Maté

Scientific Name(s): Ilex paraguariensis A. St.-Hil. Family: Aquifoliaceae

Common Name(s): Maté , yerba maté , Paraguay tea , St. Bartholomew's tea , Jesuit's tea

Clinical Overview

Uses of Maté

Yerba maté has been traditionally used as a stimulant, diuretic and depurative. It is a caffeine- and vitamin-containing beverage that acts as a centrally-acting stimulant.

Maté Dosing

Maté is widely used as a beverage. Therapeutic use of maté for fatigue has been recommended at 3 g daily. 1

Contraindications

Contraindications have not yet been identified.

Pregnancy/Lactation

Documented adverse effects. Avoid use. 2 , 3 Caffeine consumption should be restricted. May cause birth defects or premature birth.

Maté Interactions

None well documented.

Maté Adverse Reactions

Heavy use can increase risk of esophageal cancer, especially in women.

Toxicology

Contaminants in maté tea have lead to toxicities.

Botany

Maté itself is a beverage, rather than a plant. It is prepared from the leathery leaves of Ilex paraguariensis , a species of holly. The genus Ilex includes over 400 species of trees and shrubs, many of which are used as ornamentals. They have alternate, simple leaves and single or clustered small berries that may be red, black or yellow. Ilex species require a relatively wet, moderate climate and are found worldwide except in polar regions. I. paraguariensis is found in Central and South America. The leaves are harvested from May to September and are dried, then powdered to produce the tea. Maté has a faintly aromatic smell and the flavor is astringent and smoky. 4

History

Yerba maté was used as a beverage by ancient Indians in Brazil and Paraguay; however, I. paraguariensis was first cultivated by Jesuit missionaries. Consumption of maté is common in Brazil south of the Amazon and in Paraguay and Argentina. In those areas, the beverage largely replaces coffee and tea. Preparations are also available in the United States, where they are sold in health food stores. Traditionally, yerba maté is served in a small gourd called a maté. It is drunk through a drinking tube, or bombilla, also with a filter attached to the lower end to prevent consumption of the leaf fragments. Leaves are prepared for use by plunging them briefly into hot water, drying them in a brick oven and fragmenting them. The beverage is prepared by putting a little hot water and some sugar in the gourd. The leaves are then placed in the gourd and the gourd is filled with boiling water. Burnt sugar, lemon juice or milk may be used to flavor the infusion. 5

Chemistry

Yerba maté contains phenylpropanoids, including caffetannin, that yield caffeic acid when hydrolyzed, chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid and isochlorogenic acid. The fruits of I. paraguariensis contain the anthocyanins cyanidin-3-xylosylglucoside and cyanidin-3-glucoside. The leaves contain rutin. Other components of the leaves include alpha-amyrin, trigonelline, choline and ursolic acid. Maté has been shown to contain sterols resembling cholesterol and ergosterol. 6 In one report, xanthines present in the dried leaf portion using HPLC analysis include 0.56% caffeine, 0.03% theobromine and 0.02% theopylline. A typical amount of caffeine in an average “maté-round” is approximately 100 mg. 7 More than 15 amino acids are present in the leaves. Oil from the seeds contains lauric, palmitic, arachidic, stearic, palmitoleic, oleic and linoleic acids. 6 A small amount of essential oil and a resin fraction are also present in the plant. 4 Carbohydrates include sucrose, raffinose, glucose and levulose. 6 In 1989, a new saponin, “matésaponin” from Ilex paraguaensis leaves was isolated. 8 Vitamins and carotenoids present in maté include vitamins C, B ₁ and B ₅ , nicotinic acid and carotene. 6 Analysis of elements present in maté show high content of K, Mg and Mn. Other elements present include Na, Ca, Cu, Fe and Zn. 9 Another report compares yerba maté with Mangifera indica (mango) and discusses evidence of it being an adulterant. 10

Further chemical studies include: xanthine alkaloid constituents of I. dumosal , I. diuretica and I. glazoviana , 11 high caffeine concentration and ritualistic use of I. guayusa , 12 proof by thin-layer chromatography and other methods of theobromine presence in I. perado Ait., 13 comparison of flavonoids on six “Australsouthamerican” species of Ilex, 14 and natural constituents and uses of Ilex species. 6

Maté Uses and Pharmacology

Yerba maté has traditionally been used as a depurative (to promote cleansing and excretion of waste), a stimulant and diuretic. 6 Because of its caffeine content, maté is used as a centrally acting stimulant. A German monograph lists its uses for mental and physical fatigue, having “analeptic, diuretic, positively inotropic, positively chronotropic, glycogenolytic and lipolytic” effects. 4 In patients given maté infusion for 7 days, theophylline was found as a metabolic product of caffeine. After a week, theophylline levels in blood averaged 1.1 mcg/mL. 15 It is reported that in colonial times, some South Americans consumed a diet consisting almost exclusively of meat. The absence of vitamin deficiencies has been attributed to the vitamins present in the widely consumed yerba maté. 6

Other Ilex species being evaluated include I. asprella as an antitumor agent 15 and I. kudingcha as a hypotensive agent in animals. 16

Dosage

Maté is widely used as a beverage. Therapeutic use of maté for fatigue has been recommended at 3 g daily. 1

Pregnancy/Lactation

Documented adverse effects. Avoid use. 2 , 3 Caffeine consumption should be restricted. May cause birth defects or premature birth.

Interactions

None well documented.

Adverse Reactions

Heavy use can increase risk of esophageal cancer, especially in women.

Toxicology

A Uruguayan case-control study of 226 patients with esophageal cancer and 469 controls showed that heavy use of yerba maté was associated with a significant increase in the risk of esophageal cancer. Among heavy users, the relative risk was 6.5 for men and 34.6 for women. The risk for men was increased synergistically by alcohol consumption and tobacco smoking, but this increase was not evident among women. The increase in cancer risk was dose-dependent for men and women. It has been speculated that carcinogenesis may be cause by tannins (maté contains 7% to 14% tannin) or the high temperature of the beverage. Another factor may be the presence of phenanthrene derivatives such as 1,2-benzpyrene. 17 Because of the caffeine content, teas made from this plant should be used with caution by persons with high blood pressure, diabetes or ulcer disease.

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids were recovered from a contaminant in a maté tea sample of a woman who drank the tea for years. The consumption of such large amounts over time was associated with her hepatic disease. 18

Seven cases of anticholinergic poisoning (some later reversed by physostigmine) occurred within 2 hours of ingestion of a tea labeled commercially as “Paraguay tea.” It was found that not Ilex paraguariensis itself, but a contaminant containing belladonna alkaloids caused the ill effects. This plant was evidently misidentified as I. paraguariensis at harvest and was an isolated incident in these reported cases. 19

For further toxicology information on other related Ilex species, refer to the “holly” monograph.

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