Latest News & Articles
New Study Finds Yerba Mate Drinkers Have Significantly Stronger Bones After Menopause — With Three Times Lower Osteoporosis Rates
A peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Bone Metabolism used advanced 3D bone imaging to compare 300 postmenopausal women and found that habitual yerba mate drinkers had significantly higher bone density at every measured site, with an osteoporosis rate of just 3.3% compared to 10.9% in non-drinkers and half the rate of fragility fractures.
University of North Alabama Launches Clinical Study on Yerba Mate's Effects on Metabolic, Cognitive, and Functional Health in Older Adults
UNA's Kinesiology program is recruiting adults aged 60 and older for a study examining whether yerba mate supplementation can support metabolism, cognition, and physical function — offering participants free health assessments in return.
New Study in Current Developments in Nutrition Finds Yerba Mate Does Not Enhance Metabolic Performance During Exercise — Body Composition Matters More
A peer-reviewed study published on January 16, 2026, in Current Developments in Nutrition tested two commercial yerba mate brands during submaximal cycling and found that acute ingestion did not significantly enhance metabolic or cardiovascular responses — while body composition, particularly obesity status, had a more consistent influence on exercise efficiency.
INFU-SALUD: A Completed Spanish Clinical Trial Found That Daily Yerba Mate Improved Cardiometabolic Biomarkers in Healthy and Mildly Hypercholesterolemic Adults
The INFU-SALUD study (NCT06729905) — a randomized, crossover, controlled trial conducted at the ICTAN-CSIC in Madrid from 2012 to 2015 and retrospectively registered on ClinicalTrials.gov in December 2024 — tested whether daily yerba mate consumption over two eight-week periods could improve blood lipid levels, glucose metabolism, and inflammatory markers in 52 healthy and mildly hypercholesterolemic adults with normal BMI.
Korean Study Finds Yerba Mate Reduces Obesity and Blood Sugar in High-Fat Diet Models
A peer-reviewed study published in Laboratory Animal Research demonstrated that yerba mate extract significantly reduced body weight, fat accumulation, blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in mice fed a high-fat diet, suggesting potential applications in obesity and type 2 diabetes management.
The 'Natural Ozempic' Claim: Why TikTok's Assertion That Yerba Mate Works Like Wegovy Collapses Under Scientific Scrutiny
A viral TikTok trend claims yerba mate is 'nature's Ozempic,' but a 2025 randomized controlled trial found that while yerba mate decreased ghrelin levels, GLP-1 — the hormone that Wegovy and Ozempic mimic — remained unchanged in human subjects. Doctors say the comparison is 'not even close.'
Yerba Mate Extract in Food Packaging: ACS Omega Study Demonstrates UV Shielding, Radical Scavenging, and Antibacterial Activity in Pullulan Biopolymer Coatings
A study published in ACS Omega on March 2, 2026, demonstrates that pullulan biopolymer coatings functionalized with yerba mate polyphenol extracts exhibit near-complete radical scavenging within 60 minutes, effective UV shielding, and antibacterial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus — positioning yerba mate as a functional ingredient for sustainable active food packaging.
Meta-Analysis of 13 Randomized Controlled Trials Finds Yerba Mate Significantly Reduces Postprandial Glucose, HbA1c, and HOMA Index in Pre-Diabetic Patients
A systematic review and meta-analysis published in Frontiers in Endocrinology — encompassing 13 randomized controlled trials screened from 1,294 studies — reports that yerba mate consumption significantly decreases postprandial glucose, glycated hemoglobin, and insulin resistance in pre-diabetic individuals, while showing no significant effects on lipid profiles or body composition.