Transcript Should Guarana be included in our daily diet for

Should Guarana be included in
our daily diet for caffeine intake?
By Rodrigo Silva
Economic Botany
17. April 2008
What is Guarana?
• Paullinia cupana
• Native to the Amazone Forest, especially
common in Brazil
• Woody vine that climbs trees; if openly
cultivated, adopts a shrubby habit
• History -Tupi Guarani culture
• Tupi word “Guarana“ meaning
“seeds that look like people‘s eyes“
• Plant that grows seedy fruits
• Each seed contains 3 times more caffeine than a
coffee seed.
Plant Taxonomy
• Family, Sapindaceae and Genus, Paullinia
• Flowers yellow, 5 petals and sepals, 8
stamens
• Fruits red, each fruit contains about one
seed. When mature, Fruit partially opens,
showing the seed.
• Seeds black, partially covered by white
arils (fleshy)
Usage
• Mainly cultivated and used in South
America; Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia
• Primarily used in carbonated soft and
energy drinks. Also used as an ingredient
for herbal tea and weight loss pills
• South America obtains most of its caffeine
from Guarana
Harvesting and Processing
• Harvesting executed by hand at the fruit‘s
splitting stage
• Seeds are stored piled up in a shelter for 2 to 3
days to allow slight fermentation
• Shells are removed by hand or machine, then
left to dry in open air or dried artificially
• Guarana is produced only from the seeds, all
other parts are discarded.
• Last process, Roasting. Done in clay ovens for
about 4 to 5 hours until seed reaches about 9%
humidity
Types of Guarana
• Roasted guarana
simply roasted seeds, sold by amazon farmers to
aooperative unions and industry
• Guarana on a stick
after roasting seed is ground into powder, mixed with
water into a dough and molded onto a stick; sticks are
dried over moderate fire until it becomes hard
• Guarana powder
after grinding the powder is sold. This form is available in
retail outlets (health shops)
• Guarana syrup, used in soft drinks and smoothies,
limited to large industries
• Guarana is commonly
found in every
smoothie shop
• Guarana sodas can
be found in any
supermarket or small
market
Nutrition Facts
• Xanthine alkaloids
- Caffeine, facilitates fat loss and reduces fatigue
- Theophylline, stimulates the heart and central
nervous system, enhances alertness and
alleviates fatigue. Also strong diuretic activity
and reduces constriction of the bronchials
(asthma).
- Theobromine, has similar effects to
theophylline
Composition
• Main chemicals found in Guarana
Adenine, allantoin, alphacopaene, anethole,
caffeine, carvacrol, caryophyllene, catechins,
estragole, glucose, guanine, hypoxanthine,
limonene, mucilage, nicotinic acid,
proanthocyanidins, protein, resin, salicylic acid,
starch, sucrose, tannic acid, tannins,
theobromine, theophylline, timbonine, xanthine
Clinical Researchs
• Scientific validation was given to this plant used for
centuries by Indians as a heart tonic and to thin blood.
“prevent blood clots“, research 1989 and 1991.
• Research validated guarana to enhance long-term
memory (linked to essential seed oils), increase physical
activity and endurance under stress. Research 1997 in
vivo, rats.
• Research found the plant to have pain-relieving activity,
traditionally used for headaches and migraines.
Research 1997.
• Another research documented antibacterial properties in
guarana against E. coli and Salmonella. It also
demonstrated anti-oxidant properties. Research 1998.
References