Common Name: Guarana

General Information

Guarana is an evergreen shrub that can either have scandent branches or be a true climbing vine with tendrils[, ]. When growing in the forest it can reach up to the canopy, but is less vigorous when growing in a sunny position[].
The tree has a long tradition of use by local peoples, mainly to make a stimulating and energy-giving beverage from the seed[]. It is widely cultivated in Brazil, and occasionally elsewhere, for its seed which is used medicinally and to make a stimulating drink.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Northern and western S. America - Brazil.

Habitat

Tropical rainforest at elevations up to 800 metres[, , ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Climber
Height	10.00 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Guarana is a plant of the humid lowland tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 800 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 24 - 32°c, but can tolerate 18 - 38°c[]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about 10°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 2,000 - 2,500mm, but tolerates 1,100 - 3,000mm[]. It does not like a dry season[].
Prefers a position in full sun, also succeeding in light shade[, ]. The plant requires a soil that is deep, medium or heavy in texture, well drained and with high organic matter content[]. Traditionally, plants are grown on very acid soils of low fertility with high concentrations of aluminium[]. It grows naturally on gley soils with a pH in the range 3.5 - 4.5[]. Prefers a pH in the range 4 - 5.5, tolerating 3.5 - 6.5[].
Plants commence flowering about 18 - 24 months after the seed germinates[].
Inflorescences are borne on new wood developed during the rainy season, with flowering taking place over a period of one month during the early part of the dry season. Mature, multi-stemmed shrubs 4 - 5 years old or more will bear hundreds of inflorescences[].
Open flowers on inflorescences of one branch are all of the same sex at any one time, pistillate on one particular day and staminate on the next, but each branch on the same plant follows its own pattern of sex synchronization during anthesis. The ratio of pistillate to staminate flowers is about 1 : 5. Pollination is by bees, wasps and possibly also ants[].
Fruits are mature and dehisce the seeds in about 75 days[].
There is a large variation in the yield of seed, both from year to year and from plant to plant, and can range from 0.1 - 9 kilos per plant. Overall, yields average around 500 kilos per hectare, but 2 - 4 tonnes have been obtained on experimental stations[].

Edible Uses

The roasted and pounded seed is made into a paste which is then used to make a stimulating beverage that is rich in caffeine[]. The sweetened paste, called Brazilian chocolate, is used in soft drinks, candy etc[]. The seeds contain 2.7 - 7% caffeine as well as the stimulants theophylline and theobromine[, ]. The seeds contain up to 7% of a caffeine-like compound known as guaranine, which is not addictive and takes longer to be metabolized, giving it a gentler, more sustained stimulating effect[].
The seeds are also roasted, pounded, and used as a flavouring in bread[].

Medicinal

Guarana seed contains xanthine derivatives, including up to 7% caffeine plus theobromine and theophylline; tannins and saponins[]. It is an astringent, bitter, diuretic herb with a strong, stimulant effect[, ].
The seed is said to be antipyretic, antineuralgic and antidiarrhoeal, and is also reputed to be a powerful stimulant, an analgesic comparable to aspirin and an anti-influenza agent[]. The Rainforest tribes have used guarana mainly as a stimulant, astringent and in treating chronic diarrhoea[].
The powdered seed is taken internally to relieve fatigue, aid concentration and lift the spirits[]. One report says that overuse can cause sleeplessness, although less so than caffeine-based drinks[], whilst others say that the stimulating effect is due to caffeine[, ]. A useful short-term remedy for boosting energy levels, though it tends to inhibit the body's natural restorative processes if used in the longer term[].
The seed is also taken internally in the treatment of chronic diarrhoea; headaches and migraine; and in the treatment of mild depression[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - must be sown as soon as it is ripe since it loses viability within 72 hours[]. Germination can take more than 100 days[].

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