"Herbal" diet pills have become popular because they are perceived to be more natural, and thus safer, than other weight-loss pills. Guarana functions as a stimulant and can help with weight loss but it can also cause significant side effects. Talk to your doctor before consuming guarana diet pills.
Identification
Guarana is a plant native to the Amazon Basin that is used in traditional medicine to treat diarrhea, fever and headaches. The seeds of the guarana plant are rich in caffeine and other chemically related stimulants. Guarana seeds and guarana extract are often put into weight-loss supplements, on their own or in combination with other herbal compounds, to help suppress appetite. Guarana is also used to treat fatigue.
Guarana and Diet Pills
The high amounts of caffeine and guarnine, a chemical related to caffeine, makes guarana useful for aiding in weight loss. Caffeine and guarnine both stimulate the central nervous system. When you consume central nervous system stimulants, your appetite is reduced, helping you eat less. These stimulants also make your heart beat faster and can increase your energy level, helping you to burn more calories.
Effects
Guarana is often combined with other herbs that contain central nervous systenm stimulants, such as yerba mate and damiana. A study, published in a 2001 issue of the "Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics," found that overweight patients taking a mixture of these three herbs lost more weight than patients given a placebo. Over the course of 45 days, patients receiving the herbal mixture lost approximately 10 pounds. However, this study did not examine if the patients maintained this weight loss after the herbal preparation was discontinued.
Side Effects
Guarana can cause significant side effects due to its ability to stimulate the body. You may need to go to the bathroom more frequently after taking guarana; or you might experience nausea, heartburn, loss of appetite and a headache. Guarana can also cause feelings of anxiety or nervousness, can increase your heartbeat and cause cardiac arrythmias and make it difficult to fall or stay asleep. Talk to your doctor before using guarana.
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