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Guarana
Guarana
Guarana
What is it:
Guarana is a natural stimulant derived from the seeds of the guarana plant, native to the Amazon basin. It contains caffeine and is often used as an additive in food and beverages for its energy-boosting properties. The production of guarana involves harvesting the mature seeds, which are then dried and ground into a fine powder. It is commonly incorporated into energy drinks and nutritional supplements to provide a natural source of caffeine and enhance alertness.
Rating:
Guarana has been associated with many positive health benefits, including weight management, mitochondrial health, and cognition. It is rich in bioactive compounds that may be responsible for some of these effects in addition to caffeine. More human research is needed to confirm the health benefits of guarana, as some results are mixed and human research is lacking.
Resources:
- Potential health effects of guarana (review)
- Effect of guarana on cognitive performance (systematic review and meta-analysis)
- Guarana benefits metabolic parameters and weight loss in rats (animal study)
- Guarana appears safe as a dietary additive (review)
- Guarana stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis in mice (animal study)
- Guarana benefits memory in mice (animal study)
- Guarana improves cognitive and mood in adults (double-blind, counterbalanced, placebo-controlled study)
- No significant effect of guarana on psychological well-being, anxiety and mood in healthy subjects (single-blind, placebo-controlled study)
How we rate ingredients
Health is like a bank account, certain ingredients make a deposit into your health bank, meaning they add to
your health. Certain ingredients withdraw from your health bank. We want health promoting ingredients in our diet. To keep things simple, we rate ingredients on a green, yellow, red scale:
Clean
It is naturally occurring in food and has no harmful effects on the body. It is real food. It is health promoting.
Caution
It goes into one or more of the below categories
- It is not naturally occurring in food but doesn’t have data showing it has a harmful effect on the body (additives like Gellan Gum)
- It is naturally occurring but can have some harmful effects on the body (added sugars, oils, gums etc.)
We Avoid
It is known to have a harmful effect on the body (ex. All food colorings, Natural Flavors, MSG, Potassium bromate, aspartame, artificial flavors)
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