Yerba Mate Tea Shown to Inhibit Colon Cancer

Scientists revealed that human colon cancer cells die when they are exposed to the bioactive compounds present in one cup of Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis), which has long been consumed in South America for its medicinal qualities.

“The caffeine derivatives in mate tea not only induced death in human colon cancer cells, they also reduced important markers of inflammation,” said Dr. Elvira de Mejia, a University of Illinois (U of I; Urbana-Champaign, USA) associate professor of food chemistry and food toxicology. That is important because inflammation can trigger the steps of cancer progression, she said.

In the in vitro study, Dr. de Mejia and former graduate student Sirima Puangpraphant isolated, purified, and then treated human colon cancer cells with caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) derivatives from mate tea. As the scientists increased the CQA concentration, cancer cells died as a result of apoptosis. “Put simply, the cancer cell self-destructs because its DNA has been damaged,” she said.

The ability to induce apoptosis is a promising approach for therapeutic interventions in all types of cancer, reported Dr. de Mejia. She stated that they were able to identify the process that led to cell death. Specific CQA derivatives drastically decreased several markers of inflammation, including NF-kappa-B (nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells), which regulates many genes that affect the process through the production of key enzymes. Ultimately, cancer cells died with the induction of two specific enzymes, caspase-3 and caspase-8, according to Dr. de Mejia. “If we can reduce the activity of NF-kappa-B, the important marker that links inflammation and cancer, we’ll be better able to control the transformation of normal cells to cancer cells,” she added.

The study’s findings strongly suggest that the caffeine derivatives in mate tea have potential as anticancer agents and could also be helpful in other diseases associated with inflammation, according to Dr. de Mejia. However, because the colon and its microflora play a key role in the absorption and metabolism of caffeine-related compounds, the anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects of mate tea may be most beneficial in the colon. “We believe there’s ample evidence to support drinking mate tea for its bioactive benefits, especially if you have reason to be concerned about colon cancer. Mate tea bags are available in health food stores and are increasingly available in large supermarkets,” she added.

The scientists have already completed and will soon publish the results of a study that compares the development of colon cancer in lab rats that drank mate tea as their only source of water with a control group that drank only water.

The in vitro study’s findings were published November 2011 in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.

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