From what age can you drink Yerba Mate?

The Yerba Mate drink is winning more and more fans among people all over the world, not only in South America. As a result, among the fans of this infusion are people of different ages – older, mature, but also increasingly younger ones. Can children drink Yerba Mate without risking harm to their health? From what age can you drink Yerba Mate? We answer all these questions in this article. We warmly invite you to read on.

Can Yerba Mate Be Dangerous for Children?

Yerba Mate contains many positive nutrients and minerals. The only downside that might cast a shadow over this infusion is its relatively high caffeine content. So can we give Yerba Mate to children? The latest scientific research on caffeine shows us that it’s not as scary as it’s made out to be. It turns out that moderate caffeine consumption in children doesn’t cause any noticeable changes in physical activity or attention span. Only a high concentration of this alkaloid in the body can lead to undesirable effects. As with everything in life, it’s important to find the proverbial “golden mean.” However, we can start giving children Yerba Mate from their first year of life.

Caffeine consumption in children – caffeine isn’t just in coffee

Caffeine is especially associated with coffee, but in reality it’s found in many different products. We can find it in tea, in Yerba Mate, in fizzy drinks like coca-cola, and even in significant amounts in chocolate. Caffeine consumption among children is therefore something quite normal. After all, is there a child out there who hasn’t drunk coca-cola or eaten chocolate at some point? Each of us has our own beliefs and dietary habits. Some parents forbid their children from eating too many sweets and drinking too many fizzy drinks – others turn a blind eye. Still, it’s undeniable that the average child comes into contact with caffeine from a very young age. That said, it’s worth noting that caffeine isn’t a recommended part of children’s diets. It doesn’t contain any nutrients that could be essential for a young, developing body. You can learn more about caffeine, among other places, in this article.

So why would we give Yerba to children at all?

Caffeine’s main effect on the body is stimulation. So why would we give it to children? The answer is simple: because we ourselves drink Yerba Mate. When our child sees their parents drinking this beverage from a young age, they’ll most likely want to try it themselves at some point. So what does drinking Yerba Mate actually look like for children in practice?

Young children (from one to two years old)

Children this age aren’t yet familiar with treats like chocolate or coca-cola. The same caution should apply to Yerba Mate. If you give a child too much of it, you may have trouble getting them to sleep due to overstimulation. There are three ways to approach this situation:

• not giving Yerba Mate at all, but sooner or later, in all likelihood, the little one will take an interest in our drink again – so this is only a temporary solution;
• drink the whole beverage and let the child just suck air through the straw;
• give the child a sip of Yerba that has already been refilled with water several times. In such a situation, the infusion contains only a small amount of caffeine. We can therefore feel safe about the child.

Preschool-age child

Unlike the first case, a preschooler already has fairly regular contact with products such as chocolate or fizzy drinks, so a small amount of Yerba Mate won’t be harmful to them. It’s best to give the child an infusion that has already been refilled 4 or 5 times, so that the caffeine content is as minimal as possible. We can also, without much trouble, explain to the little one that this is simply a drink meant for adults because of certain substances it contains. The child should understand this. It’s also likely that a preschooler won’t enjoy the bitterness of Yerba anyway.

School-age children

At this age, caffeine still isn’t necessary for the child, but they most likely already have fairly regular contact with products containing it (cocoa, chocolate, Cola). So if they drink Yerba Mate from time to time, nothing bad will happen to them. Remember that this is also a period when a young person is learning eating and drinking habits that will affect them later in life. You should therefore teach them to prefer plain water, water with lemon, natural juices, etc. – products that will quench their thirst in the healthiest way.

Teenagers

Teenagers really want to imitate adults, so they also want to drink what adults drink. It’s not recommended for teenagers to consume energy drinks, because besides large amounts of sugar, they contain unhealthy, artificial substances that have a negative effect on a young body. So if your child really wants to drink caffeinated beverages, it’s best to convince them to choose Yerba Mate instead. This drink clearly wins when compared to others in terms of health benefits. If we have no objections to giving teenagers coffee, we should have even less reason to object to Yerba Mate. 

It should also be noted here that Yerba Mate provides the human body with plenty of nutrients and vitamins (such as magnesium, potassium, zinc and manganese), as well as vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, C and folic acid. In short – it has many health benefits. It is therefore one of the healthiest alternatives compared to unhealthy fizzy and energy drinks. 

And what about children drinking Yerba Mate in South American countries?

In South American countries, especially those famous for producing Yerba Mate, such as Brazil or Argentina, drinking Yerba Mate is considered an unwritten tradition, and no one hesitates to give this drink even to three- or four-year-old children there. Naturally, the Yerba Mate given to them is a bit weaker than what adults drink. It’s usually the third or fourth refill. The amount of caffeine in this kind of infusion is therefore much lower.

So a photo like the one below shouldn’t shock us. In a country where children have been surrounded by adults sipping this unique drink since their earliest years, it’s no wonder they want to try it themselves as soon as possible. 

From what age can you drink Yerba Mate? A few words of summary

Scientific studies clearly show that the caffeine found in Yerba Mate, in moderate amounts, is in no way harmful to a young body. So we can give it to children, of course keeping the “golden mean” in mind, from as early as their first year of life. Ultimately, it’s a much healthier alternative to unhealthy, sweetened fizzy drinks. Let’s remember that we know our own children best and know what’s good for them. The most important thing is not to go to extremes. Completely forbidding a child from drinking Yerba Mate, for example, while we ourselves drink it every day, is fundamentally unfair and will sooner or later backfire on us. Similarly, we shouldn’t overdo it the other way and let a three- or four-year-old drink Yerba Mate from the first infusion, since this could simply have a negative effect on their young body. In everything, we need to find the golden mean. We warmly encourage you to check out the Yerbador store website. There you can buy delicious Yerba Mate! It’s the perfect place for anyone who loves this drink.