Written by Alexa Heathorn, CNS, Science Writer. Daily consumption of three servings of yerba mate tea for eight weeks lowered blood pressure, reduced inflammation, and improved lipid and metabolic hormone markers in both healthy adults and those at moderate cardiovascular risk¹.

Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and metabolic-associated fatty liver disease, continue to rise worldwide¹. This trend is largely attributed to shifts in diet and lifestyle, such as increased sedentary behavior and higher consumption of ultra-processed foods¹. As public awareness of nutrition’s role in health grows, there is an increasing interest in identifying functional foods that may help counter these conditions. Polyphenols, in particular, have attracted attention due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, proapoptotic, and gut-modulating properties¹. Coffee and tea remain two of the most widely consumed dietary sources of polyphenols¹.

Yerba mate, a traditional South American infusion, stands out as a particularly polyphenol-rich beverage, with average intakes reaching approximately 1 liter per person per day in some regions¹. Its potential health benefits have gained growing scientific interest, with reported effects including hypocholesterolemic, hepatoprotective, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, antiproliferative, cytotoxic, and antioxidant actions¹.

A growing body of research highlights the potential cardiometabolic benefits of yerba mate, with reported outcomes including reductions in fasting blood glucose, decreases in body fat percentage, increases in serum antioxidant capacity, and reductions in biomarkers of lipid and protein oxidation¹. Despite these promising findings, results across randomized clinical trials have been inconsistent. Additionally, many available studies were conducted in regions where yerba mate is habitually consumed in large quantities, intakes far exceeding those typical in Western populations¹. This raises an important question: do these benefits extend to nonhabitual consumers, and can they be achieved at lower, more realistic daily doses?

In addition, little is known about the effects of yerba mate in individuals at elevated risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), a group that may stand to benefit most from dietary interventions. To address these gaps, researchers conducted a randomized, controlled, crossover, single-blind, free-living intervention trial in both apparently healthy adults and adults at moderate risk for developing CVD¹.

The study included 52 adult participants, consisting of 25 healthy individuals and 27 individuals with hypercholesterolemia¹. After a two-week run-in period, participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the intervention or control condition. During the intervention phase, participants consumed 3 g of yerba mate infused tea three times per day for a total of 8 weeks. In the control phase, participants received a matched placebo beverage. Following each 8-week phase, a two-week washout period was implemented before participants crossed over to the alternate condition.

The results were as follows after 8 weeks of yerba mate consumption:

• Blood Pressure: Yerba mate significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure in both healthy and hypercholesterolemic participants (p < 0.001), indicating a consistent hypotensive effect across groups.
• Inflammatory Markers: Circulating inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and colony-stimulating factors decreased following yerba mate intake, suggesting strong anti-inflammatory and endothelial-supportive effects.
• Lipid Profile: Yerba mate showed hypolipidemic action, decreasing LDL-C in healthy individuals and reducing total cholesterol, LDL-C, and triglycerides in hypercholesterolemic participants (p < 0.05 for all treatment effects). However, because the control phase produced similar lipid-lowering effects in the hypercholesterolemic group, these outcomes should be interpreted with caution.
• Glucose and Insulin Regulation: Yerba mate modulated fasting glucose, insulin, and glucagon levels, with distinct responses between healthy and hypercholesterolemic participants, indicating potential metabolic regulatory effects.
• Gut Hormones: Ghrelin and GIP significantly decreased after yerba mate consumption, while GLP-1 remained unchanged. These hormonal shifts may contribute to appetite regulation and improved postprandial metabolism.
• Body Composition: Healthy participants experienced reductions in body fat percentage and tricipital skinfold (p = 0.001), despite no changes in total body weight or body circumferences. The hypercholesterolemic group showed no measurable change in body composition.
• Overall Cardiometabolic Impact: Across both metabolic groups, yerba mate demonstrated cardiometabolic protective potential—improving blood pressure, lowering inflammation, supporting lipid metabolism, and modulating key metabolic and gastrointestinal hormones.

Potential limitations of the study include:

• Small sample size: With only 52 participants, the study may not have been adequately powered to detect subtle effects.
• Crossover design constraints: A two-week washout may not have been sufficient; residual effects from the yerba mate phase could have carried into the control phase and influenced results.
• Similar response in control group: Both interventions produced comparable lipid-lowering effects in hypercholesterolemic participants, making it difficult to isolate the true impact of yerba mate.
• Uncontrolled dietary changes: Participants unintentionally reduced protein and saturated fat intake during both phases, which may have contributed to improvements independent of the intervention.
• Short duration: The 8-week length provides only short-term insights, limiting conclusions about long-term cardiometabolic effects.
• Variability in free-living conditions: Differences in beverage preparation, timing, and adherence may have introduced outcome variability.

In conclusion, daily consumption of three servings of yerba mate tea for eight weeks produced several meaningful cardiometabolic benefits in both healthy adults and individuals at moderate cardiovascular risk. Yerba mate intake led to reductions in blood pressure, inflammatory markers, LDL cholesterol (in healthy participants), and select metabolic and gastrointestinal hormones, alongside modest improvements in body composition among healthy individuals. These findings suggest that yerba mate may offer accessible, diet-based support for cardiometabolic health, even in nonhabitual consumers.

However, because the control beverage elicited similar lipid-lowering effects in hypercholesterolemic participants, and due to the short study duration and small sample size, further research is needed to clarify yerba mate’s long-term efficacy, optimal dosing, and potential role in populations with chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, or advanced cardiovascular disease.

Source:  Bravo, Laura, Sara Martínez‐López, Jose Luis Sierra‐Cinos, Raquel Mateos, and Beatriz Sarriá. “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 (2025): e70065.

© 2025 The Author(s). Molecular Nutrition & Food Research published by Wiley-VCH GmbH

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Posted January 15, 2026. 

Alexa Heathorn, MS, CNS-c, is a clinical nutritionist specializing in metabolic health, hormonal balance, and gastrointestinal restoration through root-cause functional nutrition. She earned her master’s degree in Nutrition from Bastyr University and is currently a Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) candidate. Alexa also works as a research writer and functional health consultant, translating complex science into actionable strategies for practitioners and wellness companies. Learn more at www.bloomedwellness.com.

References:

1. Bravo L, Martínez-López S, Sierra-Cinos JL, Mateos R, Sarriá B. 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. Aug 2025;69(15):e70065. doi:10.1002/mnfr.70065