A stimulant 2.5 times more powerful than the popular caffeine. The natural sweet taste is used in Central and South American countries as a substitute for sugar in soda. There the Paullinia Sorbilis (the plant that produces guaranine in its seeds) grows easily. Products that contain guarana: XTZ Energy Drink, XTZ Energy Mints, and Bawls.

Guarana brand cigarettes are made by the Amazone company. They come in a spunky little bright green box and smell a little bit like Kool-Aid. They look and smoke like any other cigarette. Don't mind the crazy little green dot on the sweetened filter...

Halfway through your smoke, you feel jittery. Your hands start shaking. You realize that you haven't been drinking espresso. You marvel at the wonders of guaranine, the Amazonian wonder-additive.

Smokers who haven't caught a buzz in quite a while will appreciate Guaranas. Ravers really seem to like them. Some people can't get past the fact that the filter is sweetened, but the smoke itself tastes like regular tobacco. Guaranas are an acquired taste, but well worth the extra bodybuzz.

I first heard about guarana about two years ago, my friends were talking about this vial of ‘liquid ecstasy’ you could buy for $1.25 from the health food store. Those who engaged in binge drinking too much for their liking swore that this was good for those ‘recuperating’ nights where you still wanted to go out. I think it was highly glorified, because it is basically just a caffeinated feeling, not an e feeling. As I write this, after having one mochachino and two guarana pills, I am jittery and anxious to the point where I keep making typos. Try not to take too much guarana!

Guaraná (apparently pronounced gwa-ra-naa, but everybody I know has always pronounced it ga-ra-naa) is a berry that grows in Venezuela and the northern parts of Brazil. The name 'Guaraná' comes from the Guarani tribe that lives in Brazil. Guaraná plays an important role in this culture, as this herb is believed to be magical, a cure for bowel complaints and a way to regain strength. They also tell the myth of a 'Divine Child', that was killed by a serpent and whose eyes gave birth to this plant.

There are some dangers associated with guarana:

  • It is possible to overdose on caffeine or guaranine. The fatal dose has been estimated at 10 grams, taken at once. To put this in perspective: the average cup of coffee contains 65-130 milligrams of caffeine; some very strong Guaraná-based beverages contain 350 milligrams.
  • People with cardiac problems or a high blood pressure should avoid Guaraná (and smoking or drinking coffee, for that matter)
  • As with all stimulants, dependency may occur.

I got the facts from br.guarana.com

The national Brazilian soft drink. Guarana (and Diet Guarana, should you be so interested) is a sweet, carbonated, caffeine free beverage available throughout Brazil. It is sold by several bottling companies, some of them domestic Brazilian and some the usual international monster conglomerates such as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo.

Guarana is less acidic than Coke or Pepsi and has a fruity taste. The appearance is somewhat golden in color and if one were careless enough it could be mistaken for beer. Guarana soda may or may not contain actual Guarana berry extract, although if it does I personally doubt that it contains very much. It's cheaper and more sterile to just use artificial flavoring.

A final point. Guarana, despite ending in 'a', is grammatically masculine. It is proper to say "um Guarana" but not "uma Guarana." Don't ask me why.

Gua"ra*na` (?), n. [Pg.] Med.

A preparation from the seeds of Paullinia sorbilis, a woody climber of Brazil, used in making an astringent drink, and also in the cure of headache.

 

© Webster 1913.

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