Ilex Paraguariensis (Yerba Mate) Infusions and Risk of Oral Cancer: A Structured Literature Review

Abstract

Background and Objective: Since the emergence of widespread globalization, several food and beverage choices traditionally isolated to a single culture have spread across national/cultural lines. One such export is a traditional South American beverage called mate, an infusion made from the Ilex paraguariensis plant that is consumed widely in Argentina (where it is defined by law as the official national infusion), Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, and southern Chile. Recently, infusions of Ilex paraguariensis have become increasingly popular in the United States, Canada and some parts of the Middle East including Lebanon and Syria. Advocates note that it contains antioxidants and a variety of vitamins (2). Furthermore, mate contains a variety of phenolic consituents (4). However, recent research has discovered a possible link between the consumption of mate and oral cancer. As such, the objective of this analysis is to investigate the association between oral cancer and habitual consumption of Ilex paraguariensis infusions. Methods: A structured literature review was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect and CINAHL. Primary research through 2015 was included; all reviews were excluded. Keywords used were “ilex paraguariensis”, "yerba mate”, “yerba”, “cancer”, “neoplasm”, “neoplasia”, “tumor”, and “tumour”. Articles investigating associations between Ilex paraguariensis infusion consumption and non-oral cancers were excluded.