yerba mate

Rainforest Secret Crushes Cholesterol

Dear Living Well Daily Reader,

For some of us, having high cholesterol seems to be an unpleasant fact of life.

No matter how strict your diet or how hard you work out, your doctor never takes you off those risky statins.

But you deserve a better way to fight cholesterol that doesn’t involve counting calories, Olympic-style workouts and dangerous drugs.

Fortunately, Brazilian scientists have discovered that an ancient South American remedy could also be the all-natural cholesterol solution we’ve all been searching for.

And believe it or not — it’s loaded with antioxidants and nutrients that can help you fight inflammation and oxidative stress, which are two of the culprits behind aging and disease.

This delicious cholesterol-buster is called yerba mate, a tea made from a holly bush native to the South American rainforest. Yerba mate has been a part of traditional medicine in parts of South America for centuries due to its rejuvenating properties.

More recently, scientists decided to put yerba mate to the test against cholesterol.

For the study, researcher gave 330 ml (about 12 oz.) of yerba mate tea to folks with high cholesterol (some were taking statins and some were not) three times a day.

After 40 days, the yerba mate reduced LDL (bad) cholesterol levels by an outstanding 8.7 percent and significantly increased HDL (good) cholesterol levels.

Even more remarkable, yerba mate reduced LDL cholesterol by 13 percent in folks who were taking statins and increased their HDL cholesterol.

This means drinking yerba mate every day is a great way to balance your cholesterol and either keep you off statins or make them work harder for you.

Heck, it might even help you get off them one day.

Additionally, yerba mate is chock-full of antioxidants that can bust up free radicals and help protect you from cancer, heart disease and blood sugar problems.

Yerba mate is traditionally made in a gourd, but these days you can find it as a loose leaf or bagged tea in natural health stores and through online retailers like Amazon.com. It’s available in green or roasted varieties. Both varieties were used in this study.

Live well,

Natalie Moore
Managing editor, Living Well Daily

Ed. Note: Please send your feedback: feedback@livingwelldaily.com – and click here to like us on Facebook.


Sources

[1] Yerba Mate

[2] Consumption of yerba mate ( Ilex paraguariensis ) improves serum lipid parameters in healthy dyslipidemic subjects and provides an additional LDL-cholesterol reduction in individuals on statin therapy.

[3] 8 Health Benefits of Yerba Mate (Backed by Science)

Natalie Moore

Written By Natalie Moore

Natalie Moore is a dedicated health researcher with a passion for finding healthy, natural, and science-based solutions. After a decade of direct healthcare experience in western and natural medicine, she was involved in public health research before joining Living Well Daily.

View More Free Articles

Is Your Diet ACTUALLY Healthy? Here’s How to Tell

I’ve probably uttered the phrase “healthy diet” when talking to patients, family, and friends more times than I’ve had cups of coffee—and that’s saying something! But I’ll admit it’s not always entirely clear what a healthy diet looks like. What does healthy eating really mean? Let’s take a look… Good news—healthy eating doesn’t mean you...

Read This

7 Natural Ways to Tackle Pain Without Pills

On Tuesday, we explored a promising new frontier in pain relief: terpenes, natural compounds found in cannabis (and other plants) that may ease pain without the risks of opioids. That research is still developing. But what if you’re looking for help right now? Good news: You don’t have to wait for a pharmaceutical breakthrough to...

Read This

Mailbag: Pinched to Pain Free with Natural Sciatica Solutions

“I have been suffering from sciatic pain in my hip and groin. I try to do exercises to stretch it. But ever since I slipped on the ice and fell on my left hip it seems to be getting worse. Is there any help for this?” -Painfully Pinched Dear Pinched, I understand how frustrating sciatic...

Read This

New Cannabis Discovery Could Ease Pain—Without the High

A few years ago, everywhere you turned, someone was talking about CBD. The cannabis extract had exploded in popularity for everything from anxiety to inflammation to joint pain. And while the CBD conversation continues, another cannabis compound is quietly making headlines. One that could—believe it or not—provide relief from all kinds of pain. Without the...

Read This

"Sinful Trio" SLASHES Metabolic Syndrome Risk

Are you tired of hearing your doctor’s endless “don’t eat this, don’t drink that” lectures? Well, this Easter Sunday, I’ve got news that might just have you hopping happily to your pantry. Turns out, some of life’s tastiest pleasures could help protect you from one of today’s most common health threats—metabolic syndrome. Let’s dig into...

Read This

Microplastics’ Hidden Link to Chronic Disease EXPOSED

By now, you’ve heard about microplastics. These tiny fragments of plastic have invaded virtually every corner of our planet. We’re just beginning to understand the scope of the threat, but we know microplastics pose a serious risk to our health. If you’re like many folks, you’ve shrugged off those dangers, thinking there’s nothing you can...

Read This

Shakespeare’s “Remembrance” Herb Protects Memory

You probably have a jar of rosemary sitting in your spice rack. Perhaps you sprinkle it on potatoes or add it to roast chicken. But what if this humble herb could hold the key to fighting one of the most devastating diseases we can face as we age? It turns out a hidden compound inside...

Read This

Is Your Gut “Good”? How to Check

I always get asked, “How do I know if my digestion is working right?” Well, the answer is pretty simple, but it’s also a little gross. A simple test you can do at home reveals whether your digestion is normal or not. Your digestive system processes everything you eat—extracting nutrients, and eliminating waste. The time...

Read This

Hidden Sugar Trap Fuels Lung Cancer

We’ve long known that smoking is the main villain behind lung cancer. But what if your dinner plate has quietly joined forces with the enemy? A new study from the University of Florida reveals that the typical Western diet could be laying the groundwork for aggressive lung cancer growth by feeding tumors with stored sugar....

Read This

Mailbag: Can A Diabetic Enjoy Desserts? The Surprising Answer

“If you have diabetes, may you eat a very few sweets in a week?” —Sweet Tooth Hi Sweet Tooth, Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition where your body either resists the effects of insulin (a hormone that regulates sugar in your blood) or doesn’t produce enough of it to maintain normal blood sugar levels....

Read This