america, issued a warning that people taking Nardil or Parnate should avoid drinking Yerba Mate.

<big><big>M</big></big>onoamine oxidase (MAO) is a mitochondrial outer-membrane flavoenzyme involved in brain and peripheral oxidative catabolism of neurotransmitters and xenobiotic amines, including neurotoxic amines, and a well-known target for antidepressant and neuroprotective drugs. Recent epidemiological studies have consistently shown that coffee drinkers have an apparently lower incidence of Parkinson's disease (PD), suggesting that coffee might somehow act as a purported neuroprotectant. In this paper, "ready to drink" coffee brews exhibited inhibitory properties on recombinant human MAO A and B isozymes catalyzing the oxidative deamination of kynuramine, suggesting that coffee contains compounds acting as MAO inhibitors. MAO inhibition was reversible and competitive for MAO A and MAO B. Subsequently, the pyrido-indole (beta-carboline) alkaloids, norharman and harman, were identified and isolated from MAO-inhibiting coffee, and were good inhibitors on MAO A (harman and norharman) and MAO B (norharman) isozymes. beta-carbolines isolated from ready-to-drink coffee were competitive and reversible inhibitors and appeared up to 210 mug/L, confirming that coffee is the most important exogenous source of these alkaloids in addition to cigarette smoking. Inhibition of MAO enzymes by coffee and the presence of MAO inhibitors that are also neuroactive, such as beta-carbolines and eventually others, might play a role in the neuroactive actions including a purported neuroprotection associated with coffee consumption.

http://biopsychiatry.com/coffee-maoi.htm

What about caffeine itself as an MAO inhibitor?

Pharmacology is not my strong suit; please allow for stupid questions.

I used to get the most potent (to be honest, euphoric) effects from caffeine pills, theoretically without the MAO-inhibiting chemicals that coffee has...?

This is interesting tho. I'm a heavy coffee drinker so I hope it's not interfering with the SSRI I've been taking.