This may be another answer to that pesky cancer.
A
recent scientific study found that yerba mate tea induces death in human colon
cancer cells. Scientists discovered that in vitro cancer cells died when exposed
to the bioactive compounds present in one cup of the beverage long valued for
its medicinal properties by South American traditional healers.
Caffeine compounds cause cell death
University of Illinois associate
professor of food chemical and toxicology Elvira de Mejia stated "The caffeine
derivatives in mate tea not only induced death in human colon cancer cells, they
also reduced important markers of inflammation." Mejia observed that this is
important since inflammation can lead to cancer progression. Her study was
published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research in latter part of
2011.
In the in vitro study, de Mejia and former graduate student Sirima
Puangpraphant first isolated, and purified, then treated human colon cancer
cells with caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) derivatives from mate tea. As the
scientists increased the CQA concentration, cancer cells died. "Put simply, the
cancer cell self-destructs because its DNA has been damaged," de Mejia
said.
Inducing apoptosis, or cell death, is one of the tactics medical
researchers have been trying to create through pharmaceutical anti-cancer drugs.
However research has also discovered that natural medicines also possess this
capability. The new University of Illinois study now demonstrates that yerba
mate is one of those substances with this cancer-fighting power.
Yerba mate stops inflammation
The study suggests that the mate tea
compounds not only have potential as anti-cancer agents but may also be
effective against other diseases associated with inflammation. However, since
the colon and its microflora play a major role in the absorption and metabolism
of caffeine-related compounds, the anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects of
mate tea may be most potent against bowel cancer. "We believe there's ample
evidence to support drinking mate tea for its bioactive benefits, especially if
you have reason to be concerned about colon cancer," de Mejia noted.
The
scientists will also soon publish the results of a further study on yerba mate
and colon cancer. The new study compares the development of colon cancer in rats
that drank only mate tea against a control group that drank only
water.
Sources:ScienceDailyhttp://www.patexia.com/feed/compounds-in-mate-tea-induce-death-in-colon-cancer-cells-2306http://zeenews.india.com/ayurveda/yerba-mate-brew-bumps-off-colon-cancer-cells_1032.html
