Objective: To know the consumption habits of Yerba Mate in a population of Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients from Uruguay. To compare the consumption habits of Yerba Mate in PD patients from Uruguay with controls from the uruguayan population.

Background: Yerba Mate tea (YM), an infusion made from the leaves of the small tree Ilex paraguariensis, is a very common beverage in Uruguay and other countries of South America. Neuroprotective properties have been attributed to YM probably mediated by its antioxidant activity and antagonism of the A2 adenosin receptors (Milioli, 2006). Recently, an inverse association between YM consumption and PD was reported in an argentinean population and a neuroprotective role was postulated (Gatto, 2015). The present study is the first one in PD patients from Uruguay.

Methods: A customized structured survey was administered to a population of PD patients (n = 50) seen at the Clinics Hospital in Montevideo, Uruguay, since March 2015. The survey addresses the consumption habits of YM (quantity, methods of consumption, time of exposition) as well as others substances postulated as implicated in the development of the disease or as being neuroprotective. The data is compared with a control population (n = 50) consisting of patients without PD or other movement disorders from the same hospital, matched for age and sex.

Results: 82% of the PD patients had consumed YM. A similar frequency of consumption, 84%, was seen in the control group. However, 48% of PD patients reported having abandoned YM consumption at variables times with respect of disease onset.

Conclusions: The study is still in progress and these preliminary results do not find, to date, differences in the consumption of YM between PD patients and a control group in the uruguayan population. During 2016 a more detailed analysis will be carried out and a larger number of patients and controls will be included, which will allow us to draw more accurate conclusions on the potential protective role of YM in PD.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/consumption-of-yerba-mate-ilex-paraguariensis-in-parkinsons-disease-patients-from-uruguay/