Guarana extract
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Every diet
No carbohydrate.
Safe in small amounts; may bother some people or raise blood sugar.
Rules by country
Guarana extract is a plant ingredient and carries no E-number. The limit that matters comes from the caffeine inside it: EFSA's caffeine opinion sets 400 mg a day for adults and 200 mg in a single serving. United States rules require the caffeine from guarana to be declared on the nutrition panel, while Health Canada does not evaluate guarana extract as an additive and gives it no INS number.
What is it?
Guarana extract is made from the seeds of Paullinia cupana, a climbing plant of the Amazon that the Guarani people used as a stimulant long before it reached energy drinks. The seeds are 2 to 6% caffeine by weight, more concentrated than coffee beans, and they carry smaller amounts of theobromine and theophylline. The caffeine is real, but the ingredient list says 'guarana extract' rather than 'caffeine', so the number on the nutrition panel is the only way to know what a can does to your evening.
Where it comes from: Guarana comes from the seeds of Paullinia cupana, a climbing plant native to the Amazon, where the Guarani people used it as a stimulant long before it reached energy drinks. The seeds are dried and extracted, and the extract is standardized on its caffeine content.
Why it’s in food
- Caffeine in energy drinks
- Bitterness in soft drinks
- Traditional Amazonian stimulant
- Pre-workout powders
- Flavoring in confectionery
Often found in
Also listed as: Guarana extract, Guarana, Guaraná, Guarana seed extract, Paullinia cupana
Health & gut impact
Guarana seeds are 2 to 6% caffeine by weight, so a standard extract is a concentrated caffeine source rather than a mild one. EFSA set 400 mg a day for adults and 200 mg in a single serving, and a large energy drink built on guarana can come close to that in one can.
EFSA Journal, scientific opinion on caffeine
Brewed coffee carries about 50 mg of caffeine per 240 ml cup on the USDA records and nearer 100 mg in a strong shop or cafe brew, and the caffeine in guarana is the same molecule, so the same limits and the same advice about late evenings apply. The difference a shopper should notice is the label, because coffee states how much caffeine is in the cup.
USDA FoodData Central, coffee, brewed
EFSA advises that children and adolescents should not take single doses above 200 mg of caffeine, and that regular intake should stay under about 3 mg per kilogram of body weight a day. A tall can of energy drink can clear the 200 mg line on its own.
EFSA Journal, scientific opinion on caffeine
What can I use instead?
Ratio: One 240 ml cup of brewed coffee gives about 95 mg
Best for: Knowing exactly how much caffeine you are taking
Ratio: One 240 ml cup gives about 25 to 50 mg
Best for: A smaller caffeine hit with a slower start
Ratio: A teaspoon, ground, gives a milder effect than an extract
Best for: The traditional way of using the plant
Related
More functional ingredients:
Common questions
How much caffeine is in an energy drink?
A 250 ml can usually carries 80 to 160 mg, and the larger 473 ml ones around 160 to 300 mg. A cup of brewed coffee runs from about 50 mg on the USDA records to roughly 100 mg in a strong brew, so one tall can can hold the caffeine of three or four coffees.
Why does the label say guarana and not caffeine?
Because guarana extract is the ingredient and the caffeine is inside it. United States rules require the caffeine coming from guarana to be declared on the nutrition panel, so the number is there even when the ingredient list never uses the word caffeine.
Is guarana safer than coffee?
It is the same molecule, so the limits and the effects are the same. What differs is the labelling, which is why an energy drink can hand you the caffeine of two cups of coffee without ever saying so on the front of the can.
Is guarana good for weight loss?
There is no good evidence for that. Guarana is a way of delivering caffeine, and caffeine has only a small effect on appetite, so the reputation of energy drinks for weight loss has more to do with the sugar and calories in the liquid than with the plant.
Is Guarana extract safe?
Use in moderation (76/100). Guarana extract is a plant ingredient and carries no E-number. The limit that matters comes from the caffeine inside it: EFSA's caffeine opinion sets 400 mg a day for adults and 200 mg in a single serving. United States rules require the caffeine from guarana to be declared on the nutrition panel, while Health Canada does not evaluate guarana extract as an additive and gives it no INS number.
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Scientific sources & regulatory citations
- EFSA Journal, scientific opinion on caffeine
- USDA FoodData Central, coffee, brewed