Life can really take it out of you. Busy schedules, juggling family and social life. It’s easy to see why some of us are suffering from serious mental and physical fatigue. Besides coffee or tea, there is another interesting option to boost your energy levels.
Ease fatigue: guarana is best known as an ingredient in popular energy drinks. It’s an excellent source of caffeine, which helps you maintain focus and mental energy. In fact, guarana seeds may contain four to six times more caffeine than coffee beans. A study found that people who took a guarana containing vitamin supplement felt less fatigued while completing several tests, compared to those who took a placebo.
Increase learning abilities: research has shown that guarana may improve your ability to learn and remember. One study looked at the effects of different doses of guarana on mood and learning. Another study compared guarana to ginseng, another brain-boosting compound. Although both guarana and ginseng improved memory and test performance, people who received guarana paid more attention to their tasks and completed them faster. Furthermore, animal studies have shown that guarana can improve memory.
Weight loss: interestingly, guarana may have properties that help promote weight loss. First, guarana is a rich source of caffeine, which may boost your metabolism by 3–11% over 12 hours. A faster metabolism means your body burns more calories at rest. What’s more, test-tube studies have found that guarana may suppress genes that aid fat cell production and promote genes that slow it down.
Reduce diarrhoea and constipation: guarana has been used for centuries as a natural stomach tonic to treat digestive problems like chronic diarrhea and constipation. It may have anti-diarrhoea properties because it’s rich in tannins, or plant-based antioxidants. On the other hand, guarana is rich in caffeine, which may act as a natural laxative. Caffeine stimulates peristalsis, a process that activates contractions in the muscles of your intestines and colon.
Relieve pain: historically, guarana was used by Amazonian tribes as a pain reliever. The pain relieving properties of guarana are due to its high caffeine content. Caffeine plays a role in pain management, as it binds and blocks adenosine receptors. Two of these receptors A1 and A2a are involved in stimulating feelings of pain.
Improve skin: due to its strong anti-oxidant and anti-microbial properties, guarana is popular in the cosmetics industry as an ingredient in anti-aging creams, lotions, soaps and hair products. Moreover, its caffeine content aids blood flow to the skin.
Anti-bacterial properties: guarana contains many compounds that may inhibit or kill harmful bacteria. One of these bacteria is Escherichia coli (E. coli), which lives in the intestines of humans and animals. Most E. coli bacteria are harmless, but some can cause diarrhoea or illness.
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