ALCAR vs Yerba Mate for energy
Short answer: For energy, more users report improvement with Yerba Mate — 100% of 52 reports, versus 95% of 234 for ALCAR.
ALCAR has 46 meta-analyses and 86 randomized trials on PubMed; Yerba Mate has 7 and 16.
Based on 1,190 reports about ALCAR and 136 about Yerba Mate. Not medical advice.
| ALCAR Supplement | Yerba Mate Substance | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 64%helped428 reports · high confidence | 86%helped57 reports · medium confidence |
| Verdict | Mostly positive | Mostly positive |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 46 / 86 | 7 / 16 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Energy % reporting improvement | 95% (234) | 100% (52) |
| Focus % reporting improvement | 91% (155) | 100% (14) |
| Mood % reporting improvement | 78% (89) | 100% (8) |
| Anxiety % reporting improvement | 33% (42) | 83% (6) |
| Memory % reporting improvement | 90% (30) | 100% (2) |
| Common side effects | anxiety, insomnia, irritability, stomach issues | stomach issues, brain fog, drowsiness, jitteriness |
| Typical dose reported | 1000 mg | 2-3 teaspoons / daily, multiple infusions |
There is evidence for benefit of ALC on clinical global impression, but there was no evidence using objective assessments in any other area of outcome. Given the large number of comparisons made, the statistically significant result may be due to chance. At present there is no evidence to recommend its routine use in clinical practice. Although the intention of the review was to access ALC for the treatment of all dementias, the included trials had confined themselves to participants with Alzheimer's disease. Individual patient data may add to the findings, as would trials including other type
Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2003 ↗“ALCAR is great. Great energy burst. I find it takes a few hours to kick in though.”
The available literature indicates that yerba maté can be used within a balanced and healthy diet for prevention and adjuvant treatment of chronic diseases.
Nutr Rev, 2023 ↗“But after yerba maté, I drink it around 30 min after my shower, I am fully alert, focused, awake and full of energy for the rest of the day.”
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Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate