How yerba mate harvest time and drinking style affect blood lipids
Effect of Ilex Paraguariensis Harvest Time and Consumption Method of Processed Yerba Mate on the Lipid Profile of Consumes in the Department of Caaguazu, Paraguay
This trial will test whether the time yerba mate is harvested and how people drink it (hot mate, cold tereré, or both) changes cholesterol and other blood lipids in regular yerba mate drinkers aged 18–60 in Paraguay.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 198 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years to 60 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Universidad Nacional de Caaguazu Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Coronel Oviedo) |
| Trial ID | NCT06896175 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This is a triple-blind randomized trial enrolling regular yerba mate consumers who will be randomized to masked yerba mate products produced from different harvest times and to prescribed consumption modes (mate, tereré, or both). Participants must abstain from prepared yerba mate for two weeks before randomization and follow the provided preparation and intake protocol during the trial. Lipid profiles will be measured at baseline and after the intervention period (around 180 days) to compare changes between groups. The trial is led by Universidad Nacional de Caaguazú with local clinical collaborators and uses masked samples to blind participants, investigators, and outcome assessors.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults 18–60 who are regular consumers of prepared yerba mate, can abstain for two weeks before randomization, agree to use only the provided masked samples and follow the study consumption protocol, and are not on lipid-lowering medication.
Not a fit: People already taking lipid-lowering drugs, those who are not regular yerba mate consumers, or those unable to follow the prescribed preparation and intake rules are unlikely to gain benefit from this trial.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could identify simple choices about yerba mate harvest and how it is consumed that help improve cholesterol and other lipid measures.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has suggested yerba mate's bioactive compounds can modestly affect lipids, but the specific influence of harvest timing and drinking method has not been well tested in randomized clinical trials.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Individuals of both sexes, between 18 and 60 years of age, residing in the country, who consume prepared yerba mate. 2. Consumers of mate or tereré and mate/terere who agree to consume the yerba mate samples provided by the research team, which will be masked from laboratory analysis. 3. Two weeks of abstinence from consuming prepared yerba mate, either as mate or tereré, prior to randomization for the trial. 4. Consume exclusively prepared yerba mate in the prescribed manner (quantity of yerba, frequency of consumption, and sips), either in its mate or tereré form independently, and for those who consume both forms daily. 5. Do not change the yerba mate consumer's usual diet or regular physical activity during the trial period. 6. Agree to know the laboratory results of the lipid profile only at the end of the trial (180 days after the start). Exclusion Criteria: 1. Individuals receiving lipid-lowering treatment at the start of the trial. 2. Consuming any other type of yerba mate not provided by the principal investigator. 3. Individuals requiring vitamins as a nutritional supplement. 4. Individuals taking thermogenic supplements. 5. Individuals consuming cooked mate. 6. Addiction to medicinal plants or herbs, both mate and tereré. 7. Individuals with a personal history of coronary artery disease.
Where this trial is running
Coronel Oviedo
- Unca — Coronel Oviedo, Paraguay (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Angel Rolon — Universidad Nacional de Caaguazu, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud
- Study coordinator: Julieta Maria Mendez Romero
- Email: julietamendez@unca.edu.py
- Phone: 0985300046
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.