Overview
Smartshop · Herbs & SeedsGuarana - Paullinia cupana is part of our herbs & seeds range in the Smartshop. Guarana belongs in the stimulant category of drugs, along with the likes of coffee, tea, ephedra, khat and maté. It comes from the seeds of an Amazonian vine (Paullinia cupana) that look remarkably like horse chestnuts, and its usage dates back thousands of years. Many Indians consider it a gift of the Gods and use it as a hunting aid.
About this format
Ethnobotanicals and natural products: kratom, kanna, blue lotus, salvia, mescaline cacti, herbs, extracts, microdosing kits and party essentials. Read the product page for the traditional use and the dose the supplier states.
From the supplier
Reports of guarana’s use did not appear in Europe until the mid-1700s, but its high caffeine content – up to 5% of seeds - has made it a core ingredient in modern energy drinks.
ACTIVE COMPOUNDS OF GUARANA
Guarana is the strongest of all the caffeine drugs, being three times stronger than coffee. Some of its caffeine exists in a complex bond with several tannins, which gives it a longer lasting action than coffee.
EFFECTS OF GUARANA
Guarana has potent stimulating effects but does not produce the same ‘jitters’ as coffee. The binding complex of guarana’s caffeine gives it an inhibiting effect on hunger and thirst sensations. Some people are immune to its effects (and can even become more tired) even at high doses.
PREPARATION, DOSAGE AND USE OF GUARANA
Indians grind the seeds and mix with manioc flour, which is allowed to ferment, then dried in the sun. Small amounts are shaved off the resulting loaf and used as a tea. Guarana extract in the West is used in chewing gum, teas and canned drinks. On the energy shelf the seed powder also turns up in capsules and tablets. Guarana grows as a climbing vine, while Maca is a Peruvian root sold as a powder.
Guarana seeds run up to 5% caffeine, roughly three times coffee, making it the strongest stimulant in the herb range.
