Food ingredient · Caffeine source
Guarana
A caffeine-rich seed extract used in energy drinks.
- Caffeine source
- Expert review pending
Concern level
A whole food or a benign function, with no credible concern. It never costs points. The concern level sets how many points guarana costs on a product’s receipt.
What the evidence says
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CaffeineStrong evidence
A natural source of caffeine. The FDA cites 400 mg a day as generally safe for most adults; EFSA advises no more than 200 mg a day in pregnancy. [1][2]
Evidence tiers say how sure the evidence is, separately from how much it matters. About evidence tiers.
Popular products that list guarana
67 of the 17,000 most-scanned products in the US with a GoodSwap page list guarana. The 12 most scanned:
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Sparkling Orange Celsius · 12 fl oz (355 mL) Score 66 out of 100 Good -
Doubleshot Energy Energy Coffee Beverage Starbucks · 15 oz Score 12 out of 100 Bad -
Tropical Vibe Sparkling Starfruit Pineapple Edition Celsius · 12 fl oz (355 mL) Score 66 out of 100 Good -
Peach Vibe Sparkling White Peach Edition Celsius · 12 fl oz (355 mL) Score 66 out of 100 Good -
Celsius Fizz-Free Peach Mango Green Tea Celsius · 12 oz Score 67 out of 100 Good -
Monster Energy Monster · 16 oz Score 10 out of 100 Bad -
Sparkling Watermelon Celsius · 12 fl oz Score 66 out of 100 Good -
ARCTIC Vibe SPARKLING FROZEN ENERGY EDITION Celsius · 12 fl oz Score 66 out of 100 Good -
Tropical Citrus Energy Nutrient Enhanced Water Glaceau · 20 fl oz Score 16 out of 100 Bad -
Sparkling Wild Berry Celsius · 12 fl oz (355 mL) Score 67 out of 100 Good -
Cherry Slush Alani Nu · 355 mL Score 47 out of 100 Okay -
Doubleshot Energy Starbucks · 15 oz Score 15 out of 100 Bad
Diets and allergens
- Vegan
- Yes
- Vegetarian
- Yes
- Gluten-free
- Yes
For the ingredient in general. Always check the package: a product’s own labels win.
Names GoodSwap recognizes on labels (5)
- guarana
- guarana seed
- guarana powder
- guarana extract
- guarana seed extract
Sources
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Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much?
“For most adults, the FDA has cited 400 milligrams* a day — that's about two to three 12-fluid-ounce cups of coffee — as an amount not generally associated with negative effects.”
fda.gov
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Caffeine (EFSA topic page; Scientific Opinion on the safety of caffeine, 2015)
“Caffeine intakes from all sources up to 200mg per day consumed throughout the day do not raise safety concerns for the foetus.”
efsa.europa.eu