12 Guarana Benefits

Benefits Of Guarana

1. Highly Nutritious

   Guarana is a famous fruit widely consumed for its high nutritional value. Generally, the fruit is one of the richest sources of protein, i.e., 100 g of Guarana contains up to 50 g of protein.

   Besides protein, the fruit contains several essential^[1] nutrients, including carbohydrates, sodium, calcium, potassium, Vitamin C, and A.

   But, it is a low-calorie fruit with minimum carbohydrate content; hence, you could easily consider it in a weight loss diet.

2. High Antioxidant Content

   Guarana contains several^[2] active compounds, including caffeine, thrombin, saponins, catechin, and tannin, acting as potent antioxidants.

   But, among all these compounds, catechin is primarily found in the Guarana.

   You may know that the human body requires sufficient antioxidants to fight off or neutralize harmful free radicals.

   Hence, people consuming Guarana appropriately may supply their bodies with optimum antioxidants like green tea.

   Generally, antioxidants found in Guarana may help reduce^[3] oxidative stress linked with the development of cancer, diabetes, and several heart conditions.

   Moreover, these antioxidants could help prevent premature aging and inflammatory reactions in the body.

3. May Help Boost Energy And Reduces Fatigue

   Guarana has been known as “Nature’s Rocket Fuel” due to its energy-boosting abilities. The tiny fruits contain the highest natural caffeine than any other plant or product.

   Hence, you may say that a few Guaranas could keep^[4] you active and energetic for hours.

   Generally, caffeine intake binds to the adenosine receptors and blocks the effect of a compound called adenosine which helps keep the brain relaxed.

   Moreover, it increases adenosine concentration in the body resulting in increased energy transfer to cells.

   Guarana fruits contain the highest caffeine in the seed’s fiber, slowly releasing the compound for use.

   Thus, your body gets sustained energy for hours. Besides energy, Guarana may help prevent fatigue and break the lactic acid released due to muscle stress.

4. May Promote Weight Loss

   Guarana could be highly beneficial^[5] during weight loss. Generally, people prefer consuming Guarana tea to reduce the fat content and lower their overall body weight.

   Guarana contains a high amount of caffeine which may help significantly boost an individual’s metabolism.

   Thus, higher metabolism would result in increased calorie burning and, subsequently, weight loss.

   Moreover, other compounds like theobromine and theophylline alongside caffeine may help^[6] suppress an individual’s appetite and promote weight loss.

   Besides boosting the metabolism, the fruit triggers the brain to initiate the lipolysis process in which lipid triglycerides are hydrolyzed to form glycerol and free fatty acids.

   Thus, the fat is released into the bloodstream, which is further utilized as fuel for different metabolic activities.

   Additionally, Guarana could help suppress the genes responsible for fat cell production and promote the genes that reduce the production.

5. May Improve Memory And Concentration

   Guarana consumption may help boost an individual’s memory and concentration.

   It is believed that people consuming Guarana in a lower amount may improve their memory performance and alertness towards the given task.

   Guarana is rich in a stimulant called caffeine that helps improve^[7] alertness.

   But besides caffeine, the fruit contains several other compounds that may boost an individual’s focus and memory.

   Moreover, Guarana consumption has been beneficial in keeping the effect for an extended period as caffeine is slowly released into the body resulting in delayed absorption and metabolism of the stimulant.

   The fruit could also benefit an individual’s productivity by improving reaction time, faster processing of information, increasing the speed of performing any task, and boosting mood.

6. May Keep The Heart Healthy

   Guarana fruits could be a boon to heart health. The fruit keeps the heart healthy in two ways: preventing blood clots and reducing the oxidation of bad cholesterol.

   Generally, Guarana contains sufficient antioxidants that may help boost the blood flow in the arteries.

   Thus, a regular flow prevents blood clots resulting in balanced blood pressure or hypertension.

   Guarana could be beneficial^[8] in balancing the cholesterol levels in the blood; hence, it keeps the blood flow uniform.

   Moreover, the fruit’s compounds prevent the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol.

   Thus, low concentrations of oxidized LDL cholesterol result in minimum plaque development in the arteries and prevent atherosclerosis.

7. May Improve Skin Condition

   Regular Guarana consumption could benefit your skin’s appearance and health.

   Moreover, Guarana seeds contain several antioxidants and compounds with antimicrobial properties like saponins, choline, methylxanthine, etc., that may help keep the skin healthy.

   Antioxidants like caffeine could help protect the skin from harmful ultraviolet radiation. It prevents the skin from premature aging and improves blood flow to the skin cells.

   Moreover, some antioxidants minimize^[9] skin damage due to aging, which delays the skin aging process.

   Several cosmetic products use Guarana as their primary ingredient. Applying these cosmetic products to the skin may help reduce saggy cheeks, improve skin tightness, and reduce wrinkles.

8. May Boost Digestive Health

   Traditional medicines have used Guarana to prepare tonics for digestive problems.

   Hence, the fruit’s consumption could be beneficial in keeping the digestive system healthy and improving symptoms related to chronic diarrhea and constipation.

   Guarana contains a high amount of caffeine, a natural laxative, an essential compound to stimulate digestive tract movement and relieve constipation.

   Thus, Guarana intake may promote regular stool and reduce digestive distress. It could help treat conditions like chronic diarrhea.

   The fruit contains tannin, an antioxidant with^[10] anti-diarrhea properties. Tannin could help restrict the excretion of excess water into the bowel to treat diarrhea.

   Generally, tannins have astringent properties, i.e., these compounds contract the tissues by binding to them.

   Thus, tannin waterproofs the digestive system’s internal wall, resulting in no water movement into the bowel.

9. May Protect Against Cancer

   Guarana consumption could be effective against cancer cells and may prevent their growth.

   Besides anti-cancerous properties, the fruit could help improve cancer-related symptoms in cancer patients.

   Generally, the fruit may prevent the damage of genetic material and trigger cancer cell death.

   Moreover, cancer patients consuming Guarana may improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy treatment, hence, they may get cured quickly.

   The fruit could also help reduce^[11] the spread of colon and breast cancer.

   Guarana consumption has also shown improvement in patients’ behavior, weight, appetite, and quality of life that changed due to the treatment.

   Hence, you may consider consuming Guarana or its supplements during treatment, but under the doctor’s supervision.

10. May Show Antibacterial Properties

    Guarana could be an effective scavenger that kills several harmful bacteria in the body.

    The fruit contains several essential phytochemicals and compounds that may inhibit bacterial growth.

    Tannins in Guarana have been effective against several bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus sobrinus, and Staphylococcus mutants.

    Moreover, Guarana contains^[12] other compounds like interleukins and interferons that protect an individual from bacteria-induced hypersensitivity.

    The plant compounds could help kill or inhibit the growth of specific Escherichia coli bacteria that causes diarrhea and other digestive issues.

    Hence, the fruit could be effective in significantly suppressing antibacterial activity in the body.

11. May Prevent Eye Disorders Due To Aging

    Most individuals’ eyesight starts naturally deteriorating after a specific age.

    Other reasons like ultraviolet radiation, poor diet, and bad habits like smoking could be other possible causes of reduced vision.

    But, such conditions could be prevented by consuming Guarana. Guarana contains several antioxidants that prevent^[13] the eyes from oxidative stress.

    Hence, reduced oxidative stress could help prevent macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, etc.

    Moreover, people who regularly consume Guarana have observed improved eye health, as it gradually reduces DNA damage and eye cell death.

    But, overconsumption of the fruit could harm the eyes as high caffeine increases the risk of blurred vision.

    Research related to Guarana’s effect on eye health is limited; hence, additional studies would be required to confirm.

12. May Help Lower Pain

    Guarana could act as a natural pain reliever due to its high caffeine content. Caffeine has been highly beneficial in suppressing^[14] the body’s pain by binding and blocking the adenosine receptors.

    But, the pain management mechanism involves two adenosine receptors, i.e., A1 and A2a (receptors responsible for triggering the feeling of pain).

    When the body is in pain, these two receptors get activated. Hence, consuming Guarana boosts caffeine concentration that binds to these receptors and lowers pain.

    You may use other caffeine-containing food or beverages to relieve pain.