Guarana (Paullinia Cupana) is a climbing
shrub that grows wild in the Amazon regions of Brazil and Uruguay. Grown
in the Amazon Basin, this herb was first used by the Quaramis, a native
South American Tribe, for bowel complaints. It was also utilized by Brazilian
miners as a preventative for diseases, yet its main function was as a refreshing
beverage. Most modern commercial Guarana is grown on government plantations
where the highest quality plants are harvested.
Natives in the
Amazon Basin carry long rods of hardened Guarana powder and grate it whenever
they need a substitute for food. They can travel for two to three days
if they have this rod to nibble on.
The Guarana fruit
is harvested when ripe, after turning a bright red or yellow. The gathered
fruit yields a small round black seed which is crushed to form a paste
containing 10% Guaranine (caffeine).
Guarana has been
used for hundreds of years by Brazilian Indians as a general tonic for
the body and as a source of energy. Guarana acts on the central nervous
system to prevent fatigue and break down lactic acid from muscle stress.
Guarana contains
natural caffeine and other Phenolic-containing antioxidant compounds. They
activate the central nervous system, which spars the body's ability to
burn calories and unwanted fat cells through the Thermogenic process.
Besides caffeine,
Guarana contains a host of other xanthines. Theobromine and Theophylline
are the primary xanthines, acting as muscle relaxants and possessing diuretic
properties.
Guarana is
a high energy source that increases mental alertness, fights fatigue, slows
the pulse, decreases the appetite, and is an excellent mood elevator. This
herb can also be used as a nervine tonic for hangovers, menstrual headaches,
and neuralgia. It is also useful for leucorrhea, diarrhea, and fevers;
it's chief use in Europe and North America is for headaches, especially
if of a rheumatic or nervous nature.
