The effects of roasted yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis A. ST. Hil.) consumption on glycemia and total serum creatine phosphokinase in patients with traumatic brain injury

- Effect of roasted mate tea in head trauma patients was studied.
- The level of total serum creatine phosphokinase was reduced.
- Glycemic control was improved.

Severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients were treated with non-commercial roasted mate tea (MT). Plants were identified botanically and roasted at 200 °C for 20 min. Eight patients were selected, of whom 4 were non-treated and 4 received MT in nasoenteric tube or oral diet for 14 days. MT-treated patients received infusion twice a day (7 g 300 mL−1 each). No significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed concerning glycemia levels between non-treated and MT-treated groups, although this last had better glycemic profile and received less insulin. This result suggested, for the first time, a possible relationship between MT administration and improvement in the glycemic control in institutionalized patients. As compared with non-treated group, MT-treated group had significant (p < 0.05) decrease in serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK). The findings from the principal components analysis in conjunction with Person's correlation suggested, for the first time, positive correlation between MT consumption and lower CPK levels in TBI patients.