Guarana and Gurana Extract:Phytochemicals,Botanical Info and History.

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Guarana Plantation and Habitat.

Concentrated Guarana Extract INCI Name Paullinia Cupana Extract CAS 84929-28-2 EINECS ELINCS No 284-512-1 Guaranine Brazilian Cocoa extract fat burning photo picture image Guarana plant is a woody vine that climb the trees, reaching 10 metres in height. Thus, when cultivated in the open, it adopts a shrubby habit, growing to a maximum 2 to 3 metres in height.

 It's cultivation dates to pre-columbian times. The indians, the first inhabitants of the Amazon, domesticated the guarana plant. Botanists actually believe that the current plants, even those found in dense forests, are the remains of indigenous cultivation in the past. Guarana was, amongst others, grown by the Mau and Andira tribes from the 'lower Amazon'.

 The guarana plant has divided compound leaves and flowers yellow panicles during the driest months of the year, the fruit ripening about two to three months later. The fruit is pear shaped, three sided, has three-celled capsules with thin partitions and in each a seed like a small horse-chestnut half enclosed in an aril. The seeds form a bunch. When ripe, the fruit is red, with some orange and yellow tones. The fruit then partially opens, showing part of the seeds. The fruit now looks like an eye and this appearance lead to legends told by the indians. At this stage the seeds are harvested, to prevent them from falling on the ground.

 Harvesting is done by hand, after that the seeds should be stored in a heap in a shelter for two or three days to allow a slight fermentation. Following this, the shells are removed either by hand or machine and then left to dry in open air or dried artificially. Commercial guarana is produced only from the seeds: all other parts of the fruit are discarded.

 Further processing consists of roasting, after the seeds are sieved to be able to roast the seeds more uniformly. Roasting is done preferably in clay ovens for about four to five hours, until the seed reaches about 9% humidity. We have now roasted guarana grain, also known as guarana em rama.

 Guarana comes from the seeds of a South American shrub,most of which originates in Brazil. Traditional uses of guarana by natives of the Amazonian rain forest include crushed seeds added to foods and beverages to increase alertness and reduce fatigue. As a dietary supplement, it is no wonder that guarana is an effective energy booster,as it contains about twice the caffeine found in coffee beans (about 3-4% caffeine in guarana seeds compared to 1-2% for coffee beans). Concentrated guarana extracts, however, can contain caffeine at levels of as much as 40-50%, with popular supplements delivering 50-200mg of caffeine per day (about the same amount found in 1-2 cups of strong coffee). As with any caffeine-containing substance, too much can lead to nervousness, tension and headaches.

 Guarana is also known by the names Brazilian Cocoa, Uabano, and Uaranazeiro.

 Guarana is a climbing shrub native to South America. The indigenous people of the Amazon rain forest used crushed Guarana seed both as a beverage and a medicine.

 Besides its refreshing and nutritive value, Guarana was said to treat diarrhea, decrease fatigue, reduce hunger, and help arthritis. It also has a history of use in treating hangovers from alcohol abuse and headaches related to menstruation.

 The plant was introduced into Europe by a physician who was from Brazil. It came to be employed in the treatment of migraine and nervous headaches, neuralgia, paralysis, urinary tract irritation, and other ailments, as well as continuing to be administered for chronic diarrhea. A beverage is made from Guarana sticks, by grating half a tablespoonful into sugar and water, and drinking it like tea. Brazilian miners drink this constantly, and believe it to be a preventive of many diseases, as well as a most refreshing beverage. Its benefit is for nervous headache or the distress that accompanies menstruation, or exhaustion following dissipation. It is not recommended for chronic headache or in cases where it is not desirable to increase body temperature, or excite the heart or increase arterial tension. Primary chemical constituents of this herb include caffeine, theophylline, theobromine, guaranine, tannins, and saponins. Guaranine (which is nearly identical to caffeine) and the closely related alkaloids theobromine and theophylline make up the primary active agents in Guarana. Caffeine's effects (and hence those of guaranine) are well known, and include stimulating the central nervous system, increasing metabolic rate, and having a mild diuretic effect. Though Guarana contains caffeine, it is more slowly absorbed into the gastrointestinal tract and thus has a longer-lasting effect than coffee. The tannins, which are astringent, help to curb diarrhea. Guarana has also shown some ability to inhibit blood platelet aggregation, and the herb is considered a nervous system stimulant.

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citations1.Guarana and Gurana Extract:Phytochemicals,Botanical Info and History.

last edit date:29th,June.2009.