Science & Studies

What research says about guaraná

Guaraná contains caffeine together with other plant compounds. Human studies have investigated attention, reaction time, mood and perceived fatigue, but the evidence base is still small. Results should therefore be read as research findings, not as a guarantee for an individual person or a specific commercial product.

Selected findings

A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis included eight placebo-controlled studies with 328 participants. Across different cognitive tests, guaraná showed a small improvement in response time, while accuracy did not improve reliably. The authors could not determine whether the result came from caffeine or other compounds and called for more direct comparisons.

Individual trials have reported mixed outcomes. A small placebo-controlled study in healthy young adults observed changes in some attention tasks, while another long-term trial in older adults found no significant cognitive changes. Different extracts, caffeine levels and test methods make simple comparisons difficult.

Caffeine safety and context

The European Food Safety Authority states that, for healthy adults in the general population, single caffeine doses up to 200 mg and total intake up to 400 mg spread across the day generally do not raise safety concerns. Lower limits apply during pregnancy, and 100 mg close to bedtime may affect sleep in some adults. These figures include caffeine from every source, not just guaraná.

Sources

For practical use, read our responsible-use guide. To compare products by labelled caffeine content, visit the SuddenRush shot collection.