Introduction
Yerba mate, also called mate, is an herbal tea that is native to South America. The tea can be served hot or cold and is promoted by the natural health community as having numerous health benefits. However, in spite of its many benefits, yerba mate has been linked to certain kinds of cancer.
What Is Yerba Mate?
Yerba mate is a popular drink similar to coffee or tea. It is prepared from the leaves of the Ilex paraguariensis plant. It contains caffeine. Caffeine in yerba mate can stimulate the heart, brain, muscles lining the blood vessels, and other body parts. Yerba mate is commonly used for athletic performance, enhancing memory and thinking, and treating fatigue, headache, and several other conditions. Still, there is no adequate evidence to support the uses. Long-term usage of Yerba mate, especially with nicotine and alcohol, has been linked to an increased risk of various types of cancer, including lung, kidney, stomach, and oral cancers. Yerba mate should not be used with other caffeinated products, such as black tea, green tea, and guarana.
What Makes Yerba Mate a Potential Cancer-Causing Agent?
Yerba mate contains both beneficial and harmful ingredients that can lead to cancer. In addition, certain ingredients may be good or bad, depending on the person. For example, caffeine may be good for headaches or alertness but bad if one is sensitive to caffeine and experiences heart palpitations and other symptoms.
Yerba mate tea also contains certain toxic ingredients. One such ingredient is polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are a group of over one hundred compounds. One such polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon is benzopyrene, which is considered a group I carcinogen or substance most likely to cause cancer. In addition, other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, some of which are found in Yerba mate, are considered "probably carcinogenic" by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are compounds that are produced during the process of grilling meats and are thought to increase the risk of cancer.
Research conducted in 2019 showed that when the leaves of Ilexparaguariensis are dried, they may produce high amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. However, another study conducted in 2018 found that it was the temperature of the hot yerba mate tea rather than the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that increased the cancer risk, especially esophageal cancer.
Other studies suggest both high temperatures and the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons can be a risk and that high temperatures may increase the cancer-causing effect of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in yerba mate. In addition, the temperature could damage the sensitive lining of the esophagus (food pipe).
What Are the Cancers Associated With Yerba Mate?
Yerba mate has been linked to an increased risk of the following cancers:
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Head and neck.
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Mouth.
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Food pipe (esophagus).
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Lungs.
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Prostate gland.
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Urinary bladder.
Several factors work together to increase the risk of cancer. For example, alcohol usage or smoking, when combined with yerba mate tea, can increase the risk of esophageal cancer to several folds.
1) Head and Neck Cancer:
Several studies found that esophageal cancers were related to drinking yerba mate tea as compared to non-tea drinkers, though the temperature was not controlled in these studies. The total number of oral and oropharyngeal cancer cases caused directly by drinking yerba mate was 16 percent.
2) Esophageal Cancer:
An association has been found between drinking yerba mate tea and the occurrence of esophageal cancer. Drinking very hot liquids is a risk factor for such cancers, and to specifically point out yerba mate in such cases is difficult. However, a study was conducted in 2015 which found that consumption of hot food was associated with an increased risk of developing esophageal cancer. There are two types of esophageal cancers:
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Squamous cell carcinoma.
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Adenocarcinoma.
Squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus has a high risk. The risk factors associated with cancer include the following:
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Smoking.
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Alcohol consumption.
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Environmental exposures to carcinogens.
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Hydrocarbons.
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Genetic factors.
Adenocarcinoma of the esophagus has associated risk factors, such as gastroesophageal disease. Several studies found that consumption of yerba mate tea has been associated with a risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. People who are heavy drinkers of yerba mate tea have an increased risk (almost twice) of cancer development than light drinkers.
3) Prostate Cancer:
The risk of prostate cancer risk with the consumption of yerba mate is almost doubled.
4) Lung Cancer:
Heavy drinkers of the yerba mate tea were found to have an increased risk of developing lung cancer compared to light drinkers of the tea. The risk is further increased with the duration of the tea usage. In addition, heavy yerba mate tea drinkers were more likely to be diagnosed with small lung cancer, around 20 percent of all lung cancer. Small-cell lung cancer is primarily linked to smoking.
5) Bladder Cancer:
Bladder cancer incidence has increased in people who consume yerba mate. For people who smoke, the risk of bladder cancer was found to be four times higher as compared to non-tea drinkers. However, bladder cancer was not found in non-smokers, even those who consumed large amounts of yerba mate.
How To Reduce the Risk of Developing Cancers With Yerba Mate Consumption?
If one wants to consume yerba mate tea, the other risk factors should be checked, such as:
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Quitting smoking.
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Avoiding excessive intake of alcohol.
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Reducing grilled meat intake.
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Reducing the risk of developing human papillomavirus infection.
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Up the daily intake of a lot of fruits and vegetables.
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Reducing the intake of red or processed meat.
Conclusion
Yerba mate is a tea that is used for its anti-inflammatory properties, rich antioxidant content, and energy boosts. Taking a large amount of tea has been linked to cancer, especially esophageal cancer, but more research is required to confirm all the side effects. Before starting with yerba mate or any other herbal product, one should check with their doctor to ensure there are no side effects or toxic interactions with the current medications or the health of the individual. If one enjoys the tea, consider avoiding other risk factors that can be controlled, and avoid sipping on an extremely hot tea. One should be aware of the potential risks, and minimizing the exposure is important in avoiding cancer and living healthily.
