On Sat, 03 Apr 2004 18:11:27 -0800, Leif Thorvaldson wrote:


> "Dan Stromberg" > wrote in message
> news
>> On Thu, 01 Apr 2004 18:48:11 -0800, Leif Thorvaldson wrote:
>>
>> > I just received my first order of Yerba Mate and brewed up six cups
>> > in my coffee maker. The company recommends that I place two oz in
>> > the basket with a filter. I measured it a spoonful at a time and
>> > when I got to 1/2 oz, I stopped. My word. If I continued and used 2
>> > oz per pot that would yield 8 six cup pots or a total of 72 cups. I'd
>> > be through a pound in no time at all! That's one complaint. The
>> > other is the smell and taste to me is reminiscent of bedding straw in
>> > a barn. Any suggestions regarding learning to love the taste and
>> > smell???? Would it be better if I smeared Vicks VapoRub under my
>> > nose, like we did at crime scenes and autopsies? By the way, the
>> > nutrition label on the 1 kg package says that there is 90 calories in
>> > 50mg or 1.75 oz.
>> >
>> > Leif
>> > "Alex Krupp" > wrote in message
>> > news:2004033001484516807%alex3917@hotmailcom...
>> >> I have sadly become addicted to the delicious herba mates on
>> >> specialteas.com. I have already gone through about half a pound of
>> >> their MateChino, and was going to reorder when I noticed they now
>> >> have a tiramisu flavor so I picked up a quarter pound of that
>> >> instead. However, I'm a bit afraid of the unspecified but most
>> >> likely ungodly number of calories in these (damn lightweight
>> >> rowing). Can anyone give a good estimate of the number of calories
>> >> that would come from a 6 pot cup of either of these, assuming one
>> >> teaspoon on mate per cup (not including milk/sugar)? I know this
>> >> isn't rec.food.drink.mate, but I was hoping someone might be able to
>> >> provide some insight since specialteas doesn't seem to respond to
>> >> email.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> This URL has comments about some of the brands I liked and disliked,
>> before I stopped drinking mate. I never had it from a coffee machine,
>> but I drank it from a french press sometimes and a gourd often. It
>> wasn't long before I learned to enjoy the taste of a good brand very
>> much, even with stems.
>>
>> http://dcs.nac.uci.edu/~strombrg/mate.html
>>
>> On cancer and mate: some people claim the relationship is only due to
>> the temperature at which it is consumed. I have my doubts, as after a
>> couple of years of regular mate consumption, I cannot have one gourd
>> without getting a sore throat the next day that lasts about a week.
>>
>> But I miss it. A lot. I often stop by a coworker's office to smell
>> his brew when he makes a batch of mate in his coffee machine. I miss
>> the taste, and I miss the way it makes being a little hungry feel so
>> good. And I miss the feel of a warm gourd in my hand.
>
> Interesting comment. I have been having a persistent sore throat due to
> allergies and sinus congestion. I don't know if the mate has any
> function in the persistence of this sore throat. Is there any site that
> discusses this issue of sore throat/cancer from drinking mate?
>
> Leif

If you think it might be the mate, you could probably stop drinking it for
around two weeks - at least that was long enough in my case.

BTW, the doctor I saw was pretty clueless about my "sore throat". I
stumbled on the solution myself in this case.

I believe I didn't suffer from congestion from mate.