GUARANA PAULLINIA CUPANA KUNTH

GUARANA (Paullinia cupana Kunth) ++
 
Activities (Guarana):
- Analgesic (f; DAV); Anorectic (1; APA); Antiaggregant (1; APA; HH2; PHR; PH2); Antiinflammatory (1; APA); Aphrodisiac (f; APA; CRC; DAV); Astringent (1; CRC; HHB; SKY); Bitter (1; CRC); Bronchorelaxant (1; PHR); Cardiotonic (1; PHR; PH2); Cariogenic (1; APA); Catabolic (f; SKY); Catecholaminogenic (1; PH2); CNS Stimulant (1; PH2; SKY); Cyanogenic (1; HH2); Diuretic (1; APA; CRC; SKY); Gastrostimulant (f; PHR; PH2); Genotoxic (1; APA); Immunostimulant (1; HH2); Mutagenic (1; APA); Myorelaxant (1; PHR); Narcotic (f; CRC); Nervine (1; CRC); Positive Chronotropic (1; PHR; PH2); Positive Inotropic (1; PHR; PH2); Resorptive (1; HHB); Stimulant (1; APA; CRC; PHR); Thermogenic (1; FNF); Tonic (1;CRC; PHR).

Indications (Guarana) :
- Cardiopathy (f; DAV); Diarrhea (1; APA; CRC; SKY); Dysentery (f; DAV); Dysmenorrhea (f; APA; CRC; PH2); Dyspepsia (f; PH2); Enterosis (1; APA); Fatigue (f; CRC; SKY; PH2); Fever (f; APA); Gastrosis (f; HHB); Hangover (f; CRC); Headache (1; APA; CRC; PH2); Heart (f; CRC); Hunger (f; CRC; PH2); Immunodepression (1; HH2); Inflammation (1; APA); Malaria (f; APA); Migraine (1; APA; CRC; DAV); Neuralgia (f; CRC; DAV); Obesity (1; APA; SKY); Pain (f; APA; DAV); Rheumatism (1; APA; CRC); Stress (f; APA); Thirst (f; PH2); Water Retention (1; APA; CRC; PH2; SKY).

Dosages (Guarana) :
- 500 - 1000 mg dried herb (APA); 1 g powdered guarana (HH2; PH2); 0.5 - 4 g powdered guarana (APA; PNC); 1 - 2 g crushed seed or resin per cup water 3 ×/day providing up to 50 mg guaranine each cup (SKY).

Contraindications, Interactions, and Side Effects (Guarana) :
- Class 2d. CNS-stimulant. Not recommended for excess or prolonged use (AHP seems to say this about most caffeine-containing plants) (AHP). Lininger et al. (1998) dont say this about all the caffeine containing herbs as they do about guarana, Caffeine may have adverse effects on the blood vessels and other body systems as well as on a developing fetus and presumably guaranine would have similar effects. As with any caffeinated product, guarana may cause insomnia, trembling, anxiety, palpitations,
urinary frequency, and hyperactivity (SKY). Should be avoided during pregnancy and lactation. Symptoms of long-term use can include decreased fertility, cardiopathy, and several forms of cancer, according to epidemiological studies of caffeine use (SKY). Seems to me they should, to be fair, have said this under green tea as well. Hazards and/or side effects not known for proper therapeutic dosages (PH2).

Extracts (Guarana) :
- Caffeines effects (and hence those of guaranine) are well known and include CNS stimulation, increasing metabolic rate, and mild diuresis (SKY). Guarana and caffeine apparently counteract scopolamine, improving rats ability to remember. At 0.3 mg/ml, guarana, containing only 0.0062 mg/ml caffeine, was more effective than ginseng in adaptogenic swimming tests. Mice swam statistically significantly longer than controls when forced to swim (Espinola et al., 1997). Many caffeine activities are shared, perhaps synergistically with theophylline and theobromine.