What is Guarana

Latin name: Paullinia cupana

Guarana, a precious plant from Amazonia, has been known and used ever since ancient times by the Satere-Mawe people. They absorbed it when they had to cover long distances, before hunting or during ritual fasting. The seed of the fruit is treated and grinded using traditional methods to obtain a high-quality, pure powder, without additive or preservative.

Guarana has a stimulating effect on intellectual activity and physical capacity, but this effect is soft, balanced and progressive. It induces no sensation of nervousness. On the contrary, it procures a feeling of well-being, relaxation and serenity. When used in the frame of a weight-loss diet, it also diminishes the sensation of hunger while preserving the natural cycles of the body and sleep.

A unique production process:

It is a slow, strict process that preserves guarana’s levels of vitamins and minerals, as well as its high level of polyphenol antioxydants. That is crucial, because the antioxydants are what ensures a slow action, with a delayed effect, of the diffusion of the guaranine in the body, causing no nervousness or excitement. This process is the know-how of the Satere-Mawe.

 Appetite Suppressant

Guarana supplements are mainly taken for appetite-suppressant effects, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. As a central nervous system stimulant, caffeine does act as an appetite suppressant. People in certain parts of South America have traditionally taken guarana during times of fasting to make it easier to follow the dietary restrictions, explains Raintree Nutrition.

Alertness

Guarana contains theophylline, another central nervous system stimulant. The caffeine and theophylline combination can relieve fatigue and enhance alertness.

Pain Relief

Caffeine boosts the effectiveness of some analgesics, or pain relievers, and is included in certain medications containing aspirin, acetaminophen or both, such as Anacin and Excedrin. Caffeine may be helpful for migraine headaches, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health at its MedlinePlus website.

Anti-Cancer Properties

Animal research appearing in the February 20, 2006 issue of "Cancer Letters" investigated the effects of guarana on the beginning of liver cancer. Guarana supplementation showed an inhibitory effect on experimentally induced liver cancer in mice.