Guarana

Guaraná has been grown for so long by Native people that in the wild it always seems to be found near former human settlements. In Brazil, a very popular carbonated beverage is made from its seeds: guaraná (the same name as the plant). The seeds are also used in making juice and a hot beverage drunk as a tea or coffee substitute. The seeds contain more than 9% caffeine, as compared to 0.8% in roasted coffee beans. The Guarani tribe, for one, dries and roasts the seeds of this plant before mixing them with water to prepare beverages, adding them to food or using them as medicine. Guaraná has many medicinal properties, some of which have been confirmed by scientific experiments. Various parts of the plant are used, but the seeds seem to have the largest number of medicinal applications. Guaraná is recognized for its ability to increase physical stamina and combat fatigue. Studies have demonstrated its ability to prevent the formation of blood clots and even to dissolve such clots. It is thought to prevent arteriosclerosis, improve memory, act as an analgesic, aphrodisiac, astringent, febrifuge, antidiarrheal and antipyretic. It is an excellent antioxidant.