Know your Herbs

Guarana or Paullinia cupana is a native plant of the Amazon basin and Brazil. It is a climbing plant with cluster flowers, large and green leaves and coffee-bean like seeds. The seeds of Guarana are brown to red in colour. Guarana seeds act as stimulant like coffee and contain twice the amount of caffeine present in coffee beans. The plant was found in Brazil and has a positive effect on metabolism and weight regulation.

The plant flourishes best in plentiful rainfall and tropical temperature. It is a creeping or climbing herb and attains a height of nearly 10 meters. It has bright red fruits which grown in clusters with black eyeball-like seeds inside them. Guarana plant belongs to the Sapindaceae or maple family.

Guarana contains the same caffeine found in tea, coffee, and chocolate. Apart from this, Guarana also contains other CNS stimulants that provide additional stimulating effects.

Guarana contains high amount of tannins and other alkaloids such as, purine alkaloids, theophylline, methylxanthine, theobromine, timbonine, epicatechin and catechins, cyanolipids, methylbenzene, tri and monoterpenes, but caffeine is the main active constituent of Guarana.

The herb shows useful medicinal activities such as, anti-carcinogenic, anti-oxidant, cardiovascular, anti-adipogenic, gastrointestinal, cognitive, and energy-improving and immunosuppressant effect.

Earlier, the seeds were used by the South American tribe. They recognised there stimulating properties of Guarana. The herb has been used to treat or manage diarrhoea, fever, migraine, dysentery and hypertension.

Benefits of Guarana:                                      

• Improves Metabolism: Guarana improves metabolism and provides energy. It has been used for various purposes including improving performance and weight loss.
   
• Regulates Hunger: It is the best appetite or hunger suppressant.
   
• Burns Calories: It helps in burning more calories even during rest. It thus positively affects the weight-loss process.
   
• Controls Blood Pressure: Guarana helps in controlling hypertension by controlling diabetes and obesity.
   
• Improves Nervous System: It also prevents heat strokes and other heat illnesses, positively affects the central nervous system, and increases the mental concentration since it has a stimulating effect. It is a nervine i.e. it tones and calms nerves, is analgesic and neurasthenic i.e. reduces nerve pain.
   
• Controls Diarrhoea: Guanine has also been used to treat diarrhoea.
   
• Improves Heart Health: It reduces bad cholesterol level in blood and thereby improves heart health.
   
• Protects Against Malaria: The herb protects against malaria.
   
• Has Multiple Actions: The herb is best known for its anti-oxidant, anti-carcinogen, anti-microbial activity.
   
• Decreases Toxins in Body: It increases the level of anti-oxidant enzymes and reduces the toxins in our body.
   
• Reduces Pain: Guarana has also been used to treat pain, overcome fatigue due to heat, combat premature aging and detoxifies blood.
   
• Reduces Belly Bloating: It has been found useful in expelling excess intestinal gas, reducing dyspepsia and fatigue.
   

For its amazing results which are shown in improving metabolism and burning fat which in turn help in weight loss; Guarana has been used in Weight Watchers Tea.