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HOW GUARANA INDUCES FAT LOSS
Clinical Studies on Guarana
Guarana is an herb that contains a form of caffeine called guaranine which is
2.5 times stronger than the caffeine found in coffee, tea, and soft drinks. What
makes guaranine unique from the caffeine found in beverages is its slower
release. That is because the guarana seed is fatty (even in powder form) and is
not readily water-soluble. Therefore, the body does not quickly absorb it.
Since guaranine is released slowly, over a period as long as 6 hours, the energy
boost that is experienced from guarana is not like that of coffee (a sudden rush
and quick drop-off). Rather, the energy boost continues to escalate over hours.
While caffeine from beverages provides a short-lived energy burst that overheats
and excites the body, guaranine has a cooling action that revitalizes and
relaxes. This is because guarana contains other components that modify the
activity of guaranine. The end result is more beneficial to the body than tea or
coffee.
Guarana aids in a temporary, natural increase in body temperature and metabolic
thermogenesis through nutritional stimulation of the body's beta-receptor
pathway, which can induce the breakdown and release of stored body fat and
thereby allow stored fats to be turned into energy. Thermogenesis refers to the
body's production of heat. Heat production is a normal part of metabolic
processes and can be enhanced by certain nutritional substances. Thermogenesis
is both a source of heat and, when stimulated through appropriate dietary
supplementation, a mechanism to increase metabolic rate. Stored body fat, if
released and available for use, can provide the fuel for this increased
metabolic rate.
Other active constituents of guarana are theobromine and theophylline, which are
called xanthines (a class of thermogenic substances found in coffee, tea, and
certain beans). They have some effect on increasing metabolic rate, suppressing
appetite, and enhancing both physical and mental performance. They also act as
muscle relaxants and possess diuretic properties.
Interestingly, caffeine accelerates the effectiveness of CLA, thus making CLA a
more potent fat burner. Guarana has been shown to stimulate the migration of
lipids so fat can be burned as energy. It is also an appetite suppressant.
Guarana also increases mental alertness, fights fatigue, and increases stamina
and physical endurance. Guarana is taken daily as a health tonic by millions of
Brazilians. In the United States, guarana holds GRAS-status (Generally Regarded
as Safe). In 1989 a patent was filed on a guarana seed extract that was capable
of inhibiting platelet aggregation in mammals. The patent described guarana's
ability to prevent the formation of blood clots and to help in the breakdown of
clots that had already been formed. Clinical evidence was presented in
conjunction with the patent in 1989 and again in 1991 by a Brazilian research
group demonstrating these anti-aggregation properties (Bydlowski et al. 1991). |
