Yerba Mate: Benefits for Cholesterol and Body Composition, According to Research

This South American tea has some of the more consistent clinical evidence behind it for heart and metabolic health.

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By the Ration Editorial Team · Reviewed against primary research · Updated July 14, 2026

Yerba mate is a tea brewed from the dried leaves of Ilex paraguariensis, a holly species native to South America.

Traditionally drunk from a hollowed gourd through a metal straw, it has long been part of daily life in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and southern Brazil.

Like green tea and coffee, it naturally contains caffeine along with a mix of plant compounds including chlorogenic acids, saponins, and flavonoids.

Researchers think yerba mate's effects on cholesterol come mainly from its polyphenols, particularly chlorogenic acid, which may reduce intestinal cholesterol absorption and support antioxidant activity in the blood^[9][2].

Its caffeine and xanthine content may also play a role in the modest changes seen in body composition and lipid metabolism, though this overlaps with mechanisms seen in coffee and green tea research^[2].

Animal studies suggest yerba mate can reduce lipid peroxidation and support antioxidant enzyme activity, which may partly explain its cardiometabolic effects, though this evidence is preliminary and not a substitute for human trial data^[9].

This is where the evidence is strongest. A systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials found that yerba mate consumption was associated with meaningful reductions in LDL cholesterol^[3].

An earlier randomized trial in people with dyslipidemia found that daily yerba mate lowered LDL cholesterol, and interestingly provided an additional LDL-lowering effect even in people already on statin therapy^[10].

A more recent randomized, controlled, blinded crossover trial in healthy and at-risk adults who did not regularly drink yerba mate found favorable shifts in cardiometabolic markers after supplementation with the tea^[1].

Together, this body of work is why our database grades the LDL cholesterol effect as consensus grade A, based on five sources pointing in the same direction.

• ↓Lean Body MassAHuman trials

  Research may lower Lean Body Mass · strong agreement · 5 studies

  View 5 studies on PubMed

  • Physiological effects of yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis): a systematic review (2023)
  • Appetite Suppression and Antiobesity Effect of a Botanical Composition Composed of Morus alba, Yerba mate, and Magnolia officinalis (2016)
  • In vitro and in vivo antitumor activity of Yerba Mate extract in colon cancer models (2020)
  • UP601, a standardized botanical composition composed of Morus alba, Yerba mate and Magnolia officinalis for weight loss (2017)
  • A Botanical Composition from Morus alba, Ilex paraguariensis, and Rosmarinus officinalis for Body Weight Management (2017)
• ↓LDL CholesterolAHuman trials

  Research may lower LDL Cholesterol · strong agreement · 5 studies

  View 5 studies on PubMed

  • Effect of Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis) on Lipid Levels: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2022)
  • Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis St. Hill.) Tea May Have Cardiometabolic Beneficial Effects in Healthy and At-Risk Subjects: A Randomized, Controlled, Blind, Crossover Trial in Nonhabitual Consumers (2025)
  • Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) as a source of antioxidants with soybean grain in supplementation of lactating ewes reared in tropical pastures (2022)
  • 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 (2009)
  • Hypocholesterolaemic and antioxidant effects of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) in high-cholesterol fed rats (2014)

Several studies have tested yerba mate, usually combined with other botanicals like Morus alba (white mulberry) and Magnolia officinalis, for weight management.

These combination trials reported appetite suppression and reductions in body weight or fat mass over several weeks^[8][6][7].

However, our database also grades yerba mate's effect on lean body mass as a decrease, with grade A consensus across five sources. This means some of the body composition change attributed to yerba mate may include loss of lean tissue, not fat alone.

• This is an important nuance: weight loss is not the same as fat loss
• Products combining yerba mate with other ingredients make it hard to isolate yerba mate's individual contribution
• People focused on preserving muscle during weight loss should weigh this finding carefully

A broader systematic review of yerba mate's physiological effects found associations with improvements in lipid profile, antioxidant status, and some markers of metabolic health, though the authors noted variability in study quality and dosing^[2].

Early laboratory research has also explored yerba mate extract against colon cancer cell models, showing antitumor activity in vitro and in animal models^[5]. This is far from evidence that yerba mate prevents or treats cancer in people, and should be read as a starting point for further research rather than a health claim.

There is also some agricultural research using yerba mate as an antioxidant supplement in livestock feed, which is not directly relevant to human health but reflects the plant's broader antioxidant profile^[4].

• Traditional brewed tea, often steeped in a gourd or as loose leaf in hot or cold water
• Tea bags, similar to green tea or black tea
• Extracts or capsules, sometimes combined with other botanicals like white mulberry or magnolia bark
• Ready to drink bottled versions, increasingly common outside South America

Clinical trials showing cholesterol benefits have generally used daily tea consumption over several weeks rather than short term or single dose supplementation^[10][1]. There is not yet a well established 'effective dose' in milligrams for supplement forms.

Yerba mate is widely consumed as a daily beverage across South America and appears to be well tolerated in the doses used in clinical research.

• Contains caffeine, so it can cause jitteriness, insomnia, or a fast heart rate in sensitive people or with high intake
• May interact with other stimulants, including coffee and energy drinks, if consumed together in large amounts
• Very hot mate, and heavy long term consumption, has been linked in observational research to some cancer risks, though this is separate from the moderate tea intake used in the cholesterol trials
• Not well studied in pregnancy, so caution is reasonable

People taking cholesterol medications, including statins, should note the trial finding of an additive LDL effect and discuss any supplement or dietary change with their doctor rather than adjusting medication on their own^[10].

• Adults looking for a caffeinated tea alternative to coffee or green tea with some cardiometabolic research behind it
• People with elevated LDL cholesterol who are interested in dietary approaches alongside standard care^[3][10]
• Those already tolerating caffeine well day to day

People trying to preserve lean muscle mass during a cutting phase or while dieting may want to pay attention to the lean body mass findings before relying on yerba mate heavily for weight management.

Yerba mate has some of the more consistent human trial evidence among popular teas for modestly lowering LDL cholesterol, including in people already on statins^[3][10][1].

Its effects on body weight are less straightforward, since research also links it to reductions in lean body mass, not just fat.

As with most single foods or teas, it is best thought of as one supporting piece of a broader diet and lifestyle pattern rather than a standalone fix.