The substances contained in the popular yerba mate cause colon cancer cells to die, according to Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.
Yerba mate is dried, ground leaves of Paraguay holly (Ilex paraguariensis), used to make an infusion popular mainly in South America (Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil) and also in some countries of the Middle East, mainly in Syria and Lebanon. It is also available in Poland.
Scientists from the University of Illinois (USA) have shown that the cancerous cells of the human colon die under the influence of bioactive ingredients contained in the infusion of yerba mate. They are mainly caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) derivatives, which not only fight cancer cells, but also alleviate inflammatory processes.
The death of cancer cells was due to the activation of the process of apoptosis – programmed death, which under normal conditions does not allow too much tissue growth. In this case, the destructive activity of two enzymes – caspase-3 and caspase-8 was of key importance.
It seems that caffeine derivatives may play an important role in the fight against cancer and the treatment of diseases whose inflammatory process plays an important role, but due to the role played by the intestine and its microflora, it may be particularly beneficial in the case of colorectal cancer.
The results of a study comparing a group of rats that drank water with a group that only gets to drink yerba mate are to be published soon.
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