An abstract of a study included in this post presents evidence that drinking YerbaMate tea protects against developing Parkinsons. Why might this result be found?
- Yerba mate tea contains xanthines, such as caffeine and theobromine. These are adenosine receptor antagonists. The tea blocks these receptors which helps protect dopamine-producing neurons.
- Yerba mate is rich in antioxidants which combat oxidative stress. This is known to be a factor associated with Parkinsons.
- Theobromine and chlorogenic acid, two components found in yerbamate tea, have demonstrated neuro-protective properties in lab studies.
Any teas (and there are many) which are known to have anti-oxidant properties will be beneficial when it comes to averting the symptoms of Parkinsons. Note that this study examines the history of tea drinking over a long period of time and looks at whether there is a probability of developing Parkinsons at a later time.
While the study finds YerbaMate Tea Protects Against Developing Parkinsons, this does not suggest that persons who currently experience symptoms of Parkinsons will necessarily celebrate a reduction in symptoms if they regularly drink Yerbamate Tea. There is certainly no evidence that this would prove harmful and may well offer benefits on some level.
Clin Neuropharmacol. 2022 Jul-Aug;45(4):79-83.
Yerbamate Tea Consumption: A Protective Factor in Parkinson Disease
Abstract
Introduction: Little is known about the association between Yerbamate (YMT) tea consumption and Parkinson disease (PD). We determined whether there was an association between YMT tea consumption and PD.
Methods: We conducted a multicenter case-control study in 3 countries (Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay). We applied a structured questionnaire about YMT tea consumption history. The survey also included information about factors previously associated with a decreased and increased risk of PD, apart from medical and demographic factors. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using multivariate unconditional binary logistic regression analysis.
Results: We included 215 cases and 219 controls. The mean age of the cases was 65.6 ± 10.5 years and that of controls was 63.1 ± 10.5 years (P < 0.02). Years of YMT tea consumption, number of liters drunk per day, and amount of YMT used for preparing the infusion were similar between cases and controls (P > 0.05), but not the number of times the YMT was added into the container (P = 0.003) and the YMT tea concentration per serving (P = 0.02). The multivariate analysis showed that YMT tea concentration per serving lowered the risk for PD, independent of potential confounders (odds ratio, 0.62; 95% confidence interval, 0.47-0.84).
Conclusions: This multicenter study highlights the association between an environmental factor, the YMT tea drinking, and PD. Although more evidence from longitudinal studies is needed, the results obtained here points toward a protective effect of the YMT tea concentration per serving on PD.
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