For maintenance of optimum weight and good physical shape it is required to make many efforts and patience. Often it is necessary to adhere to a special diet, using only special, dietary products. In this article we will consider such exotic product as a guarana: we learn about useful properties of this fruit, and still — as it needs to be used for weight loss.
History
The history of cultivation and universal distribution of this plant is very interesting. The literal translation of the name of fruit from Portuguese means a fruit as eyes of people. For the first time it it is mentioned by the Spanish chroniclers in works of the beginning of the 16th century. Because in a form and appearance the cut fruit of a guarana reminds a human eyeball, there was a legend of origin of this plant.
According to legends, angry god killed the only child of one of the most dear people of the tribe maue. Other god, kind, took the left eye from the kid and put in the forest — it led to emergence of such plant as a guarana. God put the right eye in the village maue — it served as guarantee of the subsequent cultivation and the use of a plant.
The Brazilian Indians the first, even before appearance of pioneers and colonists, used guaranovy grains for preparation of the toning and strengthening medicinal drink.
The doctor from Rio de Janeiro Luís to Barret became the first person who began to use guaranovy fruits. At the beginning of the 20th century it produced the first-ever soda on the basis of guarana extract. The invention so pleased consumers that later to Barret constructed the whole plant on production of drink.
Description
Guarana treats plants from the family of Paullinov called so in honor of the German botanist of the 17th century Christian Paullini.
Plant
This evergreen plant which distinctive feature are leaves of the big sizes and inflorescences collected in bunches grows in Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Uruguay and other countries with similar climatic conditions. Can be two types — as the wild and cultivated plant. Escapes of this liana can reach dark color to 10 m in height that does plant fruits remote for collecting. Leaves of an oval form, with the pointed gear edges.
Whether you know? Guarana Antarctic champagne (Guarana Champagne Antarctica) popular today is Luís's invention to Barret, the doctor from Rio de Janeiro who the first began to use guarana fruits for production of drinks.
Berries
It is remarkable that from all plant of a guarana only its grains use — from them produce drinks, drugs and nutritional supplements. Guarana fruits small by the size, have a bright yellow or orange color that does fruit externally very attractive. When the fruit reaches the full maturing, it bursts and shows an internal stone. In each fruit there are only 1-2 oval kernels which are slightly reminding grapes.
Thin skin of stones dense, dark blue color. To take them from a fruit, it is previously soaked, deleting thus unnecessary pulp. Then get kernels, dry up them and send for further processing.
We advise to read about curative properties and options of application of berries: honeysuckles, games, cloudberries, guelder-rose, godzha, cherry, blueberry, strawberry, hawthorn, dogrose, cowberry, wild strawberry.
Extract
Extract of fruits of a guarana, i.e. the concentrated juice extended from seeds is used generally at dietary food and athletes. Such nutritious additive represents the power engineering specialist helping to strengthen forces and for some time to increase endurance in sport. At extract there is enough caffeine, however, thanks to other components, it does not irritate stomach walls, does not increase heartbeat, and works softly.
Increase in activity as a result of the use of extract lasts long enough — till 11 o'clock, and the subsequent calm and recession of activity occur smoothly within 1-2 more hours.
Extract has no unpleasant pungent smell or bitterness which is inherent, for example, in coffee. The taste nevertheless quite specific, however causes accustoming — after several used doses this singularity will be erased. Besides, pure guaranovy juice is practically not applied — it needs to be diluted in certain proportions with water.
Structure and caloric content
At a guarana the rich chemical composition — it contains more than 15 components:
- caffeine, guaranin;
- alkaloids of ksantinovy groups;
- natural pacemakers;
- catechins and other polyphenols;
- tannins;
- vitamins of groups A, B, E;
- tannin, etc.
Guarana is really low-calorie product — only 26 kcal are the share of 100 g. Proteins and fats are practically absent, their indicators approach zero, and here carbohydrates are enough — 6.5 g in 100 g of seeds.
Also treat low-calorie products: sweet cherry, spinach, peas, chicory, fish tilapia, celery, vegetable marrow, siliculose haricot, kohlrabi cabbage, cornel, soy tofu cheese.
Useful properties
It is difficult to overestimate advantage of a guarana — due to the unique qualities it was widely used in cosmetology, cookery, sports and dietary food, in medicine in general and other industries. The main useful properties of a product are:
- increase in endurance and working capacity;
- significant increase in activity;
- removal of toxins from an organism;
- intensive burning of fat deposits;
- improvement of defecation and normalization of a chair;
- toning of an organism and strengthening of immunity;
- normalization of work of nervous system;
- elimination of intestinal frustration;
- effect of decrease in feeling of hunger;
- stimulation of intellectual activity;
- increase in arterial blood pressure;
- treatment of some diseases of skin (for example, inflammations, rashes and other);
- destruction of cellulitis;
- cleaning of a dental plaque.
Thanks to the unique structure, the guaranovy product, in comparison with caffeine, is much more slowly brought out of an organism — it considerably prolongs the effects rendered on the person.
Also, fruit jelly, cucumbers, watermelon, semolina, black bread, sheet salads, birch and tomato juice, a lemon and black radish perfectly brings toxins out of an organism
Application of a guarana
Such useful product found the application in various spheres — from cookery to sport.
In medicine
In the medical purposes extract of a guarana is added both to medicines, and to cosmetology means. It is used for treatment of indigestions, for normalization of a chair, arthritis and arthrosis, simplification of headaches (including connected with a hangover), pains of menstrual character. Thanks to extracts of caffeine, the guarana treats some mental disorders and also an adynamy, arrhythmia, apathy and many other illnesses.
Important! It is not recommended to apply pure extract of a guarana to the people with high pressure and also suffering from violations of blood clotting — in these cases the use of drugs on the basis of guaranovy extract can aggravate a disease state.
In cosmetology of a guaran, thanks to the fat-burning properties, drives in composition of many anti-cellulite creams. It improves a condition of integuments, improves structure of a hair, strengthens follicles. The inflamed skin she helps what brings toxins and pathogenic bacteria out of an organism, in passing destroying a fat layer that considerably improves a condition of skin and, as a result, removes inflammation. Besides, cream with guaranovy extract strengthens the small vessels which are in a term. However high concentration of guaranovy substance in cosmetic can cause allergic reaction — therefore it has to make no more than 5% of all mass of cream or a mask.
In sports food
In sport the guaranovy product is really irreplaceable. Practically at all sports additives (powders, mixes, liquid food) there is an extract of this plant. The effect is really considerable: the activity increases several times, and the operability of an organism approaches the maximum indicators. Besides the obvious and quickly felt toning and exciting effects, the guarana perfectly destroys an excess fat layer and also dulls feeling of hunger and appetite.
Read also how such vitamins as: potassium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, iron, copper, chrome, selenium influence life of athletes
Thanks to the soft, gradual influence, the guarana does not render strong load of a cardiac muscle and does not cause a stress in an organism that does a product by almost ideal substance for improvement of sports and physical indicators. It is remarkable that the maximum effect renders guaranovy extract at intensive and heavy trainings — therefore it is used before important competitions practically by all athletes.
In a pursuit of fast results it is possible to fall into risk factor of abuse guarany that will cause side effects. In mild cases it can be insomnia, heartburn and problems with appetite, and in the worst — severe intoxication of an organism. Therefore it is important to define carefully a necessary dose and to control consumption of nutritional supplements from guarany.
At weight loss
Thanks to the low-caloric content and impressive fat-burning property, the guarana is one of the most popular products in dietary food. In pure form it is used rather seldom — the reason for that specific taste — and here as additive won great popularity. Guarana is added to chocolate, tea, confectionery, dietary muesli, tonics, etc. It well suppresses appetite and accelerates a metabolism that is a pleasant factor for the people adhering to restrictions in food.
It will be for certain interesting to you to learn about techniques of a diet of Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Aniston, Megane Fox, Miley Cyrus, Dyukana.
Using guarana extract in one form or another, it is possible not to worry about a condition of the organism: this plant perfectly removes slags and toxins, interferes with emergence and reproduction of the majority of pathogenic bacteria. Thus, the guarana renders effect of weight loss at the natural, biological level that allows not to break functions of an organism and not to reduce immunity.
Guarana in the form of medicines is used even at severe obesity — it reduces cholesterol content in blood and stimulates natural disposal of an organism of fat.
Whether you know? Radical natives of South America used guarana seeds for improvement of sexual activity: was considered that this fruit positively influences reproductive function both men, and women — therefore before a coition of steam drank special drink from this fruit.
Harm and contraindications
Despite the mass of positive properties, this product can make also negative impact (especially at non-compliance with a dosage). Treat those:
- strong excitability;
- insomnia;
- belly-aches of strong character, nausea and vomiting;
- significant increase in pressure, tachycardia;
- urine incontinence, diarrhea and so forth.
Guarana can cause accustoming — however categorically it is not recommended to raise a dose or to use too much this product. The people having the congenital pathologies of heart and also having the high pressure, bad blood clotting, tachycardia, atherosclerosis, epilepsy, a dyssomnia, a hypertension, strong excitability and also children and pregnant women or the feeding women are not recommended to accept a guarana!
Use
Before beginning to use guaranny substance, it is necessary to consult with the doctor — he will help to calculate a necessary dose of a product, proceeding from body weight and its individual building and also will reveal possible contraindications.
Tea from guarany
For people who for any reasons cannot use coffee tea with guarany will become the real rescue — on the toning and invigorating properties it does not concede to coffee drink. Tea is capable to reduce nervousness and also to facilitate or at all to eliminate headaches. It is possible to take tea mix in finished form (in drugstore or specialized sales outlets), or to prepare independently:
- Clear water to boil, cool up to 70 °C.
- To evenly warm up a teapot, bringing closer it to water temperature — it is the best of all to use a glass teapot.
- To fill in 2 teaspoons of the crushed sheets of a guarana with the prepared water, to cover and allow to infuse 3-4 minutes. It is possible to add 1 teaspoon of your favourite tea.
- Drink is ready to the use.
Such toning tea not only will encourage, but also will bring toxins out of an organism — even heavy radioactive metals, thanks to special components — polyphenols. It is remarkable that it is possible to make the same leaves of a plant to 7 times — they will not lose the curative qualities.
Important! It is not recommended to use the pure, undiluted and concentrated guarana juice on an empty stomach — it can strongly razdrazhit walls of a stomach and cause intestines burns.
Drink
Practically all produced drinks with guarany are power engineering specialists. They can be aerated and not aerated, to have different taste and a smell, to be packaged in different packings. Such power engineering specialists are irreplaceable for those who are as obliges obliged to be awake a long time: watchmen, long-distance truck drivers, athletes, etc. It is important not to be overzealous with consumption of drinks: to accept no more than 0.5 liters of a ready-made product a day.
In tablets
Guaranovy tablets are applied both by professional athletes as nutritional supplements, and patients to treatment or prevention of certain illnesses. If in the second case the dosage and term of application of tablets are established by the doctor, proceeding from age and the weight of the patient, the nature of a disease and many other factors, then for athletes the trainer has to appoint a dosage. For the amateur athletes who are not engaged in heavy physical activities and training no more than 3 times a week, calculation of consumption of tablets is as follows: 1 tablet on 35 kg of weight. It is necessary to accept in 2-3 hours prior to the training.
Vitamins
Caffeine guaranovye vitamins are a part practically of all nutritional supplements for athletes. Also they exist in the form of separate tablets which are ordered to people after long long illnesses for increase in activity and strengthening of immunity. It is necessary to remember that guaranovy vitamins and additives will render the brightest effect at intensive physical activity — though even in case of a full obezdvizhennost they will act in an organism, only to a lesser extent too.
So, the guarana is really unique product which has the mass of useful substances and vitamins. Correctly counting a dosage and not abusing guaranovy products, whether it be vitamins, powders, drinks or pure extract, it is possible to revitalize an organism, to increase working capacity, mental and physical activity, to lose weight and become more hardy and is stronger.