Yerba Mate tea kills cancer cells

Fri. Jan. 27, 2012

(NaturalHealth365) Yerba mate tea’s main antioxidant is chlorogenic acid, while green tea is rich in epigallocatechin acid. Studies have seen that both compounds have the ability to reduce risk for heart disease and cancer.

Yerba mate has been studied in the lab. Test tube studies show the components reduce oxidative stress on human heart and liver cells, protect DNA from damage in yeast cells and kill human liver cancer cells. In lab rats, yerba mate improves the blood flow and reduces fat.

Yerba mate has a smoky, bitter, woody flavor and is an acquired taste. That is good, because a little may go a long way.

Cancer Study

This is too interesting to pass up; yerba mate tea may stop cancer in its tracts. In a recent University of Illinois study, scientists showed that human colon cancer cells die when they are exposed to the number of bioactive compounds present in one cup of this tea.

“The caffeine derivatives in mate tea not only induced death in human colon cancer cells, they also reduced important markers of inflammation,” said Elvira de Mejia, a U of I associate professor of food chemistry and food toxicology.

In the in vitro study, de Mejia and former graduate student Sirima Puangpraphant isolated, purified, and then treated human colon cancer cells with caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) derivatives from mate tea. As the scientists increased the CQA concentration, cancer cells died as a result of apoptosis. “Put simply, the cancer cell self-destructs because its DNA has been damaged,” she said.

The ability to induce apoptosis, or cell death, is a promising tactic for therapeutic interventions in all types of cancer, she said.

The results of the study strongly suggest that the caffeine derivatives in mate tea have potential as anti-cancer agents and could also be helpful in other diseases associated with inflammation, she said.

But, because the colon and its microflora play a major role in the absorption and metabolism of caffeine-related compounds, the anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects of mate tea may be most useful in the colon.

“We believe there’s ample evidence to support drinking mate tea for its bioactive benefits, especially if you have reason to be concerned about colon cancer. Mate tea bags are available in health food stores and are increasingly available in large supermarkets,” she added.

The scientists have already completed and will soon publish the results of a study that compares the development of colon cancer in rats that drank mate tea as their only source of water with a control group that drank only water.

Bottom Line

Yerba mate tea is consumed in South America for its health benefits. I would look at tea as a powerful preventative and a way to turn cancer around. This is a supercharged tea and it seems to be very potent. The tea seems to include a whole range of additional benefits. In our endless quest to strengthen our body’s natural defenses against the scourge of cancer, we may lose perspective. Some of the answers are a cup of tea away.

About the author Blanche has been a student of natural healing modalities for the last 25 years. She had the privilege of working with some of the greatest minds in Natural Healing including Naturopaths, Scientist, and Energy Healers. Having seen people miraculously heal from all kinds of dis-ease through non-invasive methods, her passion now is to help people become aware of what it takes to be healthy.