What is yerba mate—and is this caffeinated drink really good for you?

The South American tribal groups who first made this beverage centuries ago considered it a gift from the gods. Many would still agree today.

Not many drinks can offer the health benefits of tea, the strength of coffee, and the joy of chocolate like South America's super brew, yerba mate.

Containing roughly as much caffeine as coffee, about 80 milligrams per cup, mate has gained global popularity—much so that brands like Perrier, Red Bull, and PepsiCo have launched mate drinks. According to Future Market Insights, global yerba mate sales will total $2.18 billion in 2023, and in the next decade, demand for the elixir will rise by 5.7 percent.

But long before the beverage reached German discos and American grocery stores, it was a traditional tea made from the steeped leaves and twigs of an indigenous plant, consumed across