Guarana

Guarana-based products such as “Rock Star,” “Cult,” “Dark Dog,” and “Hype” are beginning to pop-up everywhere. But what exactly is guarana?

Guarana is a berry that grows in Venezuela and northern parts of Brazil. Its name “guarana,” comes from a tribe living in Brazil called Guarani. Guarana is very important to their culture, as it is believed to be magical, a cure for bowel complaints, and a way to regain strength. Guarana’s unique taste is most successful as a soft drink in Brazil. Guarana’s main ingredient is guaranine, which is identical chemically to caffeine, explaining the reason as to why people get an energy boost after taking guarana.

With the same characteristics as caffeine, guarana is a stimulant very similar to coffee. This means that guarana quickens perceptions, delays sleep, helps with endurance based activities, can help to recover from a hang over, impairs appetite, will lead to more frequent urination, causes a higher blood pressure and an increased heart rate, can make you jittery, and may prevent sleep. As people may believe, guarana is not a “miracle medicine,” a dangerous drug, an easy way to lose weight, a vitamin, or a food supplement.

Although many may think that it is not possible to overdose on caffeine or guarana, theoretically, it is. It is estimated that 10 grams of pure guarana or caffeine at once is fatal. Guarana seeds can contain up to 10% caffeine. This means that if you were to swallow at least 100 grams of guarana seeds at once, things would start to get dangerous. For a better perspective, an average cup of coffee contains 65-130 milligrams of caffeine; some very strong guarana-based syrups used in drinks contain up to 350 milligrams.

Since guarana’s main ingredient guaranine is identical to caffeine, it too can impair appetite, being of some help when you want to lose weight. Caffeine or guarana is put in to weight loss programs because if you’re not hungry, then you won’t eat as much. But, guarana is expensive and caffeine is much cheaper, raising the question of why someone would replace a cheap ingredient with an expensive one. Well, the name guarana sounds much more interesting than caffeine, and gives them an excuse to label their product as “natural” or “herbal,” making it easier to ask for a higher price. So, the presence of guarana n drinks only makes the product more expensive, when drinking a few cups of coffee will have the same effect at a much cheaper rate.

Since dietary supplements are not considered food or drugs, the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate guarana. If you are concerned about guarana, go with the safer and cheaper choice of caffeine.