GUARANA

“I want vasopressin, washed caffeine, Jumpstart, ginkgo biloba, guarana, and any intelligence enhancer introduced in the last five years.”

Warren Ellis

Guarana, or Paullinia cupana, is a beautiful evergreen climbing shrub in the Sapindaceae family. Its branches can reach up to 12 m in length. The oval leaves have serrated margins. The bright red flowers grow in clusters. The fruit is bright yellow, and its top is red. Inside the fruit there are 1-2 oval seeds that are similar to grapes in appearance. Guarana originates from the Amazon basin and is widespread in Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and Peru. The plant was named after the Guarani tribe in the Amazon that used to make a drink from the guarana seeds. It served as a soothing, restorative, tonic, and invigorating remedy.

Nowadays the seeds are utilized in the production of food additives and drugs. Guarana energy drinks are very popular.

• caffeine (!)
• tannins
• saponins
• amide
• zinc
• sodium
• manganese
• magnesium
• theobromine
• theophylline
• vitamins PP, E, B1, B2
• guaranine

Guarana contains 2.5 times more caffeine than coffee does.  And unlike coffee, the caffeine in guarana does not irritate the walls of the stomach and is slowly absorbed into the body. As a result, an increase in energy has a long-term effect. When taken in moderate amounts, guarana boosts energy levels, fights fatigue, and improves cognitive function.

Guarana Smoothie Recipe

What you need:

• 1 cup of sugarless yogurt
• 1tsp of guarana powder
• 1 banana
• 1 tbsp of honey

Put all the ingredients into a blender and puree them until the mixture becomes smooth. Enjoy this tasty energy drink!