Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis St. Hill.) Tea May Have Cardiometabolic Beneficial Effects in Healthy and At-Risk Subjects: A Randomized, Controlled, Blind, Crossover Trial in Nonhabitual Consumers

Bravo, LauraMartínez López, SaraSierra Cinos, José LuisMateos Briz, María RaquelSarriá Ruiz, Beatriz Irene2025-05-282025-05-282025Bravo, L., Martínez‐López, S., Sierra‐Cinos, J. L., Mateos, R., & Sarriá, B. (2025). Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis St. Hill.) Tea May Have Cardiometabolic Beneficial Effects in Healthy and At‐Risk Subjects: A Randomized, Controlled, Blind, Crossover Trial in Nonhabitual Consumers. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, e70065.10.1002/mnfr.70065https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/120541Yerba mate has been reported to have antihypertensive, hypocholesterolemic, antidiabetic, or antiobesity properties. Most evidences from human trials involved intakes of high amounts of mate by habitual consumers. Considering its increasing popularity, this study aimed at assessing the potential cardiometabolic effects of moderate intake of yerba mate by nonhabitual consumers. A randomized, crossover, controlled study was carried out in healthy and hypercholesterolemic subjects. Anthropometric parameters, blood pressure, blood lipids, glucose metabolism, inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and different markers of endothelial function, as well as incretins, adipocytokines, and different hormones were measured at baseline and after 8 weeks consuming yerba mate or a decaffeinated isotonic drink (control). After daily consumption of three servings of mate tea, blood pressure, inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and colony-stimulating factors decreased in all participants. LDL-C decreased in normocholesterolemic individuals, while the mate and control interventions elicited similar hypolipidemic action in the hypercholesterolemic group. Ghrelin and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) significantly decreased after mate intake, while glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and adipocytokines remained unchanged. Body fat percentage and tricipital skinfold decreased only in healthy subjects, with no effects on total body weight. In conclusion, yerba mate could exert cardiometabolic protective effects in healthy consumers and in subjects at moderate cardiovascular risk.engAttribution 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis St. Hill.) Tea May Have Cardiometabolic Beneficial Effects in Healthy and At-Risk Subjects: A Randomized, Controlled, Blind, Crossover Trial in Nonhabitual Consumersjournal articlehttps://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.70065open access612.39613.2Cardiometabolic riskGlucose homeostasisHypercholesterolemiaInflammationSerum antioxidant capacityDietética y nutrición (Medicina)3206 Ciencias de la Nutrición