PlainPill

Guarana

People mainly take Guarana for energy. Based on 12 first-hand reports and 11 meta-analyses & systematic reviews in the medical literature. Ranked #212 of 1,974 overall.

41
User score
Mostly positive
42% positive0% mixed0% negative58% unclear

Of reports that state an outcome, 100% are positive.

Clinical research
AStrong research base
11
meta-analyses
30
RCTs
351
papers

What Guarana does, according to users

Of the people who reported each effect, the share who said it got better.

2 more with fewer than 3 reports
betterno changeworse

What the research says

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses from PubMed, with their published conclusions.

AStrong research base

3+ meta-analyses or systematic reviews and 10+ randomized controlled trials in humans. The grade measures how much human research exists — read the conclusions below for what it found.

Sleep Med Rev · 2021 · Meta-analysis / systematic review
Sleep and self-control: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Conclusion: The results, in general, suggest that sleep quality (between-individual 0.26, CI 0.21; 0.31; and within-individual 0.35, CI 0.24; 0.45), and sleep duration (between-individual 0.14, CI 0.07; 0.21; and within-individual 0.20, CI 0.09; 0.31) are all related to self-control. Given the impact of self-control on how individuals live productive lives, a future research agenda should include a deeper investigation in the causal process (potentially via prefrontal cortex activity) linking sleep and self-control, and an examination of the moderators (individual and contextual variables) that could impa

PubMed 34157493 ↗
Cardiovasc Toxicol · 2025 · Meta-analysis / systematic review
Energy Drinks as the Legal Cocaine? A Comparative Review of Cardiac Physiopathological and Histopathological Patterns

Conclusion: Although EDs and cocaine differ in legal status and potency, their overlapping cardiovascular effects warrant greater clinical awareness and public education. Excessive EDs consumption poses a real cardiotoxic risk, especially in vulnerable populations, underscoring the need for further human research and potential regulatory consideration.

PubMed 41266869 ↗

Dosage people report

As stated by users — not a recommendation. Follow the label or your doctor.

1/4 teaspoonas reported
low doseas reported

Reported side effects

How often each side effect came up across all reports.

No side effects reported so far.

What users say

Verbatim quotes, shortened only — each links to the original discussion.

“Guarana/Bacopa/Ashwagandha/Rhodiola Rosea/Green Tea - Subtle, but very much noticeable effect.”
Source discussion ↗
“Guarana is pretty close to caffeine in effect in my experience.”
Source discussion ↗
“1/4 teaspoon of powderized guarana”
Source discussion ↗
“guarana rhodiola”
Source discussion ↗
“First big impact was probably guarana. Early 80's I wanted something besides coffee all the time. It got me going.”
Source discussion ↗
Top discussions (5)

Other options for energy

User data from public discussions; research from PubMed. Information only, not medical advice — talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. Data updated October 2, 2026. How we rate