Theobromine in yerba mate: what it did for waist size and HDL
Metabolic syndrome affects millions of people, and it pushes up the risk of both heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Theobromine is a natural compound related to caffeine, and you'll find it in yerba mate and in cacao.
In a randomized controlled trial, overweight and obese adults took theobromine for 12 weeks. By the end, their waists got smaller, which matters because belly fat is one of the key markers of metabolic syndrome. Their HDL, the good cholesterol, went up, and the ratio of LDL to HDL came down.
That's a pretty big deal for your heart. If you like a warm cup of tea, plain yerba mate…
The skinny
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