It's on everyone's lips these days, and quite literally: guarana or guarana extract. We usually encounter guarana in the food sector.
Here, it is particularly often used as guarana powder in various foods. The selection is diverse: from chewing gum to energy drinks with guarana, and juices enriched with guarana powder.
The Brazilian plant is considered rocket fuel for the brain and has been used in medicine for hundreds of years due to its effects on performance.
But how exactly guarana works, how much energy it can provide you with, what it tastes like, and where you can buy it—you'll find out all this here.
Table of contents
1. What is Guarana?
Guarana (Paullinia cupana) is a climbing shrub that grows in the Amazon region of Brazil , Venezuela , and Peru . Guarana belongs to the soapberry family and has large leaves and clusters of flowers.
However, it is best known for its fruit , which is about the size of a coffee bean and contains the plant's true secret. The orange-red fruit contains one to three seeds .
The black seeds are approximately 1 cm long and white at the tip. A split fruit containing the seeds is somewhat reminiscent of an eye, thus providing fodder for legends and superstitions.
Guarana seeds are the reason the plant is a true energy booster. They are rich in caffeine , containing 4 to 8% caffeine . That's twice as much as coffee beans, for example, which contain about 1 to 2.5% caffeine.
As early as the late 17th century, the Jesuit missionary Joao Felipe Bettendorff (1625-1698) discovered that the Satere-Mawe, an indigenous tribe in the central Amazon region of Brazil, highly valued guarana as an "energy supplier." He observed that guarana was consumed, among other things, to reduce fever and relieve headaches.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, guarana was consumed in both Europe and the USA , only to then inexplicably disappear from pharmacopoeias until it reappeared a few decades ago.
Today, guarana is used as a weight loss aid, but above all, guarana is considered an optimal stimulant for the brain and a means of increasing physical performance and energy levels.[1]
Some people also use guarana to treat chronic fatigue syndrome or even as an aphrodisiac.
2. How does guarana extract work?
As several placebo-controlled double-blind studies have now shown, guarana extract demonstrably improves the cognitive performance of test subjects and reduces mental exhaustion .
Guarana has also been found to improve memory performance , increase alertness, and positively influence mood. These effects cannot be attributed solely to the caffeine content of guarana.
This ranges from 2 to 7.5 percent, four times higher than that of coffee. Guarana seeds therefore have the highest known caffeine content.
In addition to caffeine, guarana also contains smaller amounts of various other substances, such as tannins, theobromine, and theophylline. Guarana's psychoactive properties are likely also due to the relatively high content of these other components.
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3. Awakening and invigorating properties of Guarana extract
The indigenous inhabitants of the Amazon region have long traded guarana, including the Satere-Mawe Indians.
They grow guarana in their own plantations and produce not only for regional trade and their own consumption, but now even sell their guarana as far away as Europe.
Annual production is approximately 4,000 tons of roasted seeds, most of which go to the soft drink industry, but are also sold by pharmacies and health food stores.
The Indians in the Amazon region have known about the effects of guarana on the human body for many centuries.
They grind the guarana seeds and make the now well-known guarana powder . They then add the guarana powder to boiling water to make something similar to coffee.
Due to its stimulating effect, guarana powder is also added to chocolate, energy drinks, or other foods. This somewhat softens its very bitter taste.
Guarana powder also contains the active ingredients theobromine and theophylline . These are considered stimulants and are therefore often found as ingredients in energy drinks.
Anyone who buys guarana powder to take advantage of its beneficial effects should remember to dissolve it in warm water. This allows the active ingredients to release more easily and can reduce the bitter taste.
In cold water, the very fine powder often clumps together and forms muddy lumps, which are harmless but do not look very appetizing.
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4. Long-lasting energy from Guarana
Coffee isn't for everyone. The bitter taste and short-lived energy lead many to seek an alternative. In this case, guarana may be a perfect choice. One of the main advantages of guarana over coffee is its long-lasting effects .
Guarana's energy lasts much longer than coffee , as the stimulant is absorbed more slowly by the body . This is because the caffeine it contains is bound to tannins, which must be broken down first.
This results in a sustained energy release lasting up to six hours —a stark contrast to the short-lived energy crash experienced with coffee. Guarana also contains theobromine and theophylline.
Just like caffeine, both are purine alkaloids, which provide your body with energy and can therefore act as natural stimulants.
Because coffee contains only one of these three alkaloids, but guarana contains three, guarana provides much longer-lasting and stronger energy, as demonstrated by a 2004 Australian study. [2]
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She investigated the psychological and cardiovascular effects of guarana and yerba mate and compared them with those of coffee - the result: guarana is by far the most effective .
In addition, guarana not only contains higher amounts of caffeine than coffee, it also contains other alkaloids and fats that suppress the feeling of hunger and thirst in many consumers.
The natural heat that guarana creates within the body is known as thermogenesis , a natural metabolism in your body that helps break down stored body fat and convert it into energy.
5. 10 Benefits of Guarana
Guarana not only has a wake-up effect, but also has many other benefits that can optimize your mental and physical performance and help you fully utilize your energy potential. We've compiled a list of 10 benefits of guarana for you:
1. Natural stimulant
The caffeine content in guarana is many times higher than in coffee beans. This makes it a wonderful stimulant. The substances caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline naturally stimulate the body and prevent fatigue.
2. Help with ketosis
The caffeine contained in guarana seeds stimulates the nervous system and induces lipolysis . During lipolysis, fats in adipose tissue are broken down. The resulting fatty acids are released into the blood.
They can be absorbed by the liver and used to produce ketone bodies. They are the fastest and most stable energy sources for your brain.
With their help , you enter ketosis . This means your body derives energy exclusively from fat and not from carbohydrates. This optimizes your mental performance and concentration.
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3. Natural helper against stress
Also known as the magic fruit, guarana has calming properties . It can actually help reduce stress and improve your mood.
According to researcher CHS Ruxton, the caffeine it contains has positive effects on mood [3]. She conducted a 15-year study investigating the relationship between caffeine consumption and cognitive and physical performance.
She also examined the effect on mood and found that there is a connection. This means you can increase your alertness and improve your well-being: Caffeine not only wakes you up, but also improves your mood .
A study by Cardiff University in Wales and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge also confirmed these effects [4]. Subjects were asked about their mood after consuming caffeine, and their mood improved significantly.
This is partly because caffeine inhibits the action of the body's own neurotransmitter adenosine. This neurotransmitter is responsible for the resting phases of brain cells and prevents the happiness hormone serotonin from taking effect.
Caffeine counteracts adenosine and promotes the absorption of serotonin . This will likely make you happier and help you tackle any challenge in a great mood.
4. Better mental performance
Guarana can also help optimize your learning performance and support your mental performance. A 2004 study shows that combining guarana with ginseng allows you to fully utilize your energy. [5]
This study tested the cognitive effects of guarana and ginseng . It was found that the combination significantly improved the speed of information acquisition .
This fruit has the potential to improve blood circulation and thus promote better mental health . The better your blood circulation, the clearer your mind will be, and the less likely you are to suffer from migraines or headaches.
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5. Better digestive system
As a natural remedy for flatulence and diarrhea, guarana was once used throughout Europe to treat water retention. Because it takes effect in the intestines rather than the stomach, guarana has several beneficial effects on your digestion.
The fruit can also be beneficial in healing intestinal problems, helping to eliminate waste and toxins that have accumulated in the intestines. Guarana thus acts as a natural detoxifier , cleansing your digestive system of harmful substances.
6. A natural aphrodisiac
Guarana is known worldwide for its natural aphrodisiac properties. The presence of caffeine in this fruit enhances its innate libido-stimulating properties. Thus, regular use can help you lead a better sex life.
7. Good for the cardiovascular system
Because guarana contains a high amount of caffeine, it has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system. Caffeine stimulates the vasomotor center, causing the heart to beat more frequently and vigorously, which slightly increases pulse rate and blood pressure.
Your cardiovascular system gets going and your body is energized. This is also confirmed by an Australian study from the University of Tasmania. [2]
8. Help with menstrual problems
Women who suffer from severe abdominal pain during their periods will love guarana. It regulates cycles and also helps relieve premenstrual symptoms.
Women who feel tired and exhausted during their periods can use guarana to improve their energy levels.
9. Blood thinning effect
Because guarana contains catechins and caffeine, it can be used as an antiplatelet agent. These ingredients help reduce the risk of various cardiovascular diseases, such as thrombosis or blood clots, because they have a blood-thinning effect.
10. Natural painkiller
The caffeine in guarana stimulates blood circulation. The better your blood circulation, the less pain you'll feel if you get injured.
It can act as a natural painkiller and can therefore also help if you suffer from constant headaches or even migraines.
6. Side effects of guarana
Because guarana contains caffeine, just like coffee, it can interact with certain medications and, if taken in too high a dose (over 300 mg), can cause side effects such as:
- insomnia
- Tremble
- Anxiety
- strong palpitations
- high blood pressure
Unlike coffee, however, guarana has no toxic effects. Nevertheless, guarana should be avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding , or if you suffer from high blood pressure, as the caffeine only increases it. Ultimately, you simply shouldn't overdo guarana consumption.
An average adult should consume no more than 5 g of guarana per day . No side effects are expected at this amount.
The caffeine content of guarana in powder form can vary greatly due to different growing areas and production processes.
5 g of guarana powder can contain between 45 and 450 mg . Therefore, you should always pay close attention to the manufacturer's instructions to avoid overconsumption. With appropriate guarana intake, there's little risk.
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7. Conclusion
Guarana is currently a very hyped food in our country. The plant originally comes from South America and has been used for centuries by the indigenous people of the Amazon region for a variety of treatments.
The caffeine concentration in guarana seeds is many times higher than that of regular coffee beans. Because the caffeine in the guarana plant is bound to tannins, it is digested more slowly by the body. For this reason, guarana has a milder but longer-lasting effect than regular coffee.
8. Sources
[1] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/256188551_Guarana_Revisiting_a_highly_caffeinated_plant_from_the_Amazon
[2] http://www.psicorip.org/Resumos/PerP/RIP/RIP036a0/RIP03810.pdf
[3] http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-3010.2007.00665.x/full
[4] http://wurtmanlab.mit.edu/static/pdf/690.pdf
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15582012
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