Nutrients (Dec 2020)

A Randomized Crossover Intervention Study on the Effect a Standardized Maté Extract (<i>Ilex paraguariensis</i> A. St.-Hil.) in Men Predisposed to Cardiovascular Risk

  • Karimi S. Gebara,
  • Arquimedes Gasparotto Junior,
  • Rhanany A. C. Palozi,
  • Christine Morand,
  • Carla I. Bonetti,
  • Paula T. Gozzi,
  • Martha R. F. de Mello,
  • Telma A. Costa,
  • Euclides L. Cardozo Junior

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13010014
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 1
p. 14

Abstract

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(1) Background: Due to its richness in chlorogenic acids (CGAs), Maté (Ilex paraguariensis A. St.-Hil.) could be of interest in the prevention of cardiometabolic diseases, however clinical evidence are lacking. This trial aimed to evaluate the impact of maté CGAs, consumed in a daily dose achievable through traditional maté beverages, on parameters related to cardiometabolic risk. (2) Design: Thirty-four male volunteers aged 45–65 years and with at most one criteria of metabolic syndrome, were recruited for a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, and crossover study. The volunteers were assigned to consume an encapsulated dry maté extract for four-weeks, providing 580 mg of caffeoyl quinic acid derivatives (CQAs) daily, or a placebo, with a two weeks washout between intervention periods. Anthropometric variables, blood pressure, plasma glucose, lipids, endothelial, and inflammatory biomarkers were measured in overnight-fasted subjects and after a glucose load. (3) Results: We found no significant effects of treatment on these parameters and the response to the glucose load was also similar between the two interventions. However, a significant decrease in fasting glucose was observed between day 0 and day 28 for the maté group only (−0.57 ± 0.11 mmol/L, p < 0.0002). In subjects with an intermediate to high Framingham risk score, consumption of maté extract induced a 10% increase of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-c from baseline. In a subgroup representative of the study population, significant decreases in the C-reactive protein (CRP) (−50%) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) (−19%) levels were observed. (4) Conclusions: These clinical observations suggest that maté, naturally rich in CGAs, could improve some cardiometabolic markers in subjects with a higher predisposition to metabolic syndrome, even if that remains to be confirmed in new trials specifically targeting this population.

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