I’ve been drinking Maté for about a year now, as a better alternative for coffee (which gave me stomachaches). Browsing online, as I often do, I read about another way to prepare my mate, grinding it and pouring it through a coffee filter.
I had about five “doses” left, so I grinded it all up, put it in a mug, which was filled for about a quarter with the powder, added boiling water and left it to soak for 5-10 minutes and I poured it through the coffee filter. The tea was brown instead of green-brownish and smelled very strong. I drank it all up in about a minute or so, five minutes later I felt that the caffeine started to have its effects on me. What struck me as odd was that I didn’t get a shaky sensation as I usually do, not a lot of physical energy, but my fingertips and toes started to get numb. My heart rate didn’t increase as I expected, but the strange thing was that I started to have muscular spasms: painful cramps in my shoulders and lower back as I stretched out, as I walked up the stairs my legs hurt… I can’t think of any other reason why this happened, but the mate.
I’ve never believed people claiming that they got high on mate, but I’m having second thoughts, since I felt some tickles in my toes and fingers, felt relaxed, yet alert and awake. I wasn’t really high as in another state of mind, or extremely happy, but I wasn’t quite myself either. Time did seem to pass slower, and I was more productive.
I guess all I can say is that grinded maté really is more potent, but if I take to much, there is a downside.
On the plus side, compared to coffee, a “mate overdose” doesn’t make me feel sick, nervous, sweaty and trembling, if you have the choice, choose wise, choose mate!
