Argentinean tea may reduce cholesterol

Urbana, Ill. -- A University of Illinois study shows that an antioxidant enzyme that helps reduce cholesterol is induced by the herbal tea -- mate tea.

Elvira de Mejia of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign said her study showed that mate tea drinkers had experienced a significant increase in the activity of an enzyme that promotes high-density lipoproteins, or HDL, "good" cholesterol, while lowering low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, "bad" cholesterol.

Majia made a five-year agreement with administrators of La Universidad Nacional de Misiones in Argentina to cooperate in the study of 84 genotypes of mate tea, both cultivated and wild, never-before-studied, varieties.

"Because Argentina has the different mate varieties, we’ll be able to do more comparisons and characterizations between the different genotypes and the benefits of different growing conditions -- whether in sun, on a plantation, or in shade -- under the rain forest canopy," Majia said in a statement.

In the cholesterol study, blood levels of the cardio-protective enzyme paraoxonase-1 were measured before and after healthy volunteers consumed either 0.5 liters of mate tea, milk, or coffee.

The study, published in Planta Medica, found activity of the enzyme increased an average of 10 percent for mate tea drinkers compared to the other drinks.

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