Guarana

Research corpus coverage

Chemistry notes

• CHEMISTRY: Relevant reported constituents include caffeine; tannins; catechins; constituent presence alone does not establish clinical efficacy.

Traditional / historical use

Documented traditional use — not a claim of established efficacy.

• TRADITIONAL: Guarana has been used for fatigue; alertness; this records historical/traditional use and does not establish efficacy.

  MODERATE · regulatory monograph · WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants

Modern evidence

• EVIDENCE: For the major use set (fatigue; alertness), the evidence assessment is limited/mixed: Caffeine supports alertness, but insufficient evidence for guarana-specific weight or disease claims.

  MODERATE · regulatory monograph and mixed scientific literature · WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants

  Mixed findings, product heterogeneity, or indirect evidence are preserved in the detailed profile.

Forms used traditionally

A listed form does not imply it suits every plant part, or that one preparation is interchangeable with another — see the plant’s own notes below.

Cats & dogs

• High risk

  Ingestion of guarana (Paullinia cupana), a natural caffeine source, can cause toxicosis with vomiting, agitation, mydriasis, tachycardia, hypertension, arrhythmias, ataxia, tremors, seizures, and potentially serotonin syndrome; risk increases with large ingestions and combination with ma huang.

  Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · supplement, including combined products · HIGH · veterinary_manual · Toxicosis en animales por suplementos dietéticos y plantas ...

• High risk

  Guarana ingestion can cause caffeine-associated toxicosis, including vomiting, agitation, ataxia, tremors, seizures, mydriasis, tachycardia, hypertension, and arrhythmias; co-ingestion with ma huang may increase risk synergistically.

  Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · guarana-containing supplement or combined product · HIGH · veterinary_manual · Toxicosis en animales por suplementos dietéticos y a base ...

• High risk

  Combining guarana with ma huang increases the risk of toxicosis through a stated synergistic effect.

  Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · combination supplement containing guarana and ma huang · HIGH · veterinary_manual · Toxicoses in Animals From Human Dietary and Herbal Supplements

• High risk

  Ingestion of guarana can cause guarana toxicosis. Signs may include vomiting, agitation, ataxia, tremors, seizures, mydriasis, tachycardia, hypertension, arrhythmias, and possible serotonin syndrome.

  Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · guarana plant or supplement; may be used in combination products · HIGH · veterinary_manual · Toxicoses in Animals From Human Dietary and Herbal Supplements

• Caution

  Some caffeine-containing energy drinks may also contain guarana or other stimulants, which the page states can add to harmful effects in dogs and cats.

  Intrinsic toxicity · ORAL · guarana-containing energy drink · MODERATE · veterinary_hospital_guidance · Caffeine Toxicity in Pets

Additional safety notes (general, unstructured)

Free-text safety notes carried from their source — not broken out by species, route, or hazard type, and not equivalent to the structured records above. Each note names the kind of source it came from.

• SAFETY: Major issues include Insomnia, anxiety, arrhythmia, dependence and overdose risk. Contraindications/cautions include Arrhythmia, uncontrolled hypertension, anxiety disorders.

  HIGH · regulatory monograph · EMA European Union herbal monographs and list entries

• SAFETY: Clinically relevant interaction concerns include Additive with stimulants, MAOIs and many caffeine-interacting drugs.

  MODERATE · regulatory monograph · EMA European Union herbal monographs and list entries

  Some interactions are theoretical or based on case reports/pharmacokinetics rather than outcome trials.

• SAFETY: Pregnancy/lactation reference: Limit/avoid concentrated products in pregnancy/lactation due to caffeine.

  MODERATE · regulatory monograph or evidence synthesis · WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants

  Absence of evidence is not evidence of safety.

• Some caffeine-containing energy drinks may also contain guarana or other stimulants, which the page states can add to harmful effects in dogs and cats.

  MODERATE · veterinary_hospital_guidance · Caffeine Toxicity in Pets

  The page does not establish guarana-specific toxicity; it identifies guarana as an additional stimulant that may increase the harmful effects of caffeine-containing products.

• Ingestion of guarana (Paullinia cupana), a natural caffeine source, can cause toxicosis with vomiting, agitation, mydriasis, tachycardia, hypertension, arrhythmias, ataxia, tremors, seizures, and potentially serotonin syndrome; risk increases with large ingestions and combination with ma huang.

  HIGH · veterinary_manual · Toxicosis en animales por suplementos dietéticos y plantas ...

  The page does not specify differential susceptibility between dogs and cats.

• Guarana ingestion can cause caffeine-associated toxicosis, including vomiting, agitation, ataxia, tremors, seizures, mydriasis, tachycardia, hypertension, and arrhythmias; co-ingestion with ma huang may increase risk synergistically.

  HIGH · veterinary_manual · Toxicosis en animales por suplementos dietéticos y a base ...

  The source discusses animals generally and does not distinguish dogs from cats.

• Combining guarana with ma huang increases the risk of toxicosis through a stated synergistic effect.

  HIGH · veterinary_manual · Toxicoses in Animals From Human Dietary and Herbal Supplements

  The page describes the interaction but does not provide species-specific susceptibility data.

• Ingestion of guarana can cause guarana toxicosis. Signs may include vomiting, agitation, ataxia, tremors, seizures, mydriasis, tachycardia, hypertension, arrhythmias, and possible serotonin syndrome.

  HIGH · veterinary_manual · Toxicoses in Animals From Human Dietary and Herbal Supplements

  Cat-versus-dog susceptibility is not stated.

Taxonomic identity note

• Guarana is treated here as Paullinia cupana Kunth in the family Sapindaceae; recorded older names include Paullinia sorbilis Mart..