Yerba mate tea can prevent cancer
Baku, May 20 (AZERTAC). In subtropical South America, when friends or family members gather around a hollowed-out gourd and share a hot beverage through a special straw, the communal liquid they`re drinking is called yerba mate. This special “tea” is popular in southern Brazil, northern Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia. Featuring strong stimulant properties and a bitter earthy flavor, yerba mate tea is a celebrated, integral aspect of the culture.
Yerba mate has a lot of long-term benefits as herbal teas in general. In regular users, it helps reduce the risk of heart disease and even cancer.
A report published in 2008, in the journal Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics aimed to specifically examine the anti-obesity effects of Ilex paraguariensis (the plant used to make yerba mate) and the molecular mechanisms of this effect. While the study was only carried out in an animal model, the results are intriguing enough to make anyone want to try this tea. Obese rats that were fed a high-fat diet and then ingested the extract had significantly lowered body weight than the rats that didn`t ingest the extract. These lucky rats also had significantly lowered blood and hepatic lipids, glucose, insulin, and leptin levels, which are many of the culprits of type 2 diabetes. The study concluded that the extract provides a protective effect against obesity induced by a high fat diet in rats through enhanced expression of anti-obesity genes.
Another review discussed findings showing that the tea provides positive effects on cholesterol levels, the central nervous system, and the cardiovascular system. The researchers also explain that yerba Mate tea is associated with both the prevention and the cause of some types of cancers.
It`s not clear whether drinking yerba mate is effective for weight loss in humans, but it seems not to be harmful for most people when drank in moderation. People who have high blood pressure or heart disease should talk to their doctor before drinking it. Some people don`t enjoy its rather grassy, sometimes bitter, taste; and if you`re accustomed to green or black tea, it could take some getting used to.
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