Paullinia cupana
Guarana
CautionOther names: Guarana
Guarana — Amazon seeds with alkaloids; drinks and supplements.
Liana with whorled leaves and fruits splitting like an "eye".
- Family
- Sapindaceae
- Plant type
- Climbing herb
What the safety levels mean (expand legend)
- Generally recognised as safe. Often a common herb with reasonable harvest and use; still read the specific warnings on the card.
- Information. Primarily informational — details in the text and warnings below matter most.
- Caution. Needs extra care (dose, duration, sensitive groups, interactions).
- Risky. Significant risks — verify sources, contraindications and professional guidance.
- Not for home experimentation. Not suitable to experiment with at home without knowledge and certainty.
- High risk for internal use. Particular risk with internal use (e.g. alkaloids); avoid prolonged or irresponsible dosing.
- Not specified. Level not filled in yet — rely on individual warnings and links below.
Photograph on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Plant habit
Safety — read before use
For this herb it is important to check warnings, mix-ups and cautions. Start with the Safety section.
Quick overview
A practical summary; details are in the sections below.
- Safety grade
- Caution details
- Scientific sources on the card
- Yes — sources are listed with claims Science section
- When and what to harvest
- Fruit — October–January
- Processing methods
Powder, Culinary use
All methods and recipes on the card- Topics and symptoms
Fatigue and low energy, Focus and attention
Topics section, Symptoms overview
Identification and mix-ups
Seed in white pulp; typical clusters on twigs.
Possible mix-ups and risks
Related Sapindaceae by seed and habit.
Similar herbs
No related herbs are linked yet.
Topics and symptoms
More topics are in the symptoms and topics overview.
- Fatigue and low energyTraditional· Traditional / cultural framing
- Focus and attentionTraditional· Traditional / cultural framing
Geographic occurrence
Brazil
Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)
Harvest
- FruitOctober–January
vegetace
Region: BrazilNotes: The red capsules are picked in the Amazon dry season when they split to reveal black seeds in a white aril, which look like eyes. The seeds are stripped of the aril, roasted, husked and pounded; the Sateré-Mawé knead them into roasted sticks (bastão).
Storage
- Airtight storage(Fruit)
Roasted powder or stick keeps 2 years in an airtight jar; the powder turns bitter and damp in air.
- Light:
- Out of light.
- Moisture:
- Hygroscopic — keep dry.
- Safety:
- Label the caffeine content; keep away from children.
Processing methods on this herb card
Finely ground dried herb; dosing and solubility depend on species.
Full method description (from the catalogue)
Powder increases surface area for liquids or food. Home milling needs a clean grinder and control of fineness; very fine powder may clog tea filters.
Store airtight against moisture and pests.
Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no
Cooking, baking, seasoning as food — general category without therapeutic claims.
Full method description (from the catalogue)
Culinary use covers herbs as ingredients in dishes, drinks, or spice mixes. This overview does not evaluate medicinal effects — only reminds you about species intent, allergies, and heat treatment where needed (e.g. some fruits or plant parts).
Combining with alcohol, sugar, or long cooking changes outcomes; verify culinary sources.
Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no
Traditional / spiritual use
Kept separate from science — entries are cultural or symbolic, not medical advice.
A child's eyes — the Sateré-Mawé myth
Symbolism
Spiritual useMythologyRitualSymbolismFor the Sateré-Mawé of the lower Amazon guaraná (warana) is a sacred plant born from the eyes of a slain child: in the myth the murdered boy's mother buried his eyes and the plant grew from them, and guaraná seeds still look like eyes peering from the red capsule. The roasted drink çapó is taken at councils and ceremonies; the Sateré-Mawé are recognised as the plant's domesticators. A record of myth, not effect.
- Form:
- obřadní nápoj çapó, mýtus o původu
- Claim strength:
- Tradition
- Source note:
- Sateré-Mawé mythology (Andirá-Marau, Amazonas); ethnography of the lower Amazon.
Scientific notes
Each claim lists a study type and a source (URL or DOI) where available. Dose notes from the literature are informational only.
How to read evidence strength and study type labels
Labels summarise how the catalogue entry is tagged — they are not a medical verdict on efficacy. For every row, read the summary, limitations and source link.
Evidence strength
- Evidence level not specified
- The author did not grade the record; judge from the summary, limitations and source link.
- Narrative / orientational literature
- Descriptive or expert literature without controlled group comparison — context rather than proof of effect.
- Weak evidence
- Study or conclusion with major methodological limits; treat only as a pointer for further reading.
- Preliminary findings
- First or smaller studies — interesting direction, not the final word on efficacy or safety.
- Moderate strength of evidence
- Moderate strength by study design; sample and context limits still apply.
- Stronger evidence
- Stronger design or consistency of results within the study's stated limits.
- Review article
- A review summarises multiple sources; quality depends on review method and field.
Study type
- Narrative / expert text
- Expert text or overview without a classical study design.
- In vitro study
- Cell culture or test-tube experiment — does not show an effect in the body.
- Animal study
- Animal model — transfer to humans is not automatic.
- Observational study
- Observing groups without random treatment assignment; confounding is possible.
- Clinical trial
- Human clinical trial; sample size and control group matter.
- Randomised controlled trial
- Randomised controlled trials are among the stronger designs when well conducted.
- Review study
- A review aggregates multiple papers — quality depends on selection rules.
- Systematic review
- Systematic review with explicit search and selection methodology.
- Meta-analysis
- Statistical pooling of studies; outcome depends on input data and heterogeneity.
- Regulatory assessment / monograph (EMA, WHO…)
- Regulatory body summary for a herbal product — different context from a single RCT; often about products, not home tea.
- Expert monograph (herbal preparations)
- Structured literature summary for a plant or drug — quality depends on author and edition year.
EFSA concluded that single caffeine doses up to 200 mg and daily intakes up to 400 mg raise no safety concern for healthy adults; for pregnant and breastfeeding women 200 mg a day applies and for children roughly 3 mg/kg. Guaraná is explicitly listed among caffeine sources in the opinion.
Review articleRegulatory assessment / monograph (EMA, WHO…)Year: 2015Limitations: A safety assessment of caffeine, not of guaraná's efficacy; other seed constituents (tannins, saponins) are not assessed. Caffeine content of guaraná products varies.
EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) — EFSA Journal
Images
The main photo is in the card header. More images will appear here when available.
Safety
What the warning types mean
The type on each warning helps group themes — it does not replace the separate severity badge.
- Internal use
- Risks from swallowing, extracts, duration of use or concentration for internal use.
- Interactions / medicines
- Possible effect on medicines or concurrent treatment — check sources and a professional.
- Raw plant parts
- Raw, unripe or poorly prepared plant parts can be dangerous.
- Toxins and regulation
- Toxic constituents or regulated compounds (e.g. in distillates).
- Contact with the plant
- Skin or mucosa irritation from contact with fresh plant or sap.
- Allergy
- Allergic reactions, often linked to family sensitisation.
- Harvesting and contamination
- Contamination, species mix-ups or harvesting from unsuitable places.
- Concentrated caffeineModerate severityInternal use
Guaraná seeds contain 3–6 % caffeine; a gram of powder carries 30–60 mg. EFSA (2015) gives a safe ceiling of 400 mg caffeine a day and 200 mg at once for healthy adults, 200 mg a day in pregnancy and breastfeeding. Guaraná supplements add up with coffee and energy drinks; skip with heart arrhythmias, anxiety disorders and in children.