Update on Yerba Maté

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM · September 1, 2010 · Volume 4

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Why this herbal tea may increase cancer risk.

Discuss

Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.

And finally, what about yerba maté, a Latin American herbal tea that’s been linked to cancer? Should we continue to avoid it? Yes, an evaluation of the cytotoxic and genotoxic activity of yerba maté on human white blood cells found it caused a significant increase in the rate of cell death. Not what you want from your herbal tea.

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Mutat Res. 2009 Sep-Oct;679(1-2):18-23. Evaluation of the cyto- and genotoxic activity of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) in human lymphocytes in vitro. Wnuk M, Lewinska A, Oklejewicz B, Bugno M, Slota E, Bartosz G.

Image thanks to Tracy Ruggles via flickr

Doctor's Note

Check out these videos on herbal teas:
Herbal Tea Update: Rooibos & Nettle
Is There Too Much Aluminum in Tea?
How Much Hibiscus Tea is Too Much?
Chamomile Tea May Not Be Safe During Pregnancy
Enhancing Athletic Performance With Peppermint

And check out my other videos on Yerba Maté.

For more context, check out my associated blog post: Soy milk: shake it up!

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