Yerba Mate Caffeine: How Much Is in a Cup, Compared With Coffee
2 min read By Mataye
In brief
A typical cup of yerba mate has a similar amount of caffeine to a mug of coffee, but it varies a lot with how you make it. Numbers, comparisons and daily limits.
Yerba mate contains caffeine, and a typical serving has roughly as much as a mug of coffee. The exact amount varies a lot with how you make it: a tea bag has less, a traditional gourd refilled many times can add up to more than a single coffee. Here is how it compares and how much is sensible in a day.
How much caffeine is in yerba mate?
| How it is made | Caffeine (rough guide) |
|---|---|
| Yerba mate tea bag | Lower than a cup of loose mate; check the pack |
| Cup of loose yerba mate (one brew) | Often quoted at around 80 mg |
| Traditional gourd, refilled through a session | Adds up with each refill; can exceed one coffee |
| Super Yerba Mate sachet | Around 100 mg per serving |
| Ready-to-drink cans | Varies by brand; printed on the can |
The leaf itself varies by brand, cut and how long it was aged, so treat these as ranges, not exact figures.
Yerba mate caffeine vs coffee and tea
| Drink | Caffeine |
|---|---|
| Mug of instant coffee | About 100 mg (NHS) |
| Mug of filter coffee | More than instant, especially from coffee shops (NHS) |
| Mug of tea | About 75 mg (NHS) |
| 250 ml energy drink | About 80 mg (NHS) |
| Serving of yerba mate | Similar to a mug of coffee |
Is "mateine" different from caffeine?
No. You will see the word mateine, but chemically it is caffeine. Yerba mate also contains small amounts of theobromine (also found in cacao) and theophylline. Some people say mate feels smoother than coffee; that is personal experience, not something studies have shown clearly.
How much is safe?
- Healthy adults: up to 400 mg of caffeine a day from all sources, and up to 200 mg in one go (EFSA).
- Pregnancy: no more than 200 mg a day (NHS), and many people choose to avoid yerba mate entirely in pregnancy.
- Children: yerba mate is not suitable.
Count every source: two Super Yerba Mate sachets plus two coffees is already around 400 mg.
Side effects of too much
The same as too much coffee: jitters, a racing heart, an upset stomach and poor sleep. If you are sensitive, have your last caffeinated drink before early afternoon. Ask your doctor first if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure or anxiety, or take medicine that interacts with caffeine.
Drink it warm, not scalding
Traditional mate is often drunk very hot. The World Health Organization's cancer agency classes drinking very hot beverages, above about 65°C, as probably carcinogenic, based on studies including mate drinkers in South America. The risk is linked to the temperature, not the mate. Let it cool a little, or drink it cold.
Cold yerba mate
Yerba mate is also drunk cold, called tereré in Paraguay. Super Yerba Mate is made for this: one sachet in cold water, raspberry lemonade flavour, 2 g of sugar. Read how to prepare yerba mate sachets, or compare it with other options in our guide to coffee alternatives in the UK.
Keep reading: our full yerba mate guide, yerba mate benefits and risks and tereré, cold yerba mate.
Read next: how to drink yerba mate.
Sources
- NHS, Foods to avoid in pregnancy: caffeine
- European Food Safety Authority, Caffeine
- IARC (World Health Organization), Monographs evaluate drinking coffee, mate, and very hot beverages
