Keep Factually independent
Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way.
Fact check: Can drinking yerba mate daily help lower cholesterol levels?
Executive Summary
Daily yerba mate consumption has been associated with modest improvements in some cholesterol measures in several clinical studies, but the evidence is mixed: a 2025 randomized crossover trial and some older trials report reductions in LDL-C or total lipids in certain groups, while a 2022 meta-analysis found no consistent effect across studies. Current evidence suggests possible, context-dependent cholesterol benefits rather than a reliable, large cholesterol-lowering effect for all drinkers, and important differences in study populations, designs, and endpoints explain much of the disagreement [1] [2] [3].
1. Why recent trials rekindle interest — a 2025 trial that looked promising
A 2025 randomized, controlled, blind, crossover trial in nonhabitual consumers reported cardiometabolic benefits including lower LDL-C in normocholesterolemic participants and improvements in blood pressure, inflammatory markers, and body fat, suggesting daily yerba mate might exert multiple interconnected effects [1] [4]. The trial’s randomized crossover design strengthens causal inference for short-term effects, but the study focused on nonhabitual consumers and reported differential effects by baseline cholesterol status, indicating benefits may depend on who drinks mate and for how long, and that generalized claims about population-wide cholesterol lowering are premature [1].
2. A large 2022 synthesis that found no clear lipid benefit
A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis aggregated prior clinical trials and concluded there was no significant association between yerba mate consumption and changes in total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, or triglycerides, which contradicts individual positive trials and raises concern about consistency and effect size across studies [2]. Meta-analyses pool heterogeneous trials; the absence of a pooled effect suggests that positive signals in single trials can be driven by small sample sizes, specific subgroups, short follow-up, or publication bias, and that any cholesterol-lowering effect, if real, is likely modest and variable [2].
3. Older clinical signals and additive effects with statins
Earlier clinical work, including a 2009 study and reviews through 2017 and 2020, documented improvements in lipid parameters in normolipidemic and dyslipidemic subjects and reported an additional LDL reduction when yerba mate was used alongside statin therapy, supporting the hypothesis that mate has biological activity relevant to lipids [3] [5] [6]. These studies often used different formulations, dosages, and durations, and sometimes enrolled hypercholesterolemic participants or those already on medication; heterogeneous methods complicate direct comparisons but point to potential adjunctive benefits in specific clinical contexts [3].
4. Reconciling conflicting results — what explains the discrepancy?
Differences in participant baseline cholesterol, habitual mate use, beverage preparation, dose, trial duration, and concomitant medications create substantial heterogeneity across studies, and subgroup-specific benefits (e.g., normocholesterolemic vs hypercholesterolemic) appear repeatedly in the literature, explaining why meta-analysis may dilute signals seen in targeted trials [1] [2] [3]. The 2025 crossover trial emphasized nonhabitual consumers and observed LDL-C changes mainly in those with normal baseline LDL, while other studies reported greater absolute changes in higher-risk subjects or when combined with statins, indicating context matters for observed outcomes [1] [3].
5. Clinical relevance — effect size and practical implications
Where reductions have been observed, they are generally modest and not uniformly replicated, which matters for clinical decisions: modest LDL-C changes from a beverage are unlikely to replace proven lipid-lowering therapies for people with high cardiovascular risk, though mate could be considered a complementary lifestyle measure for some individuals. The evidence does suggest possible ancillary benefits beyond lipids — such as reduced blood pressure, inflammation, and body fat — that could contribute to cardiometabolic risk reduction in aggregate, but these multi-domain effects require confirmation in larger, longer trials [4] [7].
6. Final appraisal and what to watch for next
Taken together, the literature through 2025 presents mixed but intriguing evidence: individual trials and older studies show potential cholesterol and cardiometabolic benefits, while a comprehensive 2022 meta-analysis found no consistent lipid effect across studies, and a 2025 trial reintroduced conditional positive findings [2] [1] [3]. Future high-quality randomized trials with standardized mate preparations, stratification by baseline risk, longer follow-up, and attention to interactions with lipid-lowering drugs will be decisive; until then, describe yerba mate as a potentially beneficial adjunct but not a proven primary treatment for high cholesterol [1] [2] [3].