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

NEW Medicinal Mushroom Benefit UNCOVERED

I’m a big fan of medicinal mushrooms. Almost everyone has eaten a standard mushroom on a pizza or in a spaghetti sauce, of course. But most folks have yet to experience medical mushrooms’ power to improve our health. Medicinal mushrooms are already used to treat heart, liver, and brain conditions. They can boost the immune...

Read This

[SENIORS] Cellular GLITCH Discovered?!

Aging isn’t for sissies, that’s for sure. But hey, I always remind myself the alternative is FAR worse! Besides, when you sit back and take stock, you’ll realize that a life well lived – like your own – is something to be proud of. But those accomplishments, unfortunately, don’t reduce your risk of suffering the...

Read This

Overlooked Diabetes Risk Drives Up Blood Sugar

If you’re concerned about diabetes, you’ve probably done your research. You likely focused on all the common problem areas to ward off rising blood sugar: the grocery store… the gym… and the bathroom scale. And those ARE all great places to start! Eating better, exercising, and losing weight can go a long way toward bringing your...

Read This

Boredom BUSTING Hack Keeps You Sane AND Healthy

This time of year, I start to feel a little stir-crazy. Cabin fever sets in as I tire of the cold and snow. And I start thinking about the warmer weather that’s right around the corner (but still feels SO far away). You see, I enjoy walking, hiking, and running outside. It’s good for both...

Read This

Loneliness Linked to THIS Startling Side Effect

Before the pandemic, we didn’t talk much about being lonely. But when the virus locked us down in our homes, the issue of isolation could no longer be ignored. Some of us were experiencing that kind of loneliness for the first time. But the truth is social isolation has ALWAYS been a common problem for...

Read This

MAILBAG: Ease Prostate Problems NATURALLY

“Are there any natural solutions for an enlarged prostate?” -Mike from Summerville, South Carolina Hi Mike, There are many things you can do to improve your prostate health. Eating better is the first step. This means loading up on nutritious foods, including plenty of fresh organic vegetables and lean meats. (And yes, that DOES mean...

Read This

Ditch Depression WITHOUT Drugs

You think that when you reach “your golden years,” you won’t have much to worry about anymore. After all, many of life’s major stressors, like work, kids, and relationships, are pretty much settled by the time you hit your sixties. So why the heck are we all so darned depressed then?! According to a recent...

Read This

The Ovarian Cancer Risk You NEVER Saw Coming

Cancer research is nothing new. In fact, we’ve been studying this killer since the 1800s. Yet despite all that investigating, there’s still so much we DON’T know. That’s why each time we reach a new milestone in our understanding of cancer, it should be celebrated. And a recent study has helped us make another large...

Read This

Weird Supermarket Secret BEATS Sunburn

In the winter, we tend to ignore the importance of protecting our skin from the sun’s powerful rays. But where I live, in Colorado, I see many folks come down from the ski areas with “raccoon eyes.” This happens when skiers’ faces burn, but the areas around their eyes remain pale because they wear goggles....

Read This

[REVEALED]: Bizarre Link Between Shampoo and Diabetes?!

If I were to ask you what you think the risk of getting diabetes from your shampoo is, you’d probably do two things: Laugh Go looking for another doctor And to be honest, I wouldn’t blame you. After all, connecting shampooing your hair to blood sugar levels seems absurd. But not so fast. The disturbing...

Read This