| Sumario: | The infusion at 1.5% of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis A.St.-Hil.) (Ip) corresponds to
"cooked mate" (MC), whose combination with milk (50:50 v/v) (M) and refined sugar (S) is
the "mate cocido with milk", a popular food in southern South America offered to preschool
and primary education students (3-13 years old) in Argentina. Another species of the
genus, I. dumosa Reissek (Id), has low caffeine; appears in the market as an Id:Ip (70:30
w/w) mixture. The substitution of Ip by the mentioned mixture maintains analogous nutritional
values and significantly lowers the caffeine levels (α=0.05); this allows for a higher
consumption of the food during the day, without reaching the xanthine daily limits (40-100
mg day-1) for the age range, favoring the students intellectual and physical performance
without adverse effects. The daily intake of a double serving (breakfast and afternoon snack)
of MC+M+S provides high energy and is a source of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins A, B1,
B2, B5, B6, and B12, biotin and essential minerals (Mn, P, Zn, Cu, Ca, Mg, Na, Cl, K, Fe and Al), with
low cholesterol. The nutritional parameters are within international limits. Heavy metals do
not make it to the infusion or they remain well below harmful values.
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