What is Guarana?
The Guarana plant is indigenous to the Amazon basin rain forest, and can be found in regions of Brazil as well as Venezuela. It is a vine, and the guarana twines around other plants, growing up to a height of 40 feet. The vine develops small brown or red berries approximately the size of a coffee bean.
These berries have very high levels of caffeine, as well as high levels of antioxidants and other nutrients. In addition to the stimulating effect of caffeine, guarana also has numerous health benefits. Energizing drinks formulated with guarana are very popular in Brazil, and are gaining in popularity in the West. Health food stores now commonly carry guarana supplements in the form of powders, extracts, and capsules. It is generally recognized as safe to consume.
Health Benefits of Guarana
Guarana is a awesome source of caffeine, and its effect is similar to very strong coffee; however, it goes well beyond coffee in terms of health benefits. It isn't simply a stimulant, it has a wide variety of benefits.
Guarana extract is rich in valuable nutrients and compounds. In addition to caffeine, guarana contains allantoin, adenine, alpha-copaene, anethole, caryophyllene, and carvacrol.
Likewise, guarana contains the same flavonoids found in green tea. It also contains glucose, catechu-tannic acid, choline, dimethyl propyl phenol, dimethylbenzene, guanine, estragole, and hypoxanthine. Finally, limonene, nicotinic acid, mucilage, theobromine, proanthocyanidins, timbonine, theophylline, and xanthine round out the powerhouse nutrients found in guarana.
Weight Loss
Guarana has a metabolism-boosting effect and can be an aid to those who want to lose weight. Likewise, it increases focus, improving physical performance. This makes guarana great if you’re exercising, helping you to burn more fat. In this way, guarana is considered a weight loss product.
Research which appeared in a 2002 issue of the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics tested the effects of a combination of guarana, damiana and yerba mate on overweight people over the course of 6 ½ weeks. The study showed that those taking this herbal supplement lost an average of 11 lbs. of body weight, and additionally, they were able to keep the weight off.
Improved Mental Focus
While coffee can wake you up and provide you with some amount of mental clarity and focus, guarana goes above and beyond that. Guarana also has additional stimulants over caffeine, according to a 2015 study.
This study found that guarana contains a variety of stimulants working in synergy with caffeine to keep you awake and your mind alert. Moreover, the caffeine in guarana is released more slowly than coffee, allowing the caffeine effect to last much longer and with fewer negative side effects than coffee. So less sugar from energy drinks and soft drinks this little dietary supplement with theophylline and theobromine can make all the difference in the world for you.
Are Guarana Dietary Supplements Safe?
Similar to the caffeine from coffee or anything that contains caffeine, guarana is considered safe if taken in the recommended doses. Those with a sensitivity or a low tolerance to caffeine, as well as those with blood pressure hypertension or heart problems should consult their physician. This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.