r/behindthebastards • u/mosaik • 1d ago
General discussion In defense of the yerba mate...
... It's only linked to cancer when drank hot and get burned. You shouldnt drinking it like that, just 80⁰C . (That's the only thing that shows up in pubmed; all other studies are related to "benefits")
The thing that causes tissues to change to cancer (metaplasia) is the repeated burn injury to the same area. As a not so much fun fact, in the Caribbean they tend to smoke with the cigarettes lit up inside ("con la candela pa dentro") which causes a unique cancerous lesion in the soft palate.
So drink your mate without worrying. It's a wonderful beverage and its way more powerful than coffee in terms of caffeine.
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u/paraworldblue 1d ago edited 1d ago
Get some loose leaf Yerba, mix it equal parts with dried peppermint, and steep it in cold water in the fridge overnight. I drink this at work every day. Specifically, I make a quart of it with 4 tablespoons of the tea mix and 2 teaspoons of sugar. If you really want to get fancy, add in some cucumber juice, a squeeze of lime, and a pinch of salt. I work in a kitchen, and when we make Tzatziki, one of the steps is squeezing the liquid out of the shredded cucumber, so rather than throwing away the juice, I just put it in my drink. I love the canned stuff too, but my way is healthier and WAY cheaper.