Background
Guarana (pronounced gwa-ra-naa) is a berry that grows in Venezuela and the northern parts of Brazil.

The name 'Guarana' comes from the Guarani tribe that lives in Brazil. Guarana plays a very important role in their culture, as this herb is believed to be magical, a cure for bowel complaints and a way to regain strength. They also tell the myth of a 'Devine Child', that was killed by a serpent and whos eyes gave birth to this plant.

Guarana's biological name, Paullinia Cupana, was taken from the German medical botanist C.F. Paullini, who discovered the tribe and the plant in the 18th century.

The taste of Guarana is distinctive and unique, and the main reason for its success in Brazil as a soft drink.

The main ingredient of guarana is guaranine, which is chemically identical to caffeine. This is the reason for the energy boost people get after taking guarana.

Guarana-based drinks are common in Brazil, but hard to find in most other countries.

There are many rumors and stories about the effects of guarana on the human body. Some of them are true, but most of them are not. Don't expect medical miracles from taking guarana in any form. Guarana isn't a medicine, although - in some cases - the effects might be beneficial for a limited number of medical conditions.

The most widespread rumor is that guarana does miracles for people who want to lose weight. It is true that guarana can help a little bit, but miracles? Certainly not.

The success in Brazil was reason enough for the Pepsi and Coca Cola to start the production of their own guarana soda varieties.

Pepsi tried to market 'Josta' in the US (and failed); Coca Cola still sells 'Kuat' in Brazil (with some success).

In most cases, imitation brands still can't compete with the original Brazilian brands - the genuine flavor of guarana is sometimes absent and apparently replaced by an overdose of sugar. Quite a few guarana-lovers (mainly Brazilians, and you can take our word for it that they are experts in the field) even doubt if there was any guarana extract used at all.

Whatever the opinion of Brazilians may be, guarana-based products are getting more and more popular all over the world. A few more years and guarana could be a more important Brazilian export product than soccer players!

We now see fancy soda names like 'Rock Star', 'Cult', 'Dark Dog' and 'Hype' popping up everywhere. Pepsi's 'Josta', which eventually was pulled from the market, had its own webring on the Internet, guarana drinks are popular in the dance/rave scene, replacing the dangerous amphetamines that were common there. Apparently guarana keeps them on their feet all night long, without the need to take additional (and potentially lethal) drugs.

Guarana is available in many forms, such as chocolate bars, capsules, powder, chewing gum, and syrup. Many of these products can only be found in Brazil, but you might spot some of them in health shops or Brazilian shops.

A negative side effect of its popularity is the mystification of guarana. Some companies market their Guarana-based products as a drug doing miracles for headaches, overweight, neurological disorders like ADHD, and numerous other diseases. We are quite skeptical about many of these stories, but feel free to share your experiences with these products in our forum.

Facts & Fiction
Guarana contains a high amount of guaranine, a chemical substance with the same characteristics as caffeine. This makes Guarana a stimulant similar to coffee, which means that it:

• quickens perceptions
• delays sleep
• helps with endurance based activities
• can help to recover from a hangover
• impairs the appetite
• will lead to more frequent visits to the toilet
• causes a higher blood pressure and an increased heart rate
• can make you feel jittery and may prevent sleep at all.

Guarana is not:

• a 'miracle medicine'
• a dangerous drug
• an easy way to lose weight
• a vitamin
• a food supplement

Not proven by scientific research, but some users state that:

• Guarana is a 'Smart Drug'
• Guarana is an aphrodisiac
• their health improved thanks to guarana

Dangers:

• Theoretically, it is possible to overdose on caffeine or guarana. The fatal dose has been estimated at 10 grams of pure caffeine / guaranine (taken at once!). Guarana seeds contain maximal 10% caffeine, so when you would swallow at least 100 grams guarana seeds at once, things start to look ugly. Our advice: don't even think about it.
  To put all of this in perspective: the average cup of coffee contains 65-130 milligrams of caffeine; some very strong guarana-based syrups can contain up to 350 milligrams.
• People with cardiac problems or a high blood pressure should avoid Guarana (and smoking or drinking coffee, for that matter) When in doubt - consult your doctor.
• As with all stimulants, dependency may occur.

Chemical composition of Guarana seeds:
Vegetable fiber: 49.125 %
Reddish resin: 8.800 %
Starch: 8.350 %
Water: 7.650 %
Pectin, malic acid, mucilage, dextrin, salts: 7.470 %
Guarana-tannic acid: 5.902 %
Caffeine: 5.388 %
Yellowish steady oil: 2.950 %
Pyro-guarana acid: 2.750 %
Reddish colorant: 1.520 %
Amorphous substances: 0.606 %
Saponin: 0.060 %