Herbal Tea for Energy and Focus: What the Research Shows
Yerba mate contains caffeine. See what trials of mate and one fatigue blend found, why caffeine-free herbal teas have little evidence for energy, and the cautions.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Safety first. Natural products can cause side effects and interact with medicines. Read herbal tea and extract safety before you use anything on this page.
If you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, breastfeeding, or take medicines, ask a clinician about caffeine before relying on a caffeinated herbal drink. The FDA says certain conditions and some medications make people more sensitive to caffeine, and recommends talking to a health care provider about whether to limit it in pregnancy and breastfeeding. [1] Lasting tiredness is a reason to see a clinician; see fatigue: when to get help.
Caffeine and yerba mate: how the sources describe it
A 2024 laboratory study measured caffeine in mate infusions and found it varied with brewing: mean 17.79 mg per gram of dry matter in single-brewed versus 14.28 in double-brewed infusions. [3] The FDA has cited 400 milligrams a day, about two to three 12-fluid-ounce cups of coffee, as an amount not generally associated with negative effects for most adults, and notes wide variation in sensitivity. [1] How much caffeine a particular cup of tea delivers is not stated by these sources.What research shows
| Question | What the source found | Evidence label | Form and people studied |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mate and general effects | A 2023 systematic review of 32 studies reported benefits for exercise performance, mood and appetite, but risk of bias was high in 22 studies and certainty ranged from moderate to very low. [4] | Promising but limited | Mixed forms and populations |
| Mate and cycling | In 11 trained male cyclists, mate increased fat use during submaximal exercise and improved a roughly 30-minute time trial by 2.2% (plus or minus 2%). [5] | Promising but limited | Small crossover trial; the form was not described as tea in the abstract |
| Mate and focus | The 2023 review lists mood among observed benefits but its abstract gives no detail. Proper evidence not found for a trial of mate tea on focus or attention: we searched PubMed for mate with attention, fatigue and cognition. [4] | Insufficient evidence | Not applicable |
| Herbal tea for prolonged fatigue | In a pilot of 40 adults, a three-herb blend (Astragali Radix, Angelicae gigantis Radix, Zizyphi Fructus) lowered fatigue scores versus a control group that received no intervention. [6] | Promising but limited | One blend, no placebo, 35 completers |
| Ginseng-type herbs | Adaptogen roots are covered in ginseng for energy: what trials found; that evidence is for extracts, not tea. | See link | Not applicable |
Limits
A trial of capsules or powder does not transfer to a cup of tea, and a blend tested in one pilot does not describe other blends. A control group that received nothing cannot show that the tea itself, rather than expectation, caused the change. [6]Related pages
Yerba mate, how to improve focus and memory and herbs for energy and fatigue.Frequently asked questions
Does herbal tea give energy?
Only caffeine-containing ones such as yerba mate are expected to. Proper evidence not found that caffeine-free herbal teas raise energy. [3]
Does yerba mate improve focus?
Proper evidence not found for a trial of mate tea on everyday focus; the trials we read looked at exercise and metabolic outcomes. [4][5]
How much caffeine is too much?
It varies by person. The FDA has cited 400 milligrams a day as an amount not generally associated with negative effects for most adults. [1]
Is yerba mate safe in pregnancy?
The FDA recommends talking to a health care provider about limiting caffeine in pregnancy and breastfeeding. [1]
Does drinking tea very hot matter?
IARC found that very hot beverages probably cause oesophageal cancer. [7]
More details: evidence, limits and cautions
The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.
Safety
- Caffeine. The FDA lists increased heart rate, heart palpitations, insomnia and anxiety among signs of too much caffeine, and says too much in children and teens can cause these and high blood pressure. [1] See caffeine in herbal teas and caffeine and energy drinks.
- Very hot drinks. IARC concluded that drinking very hot beverages probably causes cancer of the oesophagus, and that temperature, rather than the drink itself, appears responsible. Mate is traditionally drunk very hot. [7] See very hot tea and esophageal cancer risk.
- Medicines. Proper evidence not found in the sources we read for mate interactions; ask a pharmacist. See how interactions work.
- Quality. Energy blends may contain added caffeine or other ingredients; see herbal tea blends and what labels hide.
References
- FDA. Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much?. Read 2026-10-23.
- GBIF Secretariat. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy species match (accepted names and families for Hibiscus sabdariffa L., Ilex paraguariensis A.St.-Hil., Cinnamomum verum J.Presl, Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Matricaria chamomilla L., Foeniculum vulgare Mill., Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench, Sambucus nigra L., Trifolium pratense L., Crocus sativus L., Crataegus monogyna Jacq. and Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze). Read 2026-10-23.
- Changes in the Physicochemical and Bioactive Properties of Yerba Mate Depending on the Brewing Conditions. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland). 2024. PubMed 38893465. Read 2026-10-23.
- Physiological effects of yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis): a systematic review. Nutrition reviews. 2023. PubMed 36647770. Read 2026-10-23.
- Metabolic and Performance Effects of Yerba Mate on Well-trained Cyclists. Medicine and science in sports and exercise. 2018. PubMed 29117073. Read 2026-10-23.
- Three-Component Herbal Tea Alleviates Prolonged Fatigue and Improves Sleep Quality: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study. Explore (New York, N.Y.). 2018. PubMed 30482676. Read 2026-10-23.
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO). IARC Monographs evaluate drinking coffee, mate and very hot beverages (press release no. 244, 15 June 2016). Read 2026-10-23.