Introduction
Maté is a tree that mainly grows in South America. The leaves and stems are often made into a caffeinated tea. Maté has been used to enhance athletic performance, alertness, and mental function. It has also been used to ease digestion. Maté can be made into a tea or taken as a pill, powder, or extract.
Dosages
3 cups tea daily
What Research Shows
Not Enough Data to Assess
Editorial process and description of evidence categories can be found at EBSCO NAT Editorial Process.
Editorial process and description of evidence categories can be found at EBSCO NAT Editorial Process.
Safety Notes
It may be safe for most adults to take maté in small doses for a short time. It may not be safe to take large amounts or take for a long period. It may raise the risk of esophageal cancer. D1, D2 Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding and children should not take mate.
Interactions
Talk to your doctor about any supplements or therapy you would like to use. Some can interfere with treatment or make conditions worse.
References
REFA Diabetes
REFA1 Klein GA, Stefanuto A, et al. Mate tea (Illex paraguariensis) improves glycemic and lipid profiles of type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes individuals: a pilot study. J Am Coll Nutr. 2011;30(5):320-332.
REFB High Cholesterol
REFB1 de Morais EC, Stefanuto A, et al. 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. J Agric Food Chem. 2009 Sep 23;57(18):8316-8324.
REFC Obesity
REFC1 Pittler MH, Ernst E. Dietary supplements for body-weight reduction: a systematic review. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004;79(4):529-536.
REFC2 Kim SY, Oh MR, et al. Anti-obesity effects of Yerba Mate (Ilex Paraguariensis): a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2015 Sep 25;15:338.
REFC3 Balsan G, Pellanda LC, et al. Effect of yerba mate and green tea on paraxonase and leptin levels in patients affected by overweight or obesity and dyslipidemia: a randomized clinical trial. Nutr J. 2019;18(1):5.
REFD Safety
REFD1 Dasanayake AP, Silverman AJ, et al. Maté drinking and oral and oro-pharyngeal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Oral Oncol. 2010 Feb;46(2):82-86.
REFD2 Andrici J, Eslick GD. Maté consumption and the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a meta-analysis. Dis Esophagus. 2013 Nov-Dec;26(8):807-816.