Yerba Mate: Complete Caffeine Guide

A 240 ml cup of yerba mate has 85 mg of caffeine.

• 85 mg — the caffeine in a 240 ml brewed cup of yerba mate (35.4 mg/100 ml, USDA FoodData Central).
• 400 mg/day — the FDA’s recommended maximum for healthy adults; roughly five 240 ml cups of yerba mate.
• ~41 mg — about half the original caffeine from a 240 ml cup of yerba mate remains after ~6 hours (population half-life ~5.7 h).
• ~20 mg — roughly what remains ~12 hours after a single 240 ml cup of yerba mate.

How much caffeine is in yerba mate?

Measured for a 240 ml brewed serving, yerba mate contains 85 mg of caffeine (listed in USDA FoodData Central and reflected in the dataset above). That equals about 35.4 mg per 100 ml. Commercial bottled mate drinks may differ; brewed mate is the dataset standard.

Yerba mate compared with coffee, tea and energy drinks

Drink	Serving	Caffeine (mg)	mg/100 ml
Yerba mate (brewed)	240 ml	85 mg	35.4 mg/100 ml
Drip coffee	240 ml	96 mg	40 mg/100 ml
Cold brew	240 ml	200 mg	83.3 mg/100 ml
Black tea	240 ml	47 mg	19.6 mg/100 ml
Red Bull	250 ml	80 mg	32 mg/100 ml
Club-Mate (bottled)	330 ml	66 mg	20 mg/100 ml
Espresso (single)	30 ml	63 mg	—

Yerba mate sits between black tea and drip coffee in caffeine concentration per 240 ml. It is substantially lower than cold brew and many specialty coffees, but higher than green or white tea in most preparations.

How caffeine behaves in your body (metabolism and decay)

Caffeine is eliminated following an approximate population-average half-life of 5.7 hours; that means the body removes about half of the caffeine roughly every 5.7 hours. Individual clearance varies widely with genetics, medication, pregnancy and smoking status. Sources: Mayo Clinic, FDA.

Drink	Dose (mg)	After 3 h (~69%)	After 6 h (~48%)	After 9 h (~33%)	After 12 h (~23%)
Yerba mate (240 ml)	85 mg	~59 mg	~41 mg	~28 mg	~20 mg
Drip coffee (240 ml)	96 mg	~66 mg	~46 mg	~32 mg	~22 mg
Cold brew (240 ml)	200 mg	~138 mg	~96 mg	~66 mg	~46 mg
Black tea (240 ml)	47 mg	~32 mg	~23 mg	~16 mg	~11 mg

What changes caffeine clearance?

• Genetics: CYP1A2 variants alter speed of clearance (some people are fast metabolizers).
• Smoking increases clearance; oral contraceptives, pregnancy, and liver disease slow it (Mayo Clinic).
• Multiple drinks add up: the FDA considers total daily caffeine from all sources when advising limits.

Health benefits and risks of yerba mate

Yerba mate contains caffeine and polyphenols; scientific reviews note short-term benefits for alertness, concentration and modest metabolic effects. Long-term epidemiology on high, chronic mate consumption shows mixed cancer associations in heavy, very hot mate drinkers — confounding factors include temperature and concurrent tobacco use. Cite: EFSA and peer-reviewed reviews.

Risks align with caffeine dose: palpitations, anxiety, elevated blood pressure and sleep disruption in sensitive individuals. The FDA’s guidance for healthy adults is a maximum of 400 mg/day; for pregnancy many authorities recommend keeping caffeine under 200 mg/day. The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages caffeine for adolescents because of sensitivity and dose uncertainty.

Timing, sleep and practical intake rules

Use the half-life math above to time consumption. From a single 240 ml cup of yerba mate (85 mg): if you want <20 mg in your system at bedtime, you should stop roughly 12 hours before sleep; to reduce sleep impact for most people, avoid caffeinated beverages 6 hours before bed.

Stacking matters: two 240 ml cups (2 × 85 mg = 170 mg) will leave roughly ~82 mg after 6 hours. If you track intake, you can calculate remaining caffeine and plan sleep and exercise accordingly.

Popular preparations and how brewing affects caffeine

Preparation matters: steep time, water temperature and leaf-to-water ratio change extraction. Traditional gourd mate prepared repeatedly from the same leaves tends to give repeated moderate doses rather than one large shot; commercial single-brew servings are easier to quantify. Packaged drinks like Club-Mate (330 ml, 66 mg in the dataset) are potable alternatives with known labels.

Managing jitters, tracking and actionable tips

• Measure serving sizes: a measured 240 ml cup of yerba mate = 85 mg; use a kitchen cup or a scale for accuracy.
• Split doses: smaller sips over a longer period reduce peak blood caffeine and may lower jitters.
• Track cumulative intake with an app: CoffeeLog can log servings and compute remaining mg over time automatically.
• If pregnant or taking medications, consult your clinician; recommended pregnancy caffeine limits are lower (around 200 mg/day by many authorities).

This guide uses published reference numbers (USDA FoodData Central, FDA, Mayo Clinic, EFSA, American Academy of Pediatrics) and the dataset values above. Information is educational and not a substitute for medical advice.