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Any one have any experience with guarana? I recently found an Energy tea by Four O'Clock with ginseng and guarana. I had been caffeine free for over a year, and when I drank a cup of this tea, I couldn't believe how much energy I had... and I compared it to the lift I used to get from coffee - but without the side effects - no stomach upset, no headache, no jitters.

I found a site that says guarana contains tetra methylxanthine, a compound almost identical to caffeine. The fact that Guaran� seed is fatty means that even ground into a powder, it is not readily water soluble and therefore not quickly absorbed by the body. The caffeine is released slowly--over as much as 6 hours--so the energy boost that is experienced from Guaran� is not like that of coffee (with a sudden rush and quick drop-off), but continues to escalate over hours. The tannic acid is astringent and probably accounts for its use as a digestive tonic. The saponin content may be partially responsible for its long term effects (saponins are the agents responsible for the energizing effects of Ginseng when it is taken over long periods). It's been around since the 1600s.

I've found other sites that use guarana in mints to help people stay "up" - which makes me wonder if this is safe. There doesn't seem to be a prescribed limit for intake ... Anyway, just wanted to share this info and if you know more about guarana, send it my way.I think someone posted in May 2004 stating that guarana is a good coffee alternative... I'm not so sure about the good part!

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