Does the herb guarana pack the same caffeine punch as coffee? Guarana, pronounced gwa-rah-na, is an herb from South America and is very popular as a stimulant in energy drinks with names such as Pit bull, Pimp juice, Rip It, Venom and Cocaine Energy Drink whose website says ‘it tastes like a fireball, a carbonated atomic fireball!’.

When I say caffeine, what’s the first thing you think about? Coffee? Maybe tea or chocolate? Like tea, coffee, and chocolate, guarana contains compounds in the caffeine family including theobromine and theophylline.

Caffeine is known to:

1. help treat migraine headaches

2. fight fatigue

3. help improve mental function

Most of the proposed uses of guarana fall into line with these effects of caffeine although some scientists suggest there are other compounds in guarana that may have similar effects but the research currently doesn’t exist.

If you take a look at the majority of energy drinks and other products with caffeine, you may find guarana added along with stimulants like ginseng. When a caffeine containing product is enhanced with the herbal guarana you have a potential caffeine double whammy…that may or may not be fine for your body.

For someone who is caffeine sensitive or not use to caffeine, the effects of guarana by itself or added to the caffeine in coffee, energy drinks or other products may not be pleasant and could be dangerous:

1. The heart rate and blood pressure jump up

2. Feelings of panic and anxiety can set in at any age

3. It’s hard to sleep

4. Heartburn, gastritis

5. Disturbances in heart rhythm

A typical dose of guarana supplies 50 mg of caffeine about half the amount in a cup of coffee. However, take a look at the label of most products containing guarana and the amount will not be listed. If you want to find out, check the website of the company who makes the product and look for the ingredient disclosure.

Young children, pregnant or nursing women, or people with heart disease or taking the medications we just discussed should not use guarana. So Moms, be aware of what your children drink, especially if they play sports of any type. Energy drinks are handed out like water but the effects are nowhere near the same.

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