How much guarana is in energy drinks

As a supplement, guarana is considered "generally recognized as safe" by the U. Food and Drug Administration. The guarana vine originated in the Amazon basin, where local people have long taken advantage of its stimulating properties. A 17th century Jesuit missionary noted that guarana gave members of an Amazon tribe "so much energy, that when hunting, they could go from one day to the next without feeling hungry.

Very generally speaking, whenever you see both guarana and caffeine on an ingredients list, you can read guarana as even more caffeine. Animal and test-tube studies suggest that guarana may protect against DNA damage, suppress cancer cell growth and even trigger cancer cell death 34 , 35 , Another test-tube study found that guarana suppressed the growth of cancer cells in the colon, as well as stimulated their death Scientists believe that the potential anti-cancer properties of guarana stem from its content of xanthines, which are compounds that are similar to caffeine and theobromine.

That said, though the results of test-tube and animal studies are promising, more human-based research is needed. Animal and test-tube studies have found that guarana may have anti-cancer properties. However, human-based research is required before recommending guarana for treatment.

One of these bacteria is Escherichia coli E. Most E. Studies have also found that guarana can suppress the growth of Streptococcus mutans S. Guarana contains compounds that may inhibit or kill harmful bacteria, such as E. Things like sunlight, poor diet and certain lifestyle choices like smoking can wear down your eyes over time and increase your risk of eye-related disorders Guarana contains compounds that fight oxidative stress, a major risk factor for age-related eye disorders like macular degeneration, cataracts and glaucoma One study found that people who consumed guarana regularly had better self-reported vision than people who consumed it sparingly or not at all In the same study, scientists performed test-tube experiments to discover if guarana could protect eye cells against compounds that create oxidative stress.

Guarana significantly reduced the amount of DNA damage and eye cell death, compared to a placebo That said, there is limited research in the area of guarana and age-related eye disorders. Test-tube studies have found that guarana may combat oxidative stress, which is linked to age-related eye disorders.

However, this area of research is limited, so more human-based studies are needed before providing recommendations. Research shows that guarana has low toxicity in low-to-moderate doses 19 , 46 , In high doses, guarana may cause side effects similar to those of excessive caffeine intake , including 48 , 49 :. Pregnant women should avoid or limit guarana intake, as caffeine can cross the placenta. Too much caffeine may cause growth abnormalities in your child or increase the risk of miscarriage Although guarana has no recommended dosage, most human-based research has found that doses as low as 50—75 mg can provide the health benefits linked to guarana 16 , Guarana appears to be safe and is widely available.

In high doses, it may have similar side effects to those of excessive caffeine intake. Guarana is commonly touted for its ability to reduce fatigue, boost energy and aid learning and memory.

It has also been linked to better heart health, weight loss, pain relief, healthier skin, lower cancer risk and a decreased risk of age-related eye diseases. Most research shows that doses between 50—75 mg of guarana are sufficient to provide you with health benefits, though there is no official dosage recommendation. Whether you want to boost your energy levels or simply improve your overall health, guarana may be worth a try. Caffeine is a natural stimulant consumed throughout the world.

This article reviews caffeine and its health effects, both good and bad. Laxatives can help relieve constipation and promote regular bowel movements. Learn more about natural laxatives. This simple 3-step plan can help you lose weight fast. Read about the 3-step plan, along with other science-backed weight loss tips, here. The resulting guarana extracts were refrigerated and stored in foil-wrapped bottles to protect them from light.

The actual concentration of guarana present in energy drinks is typically not reported, but caffeine is considered the main stimulant present in the seeds [ 19 ]. Therefore, to prepare our guarana solutions we used published analyses of the caffeine content in guarana seeds as a guide. The assessed caffeine content of the guarana bean varied depending on the preparation and method of analysis—ranging from one to twelve percent—but was typically reported to be about five percent [ 19 , 24 , 30 ].

We then surveyed the caffeine content of energy drinks by looking at the information provided on the containers, and by using figs. This information was used to set concentration boundaries for our stimulant tests [ 55 , 56 ].

These sources point to typical caffeine concentrations ranging from approximately 0. The chosen range covered 0. The planarian locomotor velocity pLmV test was adapted to assess the stimulant properties of guarana [ 42 , 43 ].

We began by testing a gauntlet of concentrations including 0. From the tested concentrations, the most effective stimulation occurred above 0. To determine if a longer exposure to guarana would provide an added stimulation, or allow the lower concentrations an opportunity to have an effect, we observed planarian motility after one hour in 0. As with the two-minute exposure, after one hour there was no significant stimulation of planarian motility at 0.

We still observed significantly increased activity at 0. Shown are selected pLmV data relative to water-only controls for Dugesia tigrina exposed to varying concentrations of guarana extract. Planarians were habituated in their respective conditions for either 2 minutes a or 1 hour b before their pLmV activity was monitored.

Planarian motility was monitored after the worms were placed in a Petri dish containing the appropriate concentration of guarana seed extract following the tested habituation period. The Petri dishes were placed over graph paper and the number of grid-lines crossed was monitored for three minutes. The white bar represents the normalized control pLmV, while the black bars indicate relative to control test pLmV values.

Due to the fact that our results indicated that guarana does provide for significantly greater stimulation of planarian motility, we went on to test the effect of purified caffeine on pLmV. Since other investigators determined that caffeine does not provide a significant stimulation of planarian motility we aimed to use the system to assess whether guarana provides an added stimulus over caffeine alone [ 47 , 50 ].

It was necessary, however, to determine if our system and choice of planarian species offered a comparable backdrop to these published reports. Again, we began by testing the planarian motility using a range of caffeine concentrations 0. Although planarian motility was slightly elevated at concentrations between 0. However, because the calculated p-value for the pLmV using 0.

To this end, we examined the effect of both 0. As with the guarana extract, 10 mM caffeine was inhibitory to planarian motility Fig 2A and resulted in sustained contractions during the assay period. These results were compared with a one-hour incubation time Fig 2B. Just as with the guarana extract we examined 0. These results confirmed that purified caffeine provides for a noticeable, albeit insignificant stimulation in planarian locomotion at the concentrations tested.

Shown are selected pLmV data relative to water-only controls for Dugesia tigrina exposed to varying concentrations of caffeine. Planarian motility was monitored after the worms were placed in a Petri dish containing the appropriate concentration of caffeine following the tested habituation period.

To determine if an additional stimulant effect might be achievable by combining caffeine and guarana, we used solutions containing both low end and high end concentrations of caffeine and guarana seed extract and assessed planarian activity after exposure times lasting either two minutes or one hour Fig 3.

A caffeine concentration of 0. A combination of 0. Using a higher concentration of 0. The average relative pLmV using the combined solution after the two-minute exposure was slightly higher than that observed for guarana extract alone, 1. These two data sets were significantly different from each other with a p-value of 0. Our findings suggested that guarana provides an additional level of stimulation above that provided by caffeine alone. Shown are pLmV data relative to water-only controls for Dugesia tigrina exposed a combination of 0.

Planarians were habituated in their respective conditions for either 2 minutes or 1 hour as indicated, before their pLmV activity was monitored.

Planarian motility was monitored after the worms were placed in a Petri dish containing the appropriate concentrations of guarana seed extract and caffeine following the tested habituation period.

Since sugars are also a main ingredient in most energy drinks we next assessed how glucose influences guarana and caffeine stimulation. To begin, we determined how much sugar is present in these beverages by studying the ingredient list on the containers. Further, if the type of sugar was listed, there were often different amounts reported for each—sucrose, fructose and glucose.

We also assessed concentration ranges using online resources [ 55 , 57 ]. We elected to use glucose as our sugar standard because it is the most easily metabolized sugar, and determined that sugar concentrations ranged from to mM.

We then calculated the average sugar concentration listed on the beverage containers to be mM, which we assumed to be glucose. We used that Fig. As with guarana and caffeine we conducted a pLmV study using glucose alone following exposure times of two minutes and one hour Fig 4.

The mM concentration proved inhibitory to planarian locomotion as determined by repeated coiling behavior, and as such, we conducted our experiments with a series of glucose concentrations below that value 0. We did not detect any significant increase in pLmV using any of these concentrations after either a two-minute or one-hour exposure period. We did, however, detect a peak average relative stimulation of 1. This was significantly different from the average relative pLmV of 0.

In contrast, the average relative locomotor velocities for the glucose concentrations tested after a one-hour exposure to glucose Fig 4B , did not result in any notable stimulation peaks above the water control despite a significant difference between 0. Shown are selected pLmV data relative to water-only controls for Dugesia tigrina exposed to varying concentrations of glucose.

Planarian motility was monitored after the worms were placed in a Petri dish containing the appropriate concentration of glucose following the tested habituation period. We then assessed how the combination of guarana with glucose affected pLmV using low and high-end concentrations after two-minute and one-hour exposure times Fig 5.

At the low end, with a concentration of 0. Importantly, neither the guarana extract, nor glucose alone provided a significant stimulation at this time point at 0. This suggests that at low concentrations, glucose does provide a supportive effect to guarana stimulation over longer periods.

In contrast, this effect was not apparent using a combined high-end concentration consisting of 0. It is notable that guarana did provide stimulation as a single reagent after two minutes at 0. Statistical analysis indicated that the two-minute guarana single data at 0. Planarian motility was monitored after the worms were placed in a Petri dish containing the appropriate concentrations of guarana extract and glucose following the tested habituation period.

In contrast, following with a complementary assessment of caffeine and glucose Fig 6 we did not observe an increase in planarian locomotor velocity at either low or high-end concentration combinations for incubation periods of two minutes and one hour.

These findings again highlighted a potential difference between guarana and caffeine in that the response to glucose was different between the two stimulants. Planarian motility was monitored after the worms were placed in a Petri dish containing the appropriate concentrations of caffeine and glucose following the tested habituation period. Upon an assessment of locomotor velocity using guarana seed extract together with caffeine and glucose Fig 7 we observed a slightly significant increase using low concentrations 0.

This suggests that some stimulant benefit is achievable through the combination of all three substances that might not be apparent otherwise at lower concentrations of any of the three substances alone, or in pairs, for the short-term.

The significant low-concentration stimulus was maintained at one hour albeit at a lower level, with an average relative stimulation of 1. But, we also observed a low-concentration average relative stimulus with guarana extract at 0.

I'm using these two examples because they cover most of the common ingredients found in energy drinks and shots. The first thing worth noticing is that both contain a handful of B vitamins, which may or may not have energy boosting effects depending on which research source you consult, followed by an "Energy Blend" that contains multiple ingredients, none of which are broken out individually by milligrams.

Monster's blend has a total of mg; 5-Hour Energy's has mg. Let's tour some of the ingredients in these blends and see what we're drinking. Taurine: Taurine is an amino acid your body naturally produces that helps regulate heartbeat, muscle contractions, and energy levels.

Some research suggests that in the brain taurine acts as a mild inhibitory neurotransmitter, which means it reduces excitable brain states that manifest as higher anxiety levels. There's no obvious reason why this ingredient should be in energy drinks, other than Red Bull making it famous as part of their marketing campaign a few years ago and other brands followed suit.

In any case, it's not dangerous and probably not useful. Panax Ginseng in Monster but not part of its "Blend" : Panax Ginseng not the same as American Ginseng is an herb that some research suggests increases energy and acts as an anti-fatigue agent. It's possible that ginseng works by helping to stimulate the hypothalamic and pituitary glands, which then secrete adrenal corticotropic hormone, leading to an increase in energy levels. Too much ginseng can cause symptoms like headaches and diarrhea, but the amount in energy drinks is too low to be of concern.

Not dangerous; possibly useful for boosting energy. L-Carnitine: L-Carnitine is a naturally occurring amino acid that affects metabolism and energy levels.