Caffeine & Guaranine

The Amazon herb that kept us alert yet relaxed comes from a seed called Paullina cupana. The active compound is guaranine, a member of the caffeine family. But unlike regular caffeine, it's full of healthy fatty acids. The good fat gives guaranine a slow release. Its effect will gradually increase over a period of hours. It doesn't pick you up and throw you down like quick release caffeine. There's no crash with this stuff... and you don't get any of the nervous, jittery energy you do with caffeine.

Caffeine gets a bad rap sometimes but it's the most widely used drug in the world. And it's a proven mental performance booster. Coffee gives you a short burst of energy, but overheats and excites your body. In other case Guaranine has a cooling action that revitalizes and relaxes. The end result is more beneficial to your body. You get all the energy and alertness but remain calm, cool and collected.

The Rain Forest herb works its magic by releasing acetylcholine in your brain. Acetyl-choline is a neurotransmitter. It's the brain chemical that lets your nerve cells fire through the synapse or gap that exists between the trillions of neurons in your brain. If you have lots of acetylcholine, your mind is sharp and your memory is clear. When you drink coffee in the morning, the release of acetylcholine gives you the buzz that gets you going.

Your brain has a huge appetite for choline. It's the primary building block for acetylcholine. You burn it up 24/7 as your brain uses it to maintain clear communication between trillions of neurons. Boosting the level of choline in your blood has a powerful effect on homocysteine and C-reactive protein (CRP). If you're a regular reader of medical books you've probably heard about these powerful markers. They are both better indicators for heart and brain health than anything else - including cholesterol.