Guarana seed is known to botanists as Paullinia Cupana, and is part of a botanical family that includes the maple and the horse chestnut. Unlike its temperate relatives however, pure guarana seed is a natural herb produced from a climbing shrub native to Brazil's Amazon basin. Guarana features large leaves with clusters of flowers and has become most well know known for the seeds of its fruit. Guarana seed is about the size of a coffee berry. Most notable about the Paullinia Cupana seed is its use as a dietary supplement, as guarana is known to be an effective energy booster containing about twice the caffeine found in coffee beans.
Guarana Seed Origins and Use
The common name for Paullinia Cupana, “guarana,” comes into English via Brazilian Portuguese from a word in the language of the Sateré-Maué Indians. According to the tribe's own legends, the plant from which the wildcrafted herb was derived was the gift of a god, presented in compensation for the killing of a village child by one of the less compassionate deities.
Traditionally, the Indians mix dried
guarana seed powder with water and knead it into a dough to make a type of bread. Guarana seed powder has been known to Western civilization for well over 300 years, since a European missionary introduced it in the mid-1600s.
Guarana seed powder is among those organic herbs that are very strong stimulants; it is in fact a primary ingredient in a popular Brazilian soft drink. The stimulant effect of guarana seed powder appears to have a beneficial effect on brain function and memory like other natural herbs, such as
gingko; according to a study in 2007, human subjects who were given no more than 75 milligrams of guarana seed powder experienced increased retention and physical endurance. However, although the the FDA has labeled guarana herb as being safe for human consumption, studies on the effects of Brazilian guarana have not been verified. Use of such medicinal herbs and supplements should be undertaken under the guidance of a qualified herbalist or naturopathic doctor.
Buy Gaurana in bulk or wholesale from Starwest. As a certified bulk herb processor, we offer 1 pound bulk Guarana seed in powder form. For those who prefer capsule supplements, we offer
guarana capsules in a
500 count bag or
100 count jar.
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bulk herbs gathered from the worlds finest suppliers.
