GUARANA-WHAT IS IT-min

GUARANA-WHAT IS IT?

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Guarana has served therapeutic purposes for centuries. Even now, this fruit is used as a medicine. It’s praised for its stimulant and medical benefits. It can heal headaches, fever, and many other diseases. Therefore, guarana has animportant role in the pharmaceutical field, and you can benefit a lot from it.

Besides medicinal aspects, guarana is added in non-alcoholic drinks and certain foods to assist individuals in losing weight. Its ability to get rid ofextra fat is due to its strong stimulants like caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine. It’s also rich in antioxidants like saponin, tannins, andcatechin. So, what should you know about guarana fruit? These are all the benefits of guarana fruit.

How does guarana look and taste like?

The guarana plant has been popular for a long time. In the earlier years, its recognition was mainly due to its medicinal properties. However, as years go by, researchers find more information about the greatness of this tiny fruit. Guarana is mainly grown in Brazil, Amazon Forests.  Its edible part is the seeds available in red, orange, brown, or yellow colors. Its seed isalmost the sizeof a coffee bean, andits appearance is similar to a human eyeball. Its taste is somewhat bitter and harsh.

What are the other names for guarana?

Guarana is sometimes identified with a different namedepending on the country and its local people. These other namesinclude;Brazilian cocoa, zoom, Paullina sorbilis, Guaranine, cacao bresilien, and Paullina cupana.

What are the benefits of guarana?

Offers protection against cancer

Although small, guarana is full of anti-cancer properties because of its antioxidants like catechin, procyanidins, and epicatechin. It’s also rich in vitamins C,B4,B3,B2,B1, and A. Experts claim it weakens colon and breast cancer. More so, it can reduce the risks of tumors in the liver and other cells in the body.

Increases energy

Guarana’s size is almost the same as that of coffee beans. However, when it comes to caffeine, Paullina cupana has about 4-6 times more. For that reason, it’s added toenergy drinks because of its powerful ingredients. Caffeine and other properties found in this fruit improve functioning abilities ofthe central nervous system, thereby optimizingbrain performance and improving physical alertness. In return, you’ll focus better on your daily activities. Based on research, individuals who have a regular guarana intake stay active and feel less tired compared to those who don’t.

Assists you to slim

If you’re seeking ways to cut down your weight, guarana may help you.You may wonder how a small fruit like this can have the capacity to shed extra fat in your body. Well, its small size should never fool you. Though tiny, it increases metabolic rate, which is an effective way of balancing weight. It also improves digestion and controls metabolic disorders, hypertension, and obesity. If consuming whole fruit is a problem for you, look for drinks or foods that contain it.

Helps with cardiovascular health

Antioxidants present in guarana helps to maintain proper blood flow and preventclotting. This reduces the effects of bad cholesterol and ensures plaque does not accumulate in your blood vessels. Guarana also prevents arteries from hardening, minimizes proliferation, and reduces formation of harmful fat in the body.

Helps the skin

Guarana is used in the cosmetic industry for a reason. Some shampoos, creams, lotions, and soaps contain guarana. Its ingredients help get rid of cellulite and controlage-related skin problems. It achieves this by increasing collagen level, which is an important compound for perfect skin. It’s useful in wrinkles and sagging skin.

It helps to reduce pain

Most praises guarana receives are due to its pain-relieving aspects. It’s added in pain medication to increase the effectiveness of pain relievers. It also reduces menstruation pain in women. However, guarana’s pain relief abilities are not long-lasting. Don’t depend on it as the main treatment.

Improves intestinal system

Its richness in tannins, one of the main antioxidants it contains, makes guarana useful when you have diarrhea. Tannin glues itself in the inner part of the gut. It creates a layer that minimizes water absorption, thus helping with diarrhea. Caffeine plays an important role in regulating bowel movements. Therefore, there is a high possibility that guarana also helps with constipation.

What are the side effects of guarana?

Even though guarana isbeneficial to the body, excessive consumption will affect your body negatively. Ensure you take the right amounts. Consuming extreme foods or drinks containing guarana will lead to the following side effects;

  • Headache
  • Insomnia
  • Nervous system issues
  • High risks of diabetes
  • Heart palpitations

Is guarana a reliable medication?

Guarana is mostly used as aherbal supplement. However, it’s not guaranteed it’s effective in healing medical conditions. FDA does not yet approve the medicinal utilization of this plant. Therefore, guarana should not be used to replace pharmaceutical medication prescribed for you by your physician. Also, herbal supplements, including guarana, are mostly not regulated and checked for manufacturing standards. For this reason, some guarana supplements may be contaminated with toxic substances. Ensure you buy from reliable sources to protect yourself fromrisks of unknown ingredients and contamination.

What should you avoid eating while using guarana?

Let your doctor guide you on foods, beverages, or activities you should avoid while using guarana. It’s not safe to consume guarana along with health supplements that can affect blood clotting. Also, avoid alcohol when consuming guarana to avoid unpleasant effects like headache, fast heartbeat, and nervousness.

How should you consume guarana?

Guarana can be consumed through drinks, foods, cosmetics, or supplements. Regarding how to use it as a supplement, the safest way is to seek advice from your doctor. Ensure you consult a healthcare provider who is trained on the usage of health supplements. Don’t consume beyond the prescribed dosage. Another tip is to avoid using all formulations of guarana at the same time. You’re likely to overdose if you use tablets, extracts, and other varieties simultaneously.

Conclusion

Guarana plant is useful in weight loss, reduces mental and physical fatigue, and serves as a complementary treatment forfever, headache, and joint pain. It’s also an ingredient in some foods to add flavor. It stimulates the nervous system and improves the performance of the heart and muscles. For great results, take the right amount of it. Ask advice from your doctor to ensure you don’t overdose.

Nataly Komova

Nutritionist. Bluffton University, MS

In today's world, people's eating and exercise patterns have changed, and it is often lifestyle that is the cause of many diet-related illnesses. I believe that each of us is unique – what works for one does not help another. What is more, it can even be harmful. I am interested in food psychology, which studies a person's relationship with their body and food, explains our choices and desires for specific products, the difficulty of maintaining optimal body weight, as well as the influence of various internal and external factors on appetite. I'm also an avid vintage car collector, and currently, I'm working on my 1993 W124 Mercedes. You may have stumbled upon articles I have been featured in, for example, in Cosmopolitan, Elle, Grazia, Women's Health, The Guardian, and others.

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