Many times Yerba Mate has been associated with esophageal cancer and this is a big mistake.
“A hospital-based case-control study, including 131 cases of esophageal cancer and 381 controls, was carried out in Paraguay to investigate the role of hot and cold mate drinking in esophageal cancer risk. Detailed information on mate drinking and on tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, and dietary habits was obtained by interview. Amount and duration of cold or hot mate drinking were not associated with esophageal cancer risk. However, temperature at which mate was drunk was significantly associated with risk. As compared to drinkers of warm or hot mate, drinkers of very hot mate had an increased risk for esophageal cancer even after adjusting for the strong effects of alcohol and tobacco consumption (adjusted odds ratio = 2.4; 95% confidence interval = 1.3-4.3). This effect seemed to be mainly due to the temperature at which mate cocido (one of the two ways in which hot mate is prepared) was drunk (odds ratio = 6.5; 95% confidence interval = 3.2-12.2). “
Here´s the source of this article : “Hot and cold mate drinking and esophageal cancer in Paraguay“
IT´S VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU KEEP THE WATER TEMPERATURE AT 85 DEGREES CELSIUS – 185 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT OR LESS WHILE DRINKING HOT MATE. NOT ONLY BECAUSE IT´S GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH BUT ALSO FOR A LONG AND BETTER TASTING OF YOUR YERBA MATE TEA.
As expected, very strong dose-response associations were found for alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking. After correcting for these and the consumption of other food groups, diets rich in fats and red meats, especially beef, were associated with esophageal cancer risk. In conclusion, the findings from this study suggest that cold mate drinking does not increase the risk of esophageal cancer. This study identifies the very hot temperature at which mate is drunk, and not the amount or the duration, as an important risk factor for esophageal cancer in this population. Alcohol drinking and tobacco smoking remain, nevertheless, the main risk factors for esophageal cancer in Paraguay.
Presented during the one-day symposium, “Chemistry and Flavor of Hispanic Foods,” on Tuesday, March 15, at the 229th national meeting of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society:
Maté tea: Energy booster, cancer fighter — Widely consumed in South America and growing in popularity in the U.S., maté (mah-TAY) tea is made from the dried leaves of an herbal plant (Ilex paraguariensis) and known for its energy-boosting properties. Now researchers at the University of Illinois may have found another reason to sip the potent brew (aka Yerba maté), considered Argentina’s national drink. They analyzed 25 different types of maté and found that the tea contains higher levels of antioxidants than green tea and, based on cell studies, may help prevent oral cancer. A paper on this research appears in the current print issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a peer-reviewed ACS journal.
Polyphenols are naturally-occurring metabolites in tea that have been associated with several health benefits. The objective of this study was to determine the phenolic content, antioxidant capacity and human anti-topoisomerase I and II activities of herbal teas ardisia (Ardisia compressa), mate (Ilex paraguariensis) and roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L). Total polyphenols were measured by Folin-Ciocalteau assay, using chlorogenic (CH), gallic (GA) and protocatechuic acids as standards. HPLC, MS and NMR were used to characterize phenolic compounds.
Total polyphenols in various ardisia species ranged from 20-86 mg GA/g and revealed the presence of epicatechin gallate, proanthocyanidin dimers, kaempferol, naringenin isomer and ardisin derivatives. Mate tea products contained caffeoyl derivatives (204-364 mg eq. CH/g), significantly different depending on origin (p < 0.001). Protocatechuic acid (33-60 mg/g) and anthocyanins were present in roselle tea products. Mate tea presented the highest antioxidant capacity (13.1 nmol TE/?g). There was correlation between polyphenol content, antioxidant capacity and human topoisomerase inhibition.
Article taken from Energy and Wellness Network
