Herb library · Herb · Paullinia cupana
Guarana
An Amazonian vine whose seeds are rich in caffeine, sold in energy drinks and in supplements for energy, focus and weight loss. It acts much like any other caffeine source; in studies it slightly sped up reaction time, and it did not ease cancer-related fatigue.
Traditional use
The seeds of this climbing vine from northern Brazil were roasted and made into a paste that Indigenous peoples used to make a drink, and the name comes from the Guaraní. Guarana reached European pharmacy in the 1800s, when chemists found it held more caffeine than any other source then known. Today it is an ingredient in energy drinks and in supplements sold for energy, alertness and weight loss.
What studies show
- Limited
Thinking and reaction time: a 2023 meta-analysis of eight placebo-controlled studies (328 people) found a single dose slightly sped up response times without improving accuracy, and an overall effect it called less than trivial. Whether the effect comes from its caffeine or other substances is unknown.
- Limited· shows no benefit
Fatigue in people with cancer: a 2021 systematic review of seven studies found that, pooled across three breast cancer trials, guarana did not reduce cancer-related fatigue compared with placebo. The quality of the evidence was very low.
Be careful of
Cautions
- AmountGuarana contains caffeine and adds to a drink's total caffeine. FDA cites 400 milligrams of caffeine a day for most adults as an amount not generally linked to negative effects, and estimates that toxic effects such as seizures can follow rapid intake of around 1,200 milligrams. Count every source.
- AmountA 2014 case report described a man who developed atrial fibrillation after swallowing guarana extract tablets containing 1.6 grams of caffeine.
- NoteToo much caffeine can cause a fast or irregular heartbeat, raised blood pressure, anxiety, jitters, sleep problems, upset stomach, nausea and headache (FDA).
- ConditionChildren and teens: experts advise against energy drinks for them, and caffeine may harm their developing heart and nervous systems (FDA, NCCIH).
- InteractionMixing caffeinated drinks with alcohol can make people feel less drunk than they are while their coordination is just as impaired (NCCIH). Some medicines make people more sensitive to caffeine (FDA).
- PregnancyIf you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant or breastfeeding, FDA recommends asking your health care provider whether you need to limit caffeine.
- Ask a clinicianTalk with a clinician or pharmacist before using this if you take prescription medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are giving it to a child.
From the old books
What herbals and dispensaries of the past printed. History, in their words.
“When the ripe pods begin to open the seeds are shelled from the husk by hand, washed to remove a phlegmy substance, and subjected for 6 hours to a roasting process whereby a papery shell is loosened, which is removed by placing the seeds in sacks and beating them with clubs.”
“Like coffee and tea, it appears to be a gentle excitant, and is serviceable in cases where the brain becomes irritated or depressed by mental over-exertion, and when there is a sensation of fatigue or exhaustion during very warm seasons; as it has practically the same chemical composition as caffeine and theine, we find it has likewise precisely the same physiological action.”
Sources
- Energy Drinks (opens in a new tab) · NCCIH · read September 25, 2026
- Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much? (opens in a new tab) · FDA · read September 25, 2026
- Effect of Guarana (Paullinia cupana) on Cognitive Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (Nutrients, 2023) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
- The use of guarana (Paullinia cupana) as a dietary supplement for fatigue in cancer patients: a systematic review with a meta-analysis (Support Care Cancer, 2021) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
- Acute caffeine poisoning resulting in atrial fibrillation after guarana extract overdose (Przegl Lek, 2014) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
Reviewed September 25, 2026.