A person can have cancer when the body loses control of its cells. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Although, many of its types are preventable like a change of diet and lifestyle. One of these is avoiding a popular tea, which increases the risk of developing several types of cancer.
Studies have shown that excessive consumption of yerba maté tea, a popular beverage in South America, increases cancer risk by three folds. This herbal tea is especially hailed for a range of health benefits but it contains a carcinogen that causes cancer.
What is Yerba Maté Tea?
According to Mayo Clinic, yerba mate is an herbal tea commonly known simply as mate and is popular in many parts of South America. It came from the leaves and twigs of the Ilex paraguariensis plant, which are typically dried over a fire and steeped in hot water. This herbal tea contains caffeine like black tea and may be served cold or hot.
Yerba mate is also available in the US, particularly in health food stores and online. People who drink this tea said that it relieves their fatigue, help in weight loss, ease depression, and aid in treating headaches and other illness. However, there is limited evidence of the benefits of the tea on these conditions.
Studies indicate that people who drink excessive amounts of herbal tea over long periods may be at higher risk of some types of cancer. More so, drinking it at more than 149 degrees Fahrenheit (65 degrees Celsius) is liked to increase cancer risk than drinking it at a cooler temperature.
Yerba Mate Tea Contains Carcinogen Also Found in Grilled Meat and Tobacco
A study, titled "High Levels of Carcinogenic Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Mate Drinks," published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarker and Prevention, suggests that yerba mate tea increases the risk of developing lung, esophageal, stomach, bowel, pancreatic, and liver cancers up to three-folds.
The authors suggested that the tea contains the carcinogen called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are also found in grilled meat and tobacco smoke. According to The Sun, the plant used to make the tea has been long associated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer. Experts said that the risk may be attributed to the carcinogenic contaminants of the plant.
Consumption of Yerba Mate Tea Compared to Smoking 100 Cigarettes
Another study published in 2012 compared drinking too much yerba tea to smoking 100 cigarettes. As Daily Express reported, researchers wrote in the paper that if an average cup of yerba mate contains 50 grams of leaves per gourd, drinking an average cup would also expose the consumer to smoke produced by 100 cigarettes or equivalent to five packs.
Too Hot Tea Not Recommended
It is nice to have a warm mug to hold on to as part of the comforting daily routine of tea time. But a 2019 study found that those who drink tea at too high temperatures are at higher risk of thermal injury and esophageal cancer.
According to Healthline, the risk of drinking very hot tea is not limited to yerba mate. Evidence suggests that the scalding effect of black or green tea drank between 140 and 149 degrees Fahrenheit can damage the cells in the throat lining and make the person more susceptible to cancer-causing substances, such as alcohol.
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