Guaraná is an ancient drink made from the powdered seeds of Paullinia cupana. It supports healthy weight-management, energy, and cardiovascular function. Drinking guaraná reduces fatigue and hunger, increases metabolic rate, and prevents atherosclerosis. Its seeds contain up to five times more caffeine than coffee beans! Theobromine and theophylline team up with caffeine to provide a stronger, smoother, longer-lasting energy boost than caffeine alone provides.
The name ‘guaraná’ came from the Guaraní word ‘waraná’ meaning “fruit like the eyes of the people.”
Energy
Drinking guaraná temporarily reduces mental and physical fatigue. Caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline are xanthine alkaloids responsible for the way guaraná stimulates the central nervous system. Guaraná seeds have a 2-8% concentration of caffeine, compared to only 1-3% in coffee beans. That’s the highest caffeine concentration observed in nature! Theophylline is an even stronger stimulant than caffeine. Theobromine (“the food of the gods”) delivers a more relaxed, longer-lasting energy boost than caffeine, without the crash.
Cognition
Adenosine is a compound that relaxes the brain. When caffeine binds to adenosine receptors in the central nervous system, it prevents them from activating and delays fatigue. Drinking guaraná slightly increases mental response time without affecting accuracy, thanks to caffeine. Avoiding memory problems is another cognitive perk of drinking guaraná. The plant dilates blood vessels and reduces oxidation of low-density lipoproteins, preventing or improving hyperlipidemia, atherosclerosis, and related memory impairment. Finally, folk medicine and anecdotal evidence recommend guaraná as a remedy for migraines.
Weight Control
In the short term, caffeine increases metabolic rate and fat-burning. It also curbs appetite and prevents weight gain and insulin resistance. Guaraná’s caffeine content explains its efficacy in healthy weight-management. Also, guaraná appears to prevent metabolic disorders. Researchers observed smaller waist circumference and reduced hunger in people who drink guaraná often.
Guaraná powder is not only made into drinks, but also baked into bread.
Cardiovascular
Guaraná is a cardiotonic, meaning it’s safe to drink often to support heart health. Drinking guaraná reduces the likelihood of developing atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the buildup of cholesterol plaque in the artery walls which obstructs blood flow. Guaraná supplies antioxidants and improves lipid metabolism by lowering oxidation of low-density lipoproteins. Oxidation of LDLs is an important event leading to atherosclerosis. Theobromine lowers blood pressure and improves circulation. Theophylline stimulates the heart muscle and improves circulation.
Guaraná’s antioxidants promote longevity.
Cancer
High levels of free radicals cause oxidative stress, which leads to cancers. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals. Guarana is rich in antioxidants, to a similar degree as green tea. It also helps reduce fatigue in people undergoing cancer treatments like chemotherapy.
History
Guaraná is a woody vine native to the Amazon. Its clusters of reddish-orange fruit contain black seeds with thick, white arils. Indigenous Brazilian tribes like the Sateré Mawé and the Guaraní say when the fruit splits it resembles an eyeball. In their mythology, a murdered child was buried, and the first guarana plant grew from the child’s eyeball. The plant itself then gave birth to a child from whom all Mawé are descended. The Sateré Mawé tribe domesticated guaraná and cultivate it in their ancestral forests today as they have for millennia. They call guaraná “the beginning of all knowledge” and value it not only for energy, but also for treating migraines, atherosclerosis, and dysentery. To process guarana, people roast and pulverize the seeds. Traditionally, they mix the powder with cassava (Manihot esculenta) to make the drink çapó. Mawé hunters drink çapó for energy before embarking on a hunt. It’s also ceremonial. During the twenty-day festival, Festa de Tocandira, the whole tribe drinks çapó, dances, and tells stories. The festival culminates in an initiation ritual for Mawé boys, who prove their bravery by donning gloves filled with biting ants.
NutraTrim
NutraTea herbalists crafted NutraTrim, a blend of guaraná and other herbs that support healthy weight, stimulate metabolism, remove toxins, and control blood sugar and cravings. NutraTrim contains guaraná, green tea, fennel, nettle, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, senna, dandelion root, burdock root, garcinia cambogia, juniper berry, hibiscus, couch grass, black pepper, and kelp. Begin your relationship with guaraná, an ancient source of energy and metabolic balance.
