Hierba Mate

[denverco]

Not sure about GNC they do carry lots of different health foods. Best bet is probably a Whole Foods Wild Oats or Vitamin Cottage.

 

[Jenner 515]

Whole Foods and Wild Oats carry it...at least here in Denver.

 

[akennedy73]

I drank it for a couple of months but I've gone back to coffee - the yerba mate is great stuff but it was giving me sort of a constricted feeling in my chest. Maybe I was brewing it too strong.

 

[SpookyPistolero]

I drank it for a couple of months but I've gone back to coffee - the yerba mate is great stuff but it was giving me sort of a constricted feeling in my chest. Maybe I was brewing it too strong.

A lot of those 'natural' products have ephedra alkaloids in them, wonder if this is one of them...

 

[Return of the J.D.]

Here's the Wikipedia article on yerba mate: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerba_mate

Again, I'd be leery of drinking teas made from other species of holly--the fact that yerba mate--Ilex paraguayensis--seems to be widely used doesn't necessarily make me think it's safe to try the North American varieties, which contain potentially-fatal toxins such as ilicin.

As for yerba mate, brewed myself a nice, hot cup of it last night. Liked it a lot. Brought back memories of staying up late nights for school, years back.

 

[ssss]

Return of the JD: Anyone should be carefull when they try a new plant as food or medicine the first time, as allegies exist, and indeed it would be foolish to assume that because one member of a Genus on another continent is edible that others on another continent are as well. However, there is well over 200 years of documentation of yaupon (ilex vomitoria) and gallberry (ilex glabra) being used as tea, still used as tea, and sold in some areas of the Carolinas. Two commonly available books citing edibility are Euell Gibbons 'Stalking the Blue-eyed Scallop' and 'Petersons Fileld Guide to Edible Plants", as well as a number of less available botany texts. A quick check on the internet also gives many references on these two members of the Holly Familly. I have studied, used, and sometimes taught edible and medicinal plants for over 30 years and dont give out 'hearsay' information, although some people might. But, a quick look on the net on your part would provide you alot of info. When I taught, I prefered to guide people in a direction and let them discover as much as they could, rather than just hand something over with no effort on their part. One reason I rarely teach anymore is that few people really want to put in any effort. It's surprising that on a 'Survival' forum someone would comment on a topic without research on their part.

 

[psy-ops]

"One reason I rarely teach anymore is that few people really want to put in any effort. It's surprising that on a 'Survival' forum someone would comment on a topic without research on their part." ssss

You are surprised by Return of the JD's harmless warning and you quit teaching people because THEY don't want to do any work. Sounds kind of depressing.

 

[eomeo]

I stayed up too late playing soccer last night and needed some caffeine this morning, and took some pics of my pick me up.