Yerba mate tea ingredients – katuava or catuaba?

On the market there are many yerba mate teas available - they contain ingredients such as herbs, fruit, oils, and flavours. You were probably wondering why there is ‘katuava’ on the packaging whereas there is ‘catuaba’ another time. It turns out that despite the similar names, these are two different ingredients. Today we are going to explain this issue and tell you more about these plants!

Katuava or catuaba?

Against all appearances and very similar names, catuaba and katuava are two different plants. What is interesting, catuaba is sourced from the bark of a Trichilia catigua tree. They are quite tall trees characterized by lush tree crowns full of big, dark green leaves. The bark of catuaba is usually finely cut or ground and its characteristic feature is delicately pink or red colour. It has got a bitter, deep taste that combines spicy and sweet flavours. Katuava, in turn, is a little plant belonging to the Myrtaceae family. Visually, it is rather similar to yerba mate but it has a delicate, refreshing taste. Catuaba and katuava may be seen in Brazilian forests. What is interesting, their similar names are no coincidence - they are to have a similar effect on the organism!

Katuava and catuaba in yerba mate tea – what’s their effect?

Catuaba and katuava are said to be aphrodisiacs - they are to stimulate and boost the satisfaction from sexual intercourse. Such features are guaranteed by alkaloids content - substances that regulate the function of the nervous system. These plants are also to stimulate blood circulation, soothe neuralgias, and nervous tension caused by stress, and have an antiseptic and antiviral effect. An important advantage is a fact that they contain antioxidants thanks to which they can fight free radicals. Catuaba and katuava are common ingredients of yerba mate. If you haven’t tried them yet, it’s really worth trying!

The author of original graphics: Tarciso Leão
Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

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