http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerba_mate#Chemical_composition...
It's the other alkaloids that contribute to the effects that are different than coffee.
Re:What artificial stimulants do you use?
by christefano on Thursday August 09, 2007 @03:32PM
(#40992)
It's great seeing erowid as a cited source. Thanks for the info.
Mate has mateine, by the way, not caffeine (mateine is a stereoisomer of caffeine). I don't know it has different properties and that's the reason or if it's the plethora of other constituents, but in my experience mate gives me a mild, persistent buzz all over my body as where caffeine goes straight to my head.