Energize with Guaraná

Enjoy the energy secret of the Amazon: Guaraná. This energizing seed contains a substance similar to caffeine, known as guaranine, that can increase mental alertness and help maintain energy levels. Carry these tablets with you and use them mid-morning or mid-afternoon whenever you need a physical and mental boost.

It has been called the elixir of youth, the life force of the Amazonian Indian and the Brazilian answer to a lacklustre life. Behind the media talk, Guaraná is a serious product with many diverse benefits, particularly in our time, when fatigue and stress so often combine to diminish our immune defences, over-load the adrenal system and cause difficulties in our emotional lives.

The earliest reports of the value of Guaraná came from a missionary called Bettendorf. In 1669 he wrote of the way in which the Indians used the plant to help them cope with the extreme heat, to carry them through long journeys, to suppress the appetite and to relieve headaches, fevers and cramps. It is useful for those who need to avoid caffeine and those with migraine or high blood pressure that feel like a light stimulant at sometime during the day.

The Indians say that Guaraná prevents and combats fatigue, stimulates brain function, aids concentration, relieves headache and menstrual pain, helps the body get rid of water, combats the discomfort of extreme heat, speeds recovery after illness and reduces appetite.

The active ingredient has the same chemical composition as caffeine. It acts as a stimulant, many people say it also has a calming effect on one's system. and the same physiological action

There is some debate about the active ingrediant guaranine, some people belive it is a unique phytochemical. The fact is that active ingrediant in Guaraná is caffeine, guaranine is just impure caffeine, or crudely extracted caffeine.

As a dietary supplement, guarana is an effective energy booster. It contains about twice the caffeine found in coffee beans, about 2 to 4.5% caffeine in guarana seeds compared to 1–2% for coffee beans in dry weight.

As with other plants producing caffeine, the high concentration of caffeine is a defensive toxin that repels pathogens from the berry and its seeds.

Guaraná is also available as a delicious tea you can enjoy hot or cold.

Jody's Story

by George & Pam Webber

Our son, Jody O'Connor is 13 years old. He is a normal young teenager with few problems. This was not always so. From the time that Jody was born he was difficult. He slept very little and most of the time he just screamed and screamed. We put him on one drug after another. If fact we think he must be one of the few babies to be rejected at 3 creches because of them being unable to control him. We were told that he was hyperactive and the problem would correct itself when he went to school. BIG MISTAKE!! Jody struggled from the day he started school. He was always in trouble and his marks were very bad.

At the end of 1996 we had him tested at a Child Psychologist and he was diagnosed with ADHD. (Attention Deficit - Hyperactive Disorder) and he was prescribed 10mg Ritalin (taken twice daily) and Tofranil 25mg. After a short period of time we had to take him off the Tofranil as he was getting chest pains and heart palpitations. Jody did not improve much at all. We then sent him for psychological therapy, also without any real benefit that we could see.

We started 1998 with trepidation as Jody was now in Grade 4 and two years behind his peers with no guarantee for the future. At the end of the 2nd term we removed Jody from a mainstream school and placed him in a school catering to the needs of ADHD children. His initial assessment placed him into Grade 5. He was still taking 10mg Ritalin twice daily, which has its own problems; loss of appetite -never eating breakfast and only eating the first time at 3pm each day, lowered resistance, mood swings and terrible headaches (including migraines).

In July 1998 we were introduced to Guaraná and a range of incredible nutrition products. We started taking a healthy protein Drink with fibre and herbal vitamin tablets, and of course, Jody did too. The first thing that we were delighted about was that Jody was now having a meal each morning and his weight started increasing.

At the beginning of the 3rd term we decided to reduce the Ritalin to one per day and give Jody some Guaraná in his shake each morning. We started seeing a slight difference but still the headaches continued. At the end of 1998, Jody was promoted to Grade 7 having skipped Grade 6 altogether.

The first term of 1999 was pretty much the same as the previous term and we wanted to ensure that he now had a fighting chance. We read everything that we could about nutrition products and started him on an anti-oxidant to help eliminate all the build-up of toxins in his body.

At the end of the 2nd term, one week before the exams, we ran out of Ritalin. We made the best decision of Jody's life. We decided not to give him Ritalin any longer. We gave him a shake each morning of the exams with a full teaspoon of Guaraná powder, plus he took a bottle of cold drink for break time with a full teaspoon Guaraná. Well the results were outstanding. All his marks doubled. Even the school wanted to know what we were doing differently.

Jody will never take Ritalin again; the Guaraná will be his companion now. We have spoken to his teacher and for the first time since Jody started school she told us that there were no problems and that he would definitely be passing Grade 7 this year.