Reduce Weight Gain With Natural Guarana
Guarana herb is a plant that is found in the Amazon. The plant, or more specifically the plant’s berries, and widely regarded as an exceptional source of natural caffeine. As such, products containing even trace amounts of the Guarana berry extract have been marketed the world over in a wide variety of energy drinks and dietary aids.
The extract from the Guarana berry is what we apparently covet. This extract, even prior to any chemical processing or supplementation, is quite rich with caffeine content. As such, the berries have become somewhat of an “exotic” and natural option for those seeking help with weight loss and energy. Since Guarana extract is essentially caffeine, the weight loss properties and comparisons began from the outset. Caffeine, being a nervous system stimulant, can increase the body’s metabolism and also act as an appetite suppressant.
GUARANA (so called from the Guaranis, an aboriginal American tribe), the plant Paullinia Cupana (or P. sorbilis) of the natural order Sapindaceae, indigenous to the north and west of Brazil. It has a smooth erect stem; large pinnate alternate leaves, composed of 5 oblong oval leaflets; narrow panicles of short stalked flowers; and ovoid or pyriform fruit about as large as a grape, and containing usually one seed only, which is shaped like a mini horse chestnut.
In October and November, at which time they become ripe, the seeds are removed from their capsules and sun-dried, so as to admit of the ready removal by hand of the white aril; they are next ground in a stone mortar or deep dish of hard sandstone; the powder, moistened by the addition of a small quantity of water, or by exposure to the dews, is then made into a paste with a certain proportion of whole or broken seeds, and worked up sometimes into balls, but usually into rolls not unlike German sausages, 5 to 8 in. in length, and 12oz to 16oz in weight. After drying by artificial or solar heat, the guarana is packed between broad leaves in sacks or baskets.
Thus prepared, it is of extreme hardness, and has a brown hue, a bitter astringent taste, and an odor faintly resembling that of roasted coffee. Rasped or grated into sugar and water, guarana forms a beverage largely consumed in S. America. Its manufacture, originally confined to the Mauhes Indians, has spread into various parts of Brazil.
The properties of guarana as a nervous stimulant and restorative are due to the presence of what was originally described as a new principle and termed guaranine, but is now known to be identical with caffeine or theine.
Guarana is most often seen as an ingredient in many beverages for the caffeine kick, and it’s also used as a fat burning or weight loss supplement. It’s long been very popular in sodas in South America, and has recently found its way into the North American beverage market, usually in ‘energy drinks’. New Canadian caffeinated beers also contain guarana.
Guarana is available in capsule or tablet forms at your local or internet health food store. Look for name brands to ensure quality and purity of the product you purchase.
*Statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Guarana is not intended to diagnose, treat and cure or prevent disease. Always consult with your professional health care provider before changing any medication or adding Vitamins to medications.