Baskadia

The Argentine national team was keen to bring 1,100 pounds of "Mate" drink during its trip to the Middle East to participate in the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

And "mate" is a herbal drink brewed hot or cold from the leaves of the "yerba mate" plant popular in South American countries, such as Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina.

According to the New York Times, great players such as Argentine star Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez from Uruguay, and Neymar from Brazil used to drink yerba mate, and even other players - such as Frenchman Antoine Griezmann - used to drink it with their colleagues in Barcelona. 

Mate, which combines the strength of coffee with the health benefits of tea, moved to some Arab countries, especially Syria and Lebanon.

Mate contains a large set of nutrients that contain antioxidants (polyphenols), it is consumed in more than one way, there is a type of mate with stems (milder taste), another type without stems (stronger and more bitter taste) and a type with added herbs (for other flavors).

Mate also contains a number of stimulant substances such as caffeine and theobromine, which are also found in tea, coffee and chocolate.

The Mate tree requires at least two years to harvest the plant, which needs certain soil and climatic conditions, since it is grown only in limited areas in Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil.

And in 2012, a scientific study conducted in the United States revealed the effect of some components of mate drink in fighting colon cancer cells.