Yerba Mate

NutraPedia - Evidence-Based Supplement Research

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Health Goals: energy focus weight

Research Overview

Across the abstracts provided, yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis) research has most often focused on cardiometabolic outcomes (lipids, glycemic control, oxidative stress) and, to a lesser extent, acute substrate oxidation/energy metabolism and cancer epidemiology. Several controlled human studies examined repeated daily intake of maté infusions (commonly ~330 mL three times/day or ~1 L/day) over 40–90 days in normolipidemic, dyslipidemic, and diabetes/pre-diabetes populations, assessing LDL-C, HDL-C, triglycerides, fasting glucose, HbA1c, and antioxidant/oxidative stress biomarkers. Acute physiology studies have tested single-dose maté extracts/capsules for effects on energy expenditure, respiratory quotient, and fat oxidation at rest and during graded exercise. There is also case–control epidemiologic evidence evaluating maté drinking in relation to upper aerodigestive tract cancers, particularly esophageal cancer. Bone health appears as an emerging area (postmenopausal BMD), but the abstract is incomplete and the evidence base in this set is limited.

The strongest evidence in these abstracts supports modest improvements in cardiometabolic risk markers with sustained maté consumption. Multiple trials report reductions in LDL-cholesterol (including additional LDL-C lowering in statin-treated hypercholesterolemic individuals) and, in type 2 diabetes, decreases in fasting glucose and HbA1c; triglycerides are generally unchanged. Antioxidant-related measures (e.g., increased ferric reducing antioxidant potential and reduced glutathione) also improved over time in dyslipidemic participants, although downstream oxidative damage markers (lipid hydroperoxides, protein carbonyls) did not consistently change. For energy metabolism, acute maté does not reliably increase total energy expenditure at rest, but evidence suggests it can shift substrate utilization toward greater fat oxidation (lower respiratory quotient) and can augment fatty acid oxidation during submaximal exercise without impairing maximal performance. In contrast, the epidemiologic case–control study strengthens evidence for an association between maté drinking and increased esophageal cancer risk (with less consistent evidence for other upper aerodigestive tract sites), though causality and contributing factors cannot be established from this design.

Key gaps include the need for larger, longer-duration randomized trials with standardized maté preparations (green vs roasted, dose, caffeine/polyphenol content), rigorous control of diet and lifestyle confounding, and clinically meaningful endpoints (e.g., incident cardiovascular events, diabetes progression, weight change). Mechanistic work is needed to clarify whether observed lipid and glycemic effects are independent of dietary changes and to identify active constituents and pathways. For cancer risk, further research should disentangle beverage temperature, preparation contaminants (e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from processing), and co-exposures (smoking/alcohol), ideally using prospective cohorts and exposure biomarkers. Bone health findings require replication with complete reporting and careful control for confounders (calcium/vitamin D intake, physical activity, caffeine effects), as current evidence in this set is insufficient to draw firm conclusions.

1. What conditions has Yerba Mate been studied for?

  • Obesity/weight management and fat metabolism: acute effects on energy expenditure, respiratory quotient (fat vs carbohydrate oxidation), and fat oxidation during exercise.

  • Dyslipidemia / hypercholesterolemia: LDL-C, non-HDL-C, HDL-C, apolipoprotein B, triglycerides; including people taking statins.

  • Type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes: fasting glucose and HbA1c; lipid parameters in pre-diabetes.

  • Oxidative stress / antioxidant status: plasma antioxidant capacity, glutathione, lipid peroxidation markers, and antioxidant enzyme gene expression.

  • Bone health (postmenopausal osteoporosis risk): bone mineral density (lumbar spine and femoral neck).

  • Cancer risk: upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) cancers (oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, esophagus), including esophageal cancer specifically; evaluated in case-control data and a systematic review/meta-analysis.

2. Does it work in treating those conditions? Summarize the evidence.

  • Weight loss/obesity (direct treatment): limited evidence. In an acute study of 12 plant preparations in non-obese adults, no significant increase in energy expenditure was seen for any preparation; only maté extract lowered respiratory quotient (RQ), suggesting a shift toward greater fat oxidation. Authors concluded overall “poor potential” for obesity treatment, with maté as a possible exception and called for higher-dose and chronic studies.

  • Fat oxidation during exercise: evidence of an acute effect. In a randomized crossover study (n=14), 1000 mg yerba maté taken 60 minutes before exercise increased fatty acid oxidation (FAO) and energy expenditure derived from FAO by ~24% at submaximal intensities below 70% of peak oxygen uptake (p<0.001), without improving maximal performance measures (no significant change in peak VO2, peak power, peak RER, peak lactate).

  • Dyslipidemia/hypercholesterolemia: moderate evidence of lipid improvements. In a single-blind controlled trial (n=102), 330 mL yerba maté 3 times/day for 40 days reduced LDL-C by 8.7% in normolipidemic participants (p<0.05) and by ~8.1–8.6% in dyslipidemic participants (p<0.001), reduced non-HDL-C (~5.4–6.5%; p<0.01), reduced apolipoprotein B by 6.0% after 20 days (p<0.05), and increased HDL-C (e.g., +4.4% after 20 days in dyslipidemic; +6.2% after 40 days in statin users). Triglycerides were unchanged.

  • Adjunct to statins: evidence of additional LDL-C lowering. In the same trial, participants on long-term statins had additional LDL-C reductions of 10.0% and 13.1% after 20 and 40 days of yerba maté (p<0.001).

  • Type 2 diabetes: evidence of improved glycemic control (short-term). In a 60-day study, T2DM participants drinking 330 mL roasted maté tea 3 times/day had significant reductions in fasting glucose (−25.0 mg/dL), HbA1c (−0.85%), and LDL-C (−13.5 mg/dL) (p<0.05). In pre-diabetes, the most notable lipid improvements occurred when maté was combined with nutritional counseling (LDL-C −11 mg/dL; non-HDL-C −21.5 mg/dL; triglycerides −53 mg/dL; p<0.05), alongside documented dietary changes—so causality attributable to maté alone is less clear in pre-diabetes.

  • Oxidative stress/antioxidant status: evidence of improved antioxidant defenses, mixed for damage markers. In dyslipidemic individuals (randomized trial; 1 L/day for 90 days), ferric reducing antioxidant potential and reduced glutathione increased in all groups, with no significant changes in lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH), protein carbonyls, or paraoxonase-1. Another human study in healthy nonsmoking women reported that mate tea acutely lowered lipid peroxidation and maintained this effect with prolonged intake; prolonged consumption also increased total antioxidant status and antioxidant enzyme gene expression (GPx, SOD, CAT mRNA).

  • Bone health: association but not proof of treatment effect. In an observational matched study of postmenopausal women, long-term consumption (≥1 L/day for ≥4 years) was associated with higher BMD (lumbar spine +9.7%; femoral neck +6.2%) and remained positively associated in regression analyses. Because this is not randomized, it cannot establish that maté caused the BMD differences.

  • Cancer risk: evidence suggests increased risk (harm), not treatment. A large case-control study found a significant association for esophageal cancer (OR 3.81; 95% CI 1.75–8.30) and borderline significance for head-and-neck cancers overall. A systematic review/meta-analysis reported increased odds of UADT cancer with maté consumption overall (OR 2.24; 95% CI 1.74–2.87) and a dose association for >1 L/day vs <1 L/day (OR 1.72; 95% CI 1.47–2.01).

3. What health benefits does it have?

  • Improved lipid profile (cardiometabolic benefit): Multiple human studies reported reductions in LDL-C and non-HDL-C and modest increases in HDL-C with regular intake (e.g., 330 mL three times daily for 40 days), including additional LDL-C lowering in people already on statins.

  • Improved glycemic control in T2DM (short-term): In T2DM participants, roasted maté tea (330 mL three times/day for 60 days) reduced fasting glucose and HbA1c along with LDL-C.

  • Enhanced fat oxidation during submaximal exercise (acute): 1000 mg yerba maté increased fatty acid oxidation and energy expenditure from fat during lower-to-moderate intensity exercise, without impairing maximal performance measures.

  • Antioxidant effects: Human studies reported increased antioxidant capacity and/or reduced lipid peroxidation after acute and prolonged intake; one trial in dyslipidemia showed increased ferric reducing antioxidant potential and glutathione.

  • Possible bone health association: Long-term high intake was associated with higher BMD in postmenopausal women, though causality is uncertain.

4. Does it have any downsides or side effects?

  • Potential increased risk of upper aerodigestive tract cancers (notably esophageal cancer): A case-control study found a strong association with esophageal cancer (OR 3.81; 95% CI 1.75–8.30). A systematic review/meta-analysis reported increased odds for UADT cancers overall (OR 2.24; 95% CI 1.74–2.87) and higher odds with consumption >1 L/day (OR 1.72; 95% CI 1.47–2.01).

    Important limitation: these are observational data and can be confounded (e.g., correlated lifestyle exposures). However, the association appears consistent across UADT subsites in the meta-analysis.

  • Temperature findings are uncertain in these abstracts: One case-control study reported temperature analyses were “not conclusive.” The meta-analysis found no clear difference between cold/warm vs hot/very hot (OR 1.08; 95% CI 0.83–1.41), suggesting the observed association may not be explained by temperature alone in the pooled data.

  • Weight-loss expectations may be overstated: An acute study found no increase in energy expenditure and concluded most tested plant preparations had poor anti-obesity potential, with maté only showing a shift in substrate oxidation (RQ drop) rather than increased total energy expenditure.

  • Other side effects are not addressed in the provided abstracts: These abstracts do not report common stimulant-related adverse effects (e.g., sleep disturbance, palpitations) or drug interactions; absence of reporting here is not evidence of absence.

5. Is it beneficial or harmful for any genetic variations (pharmacogenomics)?

The provided abstracts do not evaluate genetic variants (e.g., caffeine metabolism genes, carcinogen-metabolism genes) or report subgroup analyses by genotype. Therefore, no evidence-based pharmacogenomic conclusions can be drawn from these sources.

  • Evidence gap: No genotype-stratified outcomes for lipid response, glycemic response, antioxidant effects, exercise fat oxidation, cancer risk, or bone density were reported in these abstracts.

References

  1. Thermogenic effects of commercially available plant preparations aimed at treating human obesity
    A Martinet, K Hostettmann, Y Schutz (1999)
  2. Yerba Maté (Illex Paraguariensis) ingestion augments fat oxidation and energy expenditure during exercise at various submaximal intensities
    Ahmad Alkhatib (2014)
  3. Drinking of maté and the risk of cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract in Latin America: a case-control study
    K Szymańska, E Matos, R J Hung, V Wünsch-Filho, J Eluf-Neto (2010)
  4. Association of mate tea (Ilex paraguariensis) intake and dietary intervention and effects on oxidative stress biomarkers of dyslipidemic subjects
    Brunna Cristina Bremer Boaventura, Patrícia Faria Di Pietro, Aliny Stefanuto, Graziela Alessandra Klein, Elayne Cristina de Morais (2012)
  5. Mate tea (Ilex paraguariensis) improves glycemic and lipid profiles of type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes individuals: a pilot study
    Graziela A Klein, Aliny Stefanuto, Brunna C B Boaventura, Elayne C de Morais, Luciana da S Cavalcante (2011)
  6. Consumption of yerba mate ( Ilex paraguariensis ) improves serum lipid parameters in healthy dyslipidemic subjects and provides an additional LDL-cholesterol reduction in individuals on statin therapy
    Elayne C de Morais, Aliny Stefanuto, Graziela A Klein, Brunna C B Boaventura, Fernanda de Andrade (2009)
  7. Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis) consumption is associated with higher bone mineral density in postmenopausal women
    Andrea S Conforti, María E Gallo, Fernando D Saraví (2012)
  8. Effects of mate tea (Ilex paraguariensis) ingestion on mRNA expression of antioxidant enzymes, lipid peroxidation, and total antioxidant status in healthy young women
    Ruth L T Matsumoto, Deborah H M Bastos, Simone Mendonça, Valéria S Nunes, Waldemar Bartchewsky (2009)
  9. Maté consumption association with upper aerodigestive tract cancers: A systematic review and meta-analysis
    Fernanda Weber Mello, Fernanda Marcello Scotti, Gilberto Melo, Saman Warnakulasuriya, Eliete Neves Silva Guerra (2018)


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