Protective effect of yerba mate intake on the cardiovascular system: a post hoc analysis study in postmenopausal women

• Main Authors: D.T.A. da Veiga, R. Bringhenti, R. Copes, E. Tatsch, R.N. Moresco, F.V. Comim, M.O. Premaor
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Associação Brasileira de Divulgação Científica 2018-04-01
• Series: Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research
• Subjects: Yerba mate; Ilex paraguariensis; Postmenopausal women; Diabetes mellitus; Hypertension; Cardiovascular disease
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-879X2018000600607&lng=en&tlng=en

The prevalence of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases is increased in postmenopausal women, which contributes to the burden of illnesses in this period of life. Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) is a native bush from Southern South America. Its leaves are rich in phenolic components, which may have antioxidant, vasodilating, hypocholesterolemic, and hypoglycemic proprieties. This post hoc analysis of the case-control study nested in the Obesity and Bone Fracture Cohort evaluated the consumption of yerba mate and the prevalence of hypertension, dyslipidemia, and coronary diseases in postmenopausal women. Ninety-five postmenopausal women were included in this analysis. A questionnaire was applied to evaluate the risk factors and diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases and consumption of yerba mate infusion. Student's t-test and chi-square test were used to assess significant differences between groups. The group that consumed more than 1 L/day of mate infusion had significantly fewer diagnoses of coronary disease, dyslipidemia, and hypertension (P<0.049, P<0.048, and P<0.016, respectively). Furthermore, the serum levels of glucose were lower in the group with a higher consumption of yerba mate infusion (P<0.013). The serum levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides were similar between the groups. This pragmatic study points out the benefits of yerba mate consumption for the cardiovascular and metabolic systems. The ingestion of more than 1 L/day of mate infusion was associated with fewer self-reported cardiovascular diseases and lower serum levels of glucose. Longitudinal studies are needed to evaluate the association between yerba mate infusion and reduction of cardiovascular diseases in postmenopausal women.