Smoothie King Debuts New Smoothie

Smoothis King is introducing the Berry Stimulating Mate. The new smoothie is a combination of blackberry, strawberry, blueberry, Guayaki organic yerba mate, turbinado, and nonfat milk and is now available at Smoothie King's more than 550 locations across the country.

"Often called the 'drink of the gods,' yerba mate is one of the cleanest forms of energy on earth. It provides all the advantages of caffeine, naturally--without the jitters or drastic highs and lows," says Steve Kuhnau, Smoothie King's co-founder and president. "Every smoothie on our menu was created with a specific health function in mind, and this one really packs a punch with its wide range of beneficial properties."

Yerba mate boasts a host of attributes, including helping to induce mental clarity, sustain energy, aid in weight control and digestion, increase metabolism, and lessen the effects of allergies and diabetes.

The yerba mate plant is indigenous to the rainforests of Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil and has been served as a favorite beverage of South Americans for hundreds of years. The plant contains a natural blend of caffeine, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, providing an invigorating flow of energy and clarity of mind. Yerba (meaning herb) and mate (meaning cup), is traditionally served out of a hollow gourd and sipped through a metal straw (called a bombilla). The drink is passed, shared in a gesture of community and friendship.

Smoothie King's supplier, Guayaki, was the first to offer certified organic, fairly traded and rainforest-grown yerba mate to the marketplace. Guayaki works with farmers in South America to promote sustainable growing practices, to preserve and reforest the land, and to create a renewable income stream--effectively bettering the lives of the local communities.

A 20-ounce blend of the new Berry Stimulating Mate smoothie contains caffeine equivalent to one cup of coffee, 348 calories (298 when made "skinny"), four grams of protein and six grams of fiber.