A Randomized Crossover Intervention Study on the Effect a Standardized Maté Extract (Ilex paraguariensis A. St.-Hil.) in Men Predisposed to Cardiovascular Risk

Abstract

(1) Background: Due to its richness in chlorogenic acids (CGAs), Maté (Ilex paraguariensis A. St.-Hil.) could be of interest in the prevention of cardiometabolic diseases, however clinical evidence are lacking. This trial aimed to evaluate the impact of maté CGAs, consumed in a daily dose achievable through traditional maté beverages, on parameters related to cardiometabolic risk. (2) Design: Thirty-four male volunteers aged 45–65 years and with at most one criteria of metabolic syndrome, were recruited for a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, and crossover study. The volunteers were assigned to consume an encapsulated dry maté extract for four-weeks, providing 580 mg of caffeoyl quinic acid derivatives (CQAs) daily, or a placebo, with a two weeks washout between intervention periods. Anthropometric variables, blood pressure, plasma glucose, lipids, endothelial, and inflammatory biomarkers were measured in overnight-fasted subjects and after a glucose load. (3) Results: We found no significant effects of treatment on these parameters and the response to the glucose load was also similar between the two interventions. However, a significant decrease in fasting glucose was observed between day 0 and day 28 for the maté group only (−0.57 ± 0.11 mmol/L, p < 0.0002). In subjects with an intermediate to high Framingham risk score, consumption of maté extract induced a 10% increase of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-c from baseline. In a subgroup representative of the study population, significant decreases in the C-reactive protein (CRP) (−50%) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) (−19%) levels were observed. (4) Conclusions: These clinical observations suggest that maté, naturally rich in CGAs, could improve some cardiometabolic markers in subjects with a higher predisposition to metabolic syndrome, even if that remains to be confirmed in new trials specifically targeting this population.

Hibiscus, Rooibos, and Yerba Mate for Healthy Aging: A Review on the Attenuation of In Vitro and In Vivo Markers Related to Oxidative Stress, Glycoxidation, and Neurodegeneration

“…), rooibos (Aspalathus linearis), and yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) are important examples of herbal plants ( Figure 3 ) that are mostly found in African and South American local markets and have been traditionally used in the production of flavorful non-alcoholic beverages [ 88 , 89 , 90 ]. These plants have been demonstrated to have important health effects, such as as anti-cancer (in vitro) [ 91 ], anti-diabetes (in vivo) [ 92 ], or anti-inflammatory (in vivo) [ 93 ] effects. These health benefits play a role as commercial boosters for increasing market demand for new plant-based products with functional properties.…”

Ilex paraguariensis Extracts Prevent Oxidative Damage in a Mouse Model of Age‐Related Macular Degeneration

“…[ 28 ] A recent study showing a role of YM in the prevention of cardiometabolic disease in human patients, used 2250 mg of instant mate per day, divided in three doses. [ 29 ] In the present experiments a single daily dose was given, early in the morning, to avoid handling stress. For the same reason, 100 µL micropipettes were used.…”

“…Therefore, when mice received YM before exposure to sodium iodate, products of NRF2 and some of its target genes, such as SOD2, were available before oxidative stress. Priming effects could be essential for protection, as has been suggested for osteoblastic maintenance, [38] cardiometabolic disease, [29] and hepatic damage in overweight rats. [39] By contrast, NRF2 upregulation in the presence of cell damage might potentiate antisurvival effects of P53.…”

Multigenomic modifications in human circulating immune cells in response to consumption of polyphenol-rich extract of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis A. St.-Hil.) are suggestive of cardiometabolic protective effects

“…From these studies, a chronic intake of yerba mate has been shown to improve microcirculation in volunteers with high blood viscosity (13) , to decrease mass and percentage of body fat in obese subjects (14) or to increase the antioxidant capacity in overweight and dyslipidaemic subjects through the elevation of serum levels of paraoxonase-1 (15) . In men at moderate cardiovascular risk, the sub-chronic consumption of a standardised mate extract tended to improve some cardiometabolic biomarkers such as fasting glucose, HDLcholesterol or inflammatory markers but significance was not reached (5) .…”

“…In this respect, the particularity of mate is to be, with coffee, a food source very rich in a diversity of chlorogenic acids which can constitute major contributors to the daily polyphenol intake in heavy consumers (4) . The composition in chlorogenic acids in mate differentiate from that of coffee by the presence of dicaffeoyl quinic acids that may represent up to half of total chlorogenic acids (5) . In addition to mono chlorogenic acids and dicaffeoyl quinic acids that both represent more than 90 % of total polyphenols, mate also contains some flavonol glycosides (3) .…”