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Brazil’s Children of Guarana: Tribe, Legend, Plant

May 11, 2013 By Kate Heyhoe

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Want the crème de la crème of guarana? Head to the highlands of the Maués-Açu River basin in Brazil, and seek out the Sateré-Mawé tribe – the foundation of guarana culture.

They domesticated the wild vine and cultivate it as a shrub. The Indians’ care and traditions make theirs the best quality. But they sell less than two tons per year, and like premium winemakers, they retain most of the harvest for their own consumption. Commercial companies nearby also raise guarana, but the quality doesn’t come close to that of the Sateré-Mawé tribe. (Guarana is valued as a natural source of caffeine, and a main ingredient in energy drinks.)

Raising the Children

In November, tribesmen dig up guarana saplings – known as the “children of guarana” – from the forest, and transplant them in dark, highland soils close to their villages, reachable by foot or canoe. They arrange the saplings in pairs, crossing their stems to support their growth, in rows to make an X formation, allowing the saplins room to grow and spread. It takes another two to three years to produce a harvest. If the rains are late, the flowers dry up. The more humidity, the bigger the fruit. Over decades, the tribe has developed a complex knowledge of the genetics, pollination, reproduction and nurturing of the plant, including the effects of fluctuating conditions.

The production process starts with the harvest and runs from October through March (the rainy season). To ensure the best quality, the Sateré-Mawé harvest the guarana bunches before they’re completely ripe. They pluck the seeds from the branch. Then one-by-one and by hand, the seeds are peeled quickly, while they’re most potent and before they ferment. They’re dumped into pots of water to cleanse them of their white pulp, rinsed in running water, and drained.

Preparing Guarana, the Old-Fashioned Way

The seeds are now slow roasted, stirred evenly over the fire so they don’t get puqueca (burned spots). Just as a restaurant kitchen has expert chefs for each stage of a meal, the tribes have expert piladores (seed crushers) and padeiros (bakers) who turn the product into “sticks” – loaves of guarana dough. Skilled women wash the sticks and smooth their surfaces to make them uniform. Finally, the sticks go into fumeiros, smoking areas over low fires, to be dehydrated and blackened. The tribe’s knowledge and attention to detail make their sticks the best in the region.

To drink the guarana, a woman grates the stick with a rock or more likely, the bones of a pirarucu (a large Amazon fish), into a gourd of water. The beverage, known as çapó, is drunk by all ages. It’s used as a daily boost and at ceremonial rituals. Tribesmen consider it an aphrodisiac, though this effect is unsubstantiated. The tannins in the substance are said to aid digestion, and the drink relieves headaches (probably due to the caffeine).

Not much has changed since the first white men encountered the Sateré-Mawé. Father João Felipe Betendorf wrote in 1669 that the tribes have guarana “which they praise like whites praise their gold, and which, grated with a small rock and drunk mixed with water from a gourd, provides them with so great a strength that when the Indians go hunting they do not feel hungry and in addition it makes one urinate and cures fever, headaches and cramps.” [Note: Father Betendorf’s claims have not evaluated by the FDA.]

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The Legend of Guarana

Both the Sateré-Mawé tribe and the plant’s forest saplings are known as the “children of guarana.” This legend explains how the plant was given to the people:

“The contrast of the colors in the split-open fruit gives them the appearance of eyeballs. Indeed, the origin myth behind guarana’s domestication is attributed to the Sateré-Maué Indians of Brazil, the first consumers of the guarana beverage, who tell of a malevolent god who lures into the jungle and kills a beloved village child out of jealousy. The village finds the dead child lying in the forest, and a benevolent god consoles them in their grief with a gift in the form of guarana. The good god plucks out the left eye of the child and plants it in the forest, where it becomes the wild variety of guarana. The right eye is planted in the village garden, where it sprouts and produces fruits resembling the eye of the child, forever after a pleasant reminder of their forever but lost child.” – H.T. Beck, The Cultural History of Plants

As with all legends, variations are plentiful. In one version, the child’s mother is a strong and courageous Indian girl who lives in the forest. Her two lazy brothers are dependent on her and prevent her from marrying, lest they must fend for themselves. The girl becomes pregnant, and gives birth to a boy with intensely beautiful eyes. But the selfish brothers kill the child. Crying and screaming, the girl throws herself over the boy’s body, and to preserve his eyes, she chews the leaves of a magical forest plant and washes the eyes with this mixture of her saliva and plant juices. She plants the eyes in the forest earth, and says “My son, you will be the greatest natural force. You will restore energy to the weak and free them from disease.” And from those eyes grew guarana.

For more on guarana, check out the Guarana Profile in Caffeine Basics.

Visit this site for images of the Sateré-Mawé tribe. and detailed descriptions of the Children of Guarana and how the tribe prepares and consumes guarana. 

Filed Under: Buzz Tagged With: Brazil, caffeine, energy drink, guarana

Calcium, Bones and Caffeine: Tips for Women

May 3, 2013 By Kate Heyhoe

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cappucinoCaffeine slightly reduces calcium absorption in your bones, but not as drastically as early reports suggested.

Order the Cappuccino?

Moderation appears to be the key, and adding more calcium to the diet offsets caffeine’s impact. One study suggests that adding a tablespoonful or two of milk to your coffee is enough to replace the lost calcium. So this may be a good reason to indulge in a frothy cappuccino rather than straight espresso.

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation:

  • Drinking more than three cups of coffee every day may be harmful to bone health.
  • You can replace caffeine’s calcium loss by getting enough calcium to meet your body’s needs.
  • The phosphorous in soft drinks may also contribute to calcium loss.

There’s no need to give up caffeine, coffee, tea, and chocolate – they appear to have many benefits, from preventing certain cancers to boosting our bodies with antioxidants to possibly reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia. But when it comes to bone health, experts say large amounts of caffeine are not advisable, especially among post-menopausal women.

In one study of nearly 500 women, aged 65 to 77 years old, high amounts of caffeine (more than 300 mg daily, or about three cups of coffee) appeared to significantly accelerate bone loss at the spine. Plus, women who shared a particular genotype experienced the highest rate of bone loss. Other studies have a found that a gene that codes for the vitamin D receptor also impacts caffeine levels associated with caffeine.

So as we’ve seen before, a person’s genetic make-up plays a role in caffeine’s impact on the body. If you’re a moderate caffeine consumer, you may want to boost calcium just a bit. For more information, check out this page by the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

Filed Under: Buzz Tagged With: bone, caffeine, calcium, coffee, health effects, osteoporosis, women

Sex, Smartphones, or Caffeine: Which Would You Give Up?

April 23, 2013 By Kate Heyhoe

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GiveUpInfograpgic1

Caffeine has us hooked – and so do smartphones. Sex? Not so much.

At least for certain age groups and genders, according to a poll by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, Inc. which surveyed 1,000 registered voters nationwide.

Respondents were asked what they would be least willing to give up for a week, if given a choice between sex, smartphone/tablet, alcohol, or caffeine.

Sachs Media Group’s infographic shows the results, which are excerpted below. Here’s what buzzed through my brain when I saw the numbers…

Caffeine Trumps Everything Else

Nationally, respondents said they’d give up alcohol, sex and maybe their smartphones before they’d forego caffeine.

Smartphones May Be Habit-Forming: Smartphones ranked almost equal to caffeine in importance.

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Caffeine Is More Important As You Age

Baby Boomers – people in their 50s and older – prized caffeine the most. Among ages 18-49, smartphones were more important than caffeine (but nationally, it was a tough choice).

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Sex is Overrated

Caffeine was more important than sex, for all age groups. But then again, smartphones and alcohol were also more important than sex.

GiveUpInfograpgic3

Men Love Alcohol More Than Women Do: As a group, men were least willing to give up alcohol; caffeine was next on their list, followed by smartphones, and then sex.

Women Love Caffeine and Smartphones More Than Alcohol: As a group, women were equally torn between giving up caffeine and smartphones. But they’d easily give up alcohol and sex.

The complete poll also shows how Republicans, Democrats, and Independents value their caffeine, smart phones, alcohol and sex. Which group has the biggest sex drive? You might be surprised: View the full infographic by Sachs Media.

Source: March/April 2013 Sachs Media Group National Poll Results Infographic. 1000 registered voters were interviewed nationwide by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research Inc (+/- 3.2% margin of error)

* * *

So people, tell us: how important is caffeine to you? Could you go without it for a week? How about a day? Have you ever tried kicking the caffeine habit, and if so, what happened? Post your comments below.

Filed Under: Buzz Tagged With: alcohol, caffeine, men, news, people, sex, trend, women

Death Wish Coffee Makes Powerful Claims

March 18, 2013 By Kate Heyhoe

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DeathWish3panelDeath Wish Coffee Has Twice the Caffeine

Who needs energy drinks? Death Wish Coffee is riding the caffeine craze with coffee it claims has “more than 200 percent caffeine” – which is a little misleading, since they really mean it has twice the caffeine (not 200 percent more caffeine) as regular coffee. The company says their coffee isn’t juiced up with added caffeine, but instead is made with beans that are naturally high in caffeine, and then roasted to ensure less caffeine loss. But it’s unclear whether these beans are robustas or arabicas, and where they are grown. I’ve got a few other questions for the company and have sent in a media request. Stay tuned and in the meantime, here are links to Oddity Central’s review and the Death Wish Coffee website.

UPDATE: Check it out – my review of Death Wish Coffee

Filed Under: Buzz, Coffee Tagged With: caffeine, coffee, product

Kickstart Breakfast Drink Debuts

February 26, 2013 By Kate Heyhoe

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kickstart

Kickstart Breakfast Drink Vs. Coffee

Unrolled this week: from Pepsico and Mtn. Dew. They’re targeting folks who don’t like coffee or tea, but who do like a sweet buzz.

A 16-ounce can of Kickstart Orange Citrus contains:

  • 92 mg caffeine (about the same as a cup of coffee)
  • 80 calories
  • 180 mg sodium
  • High fructose corn syrup (second ingredient)
  • Concentrated orange juice (a small amount, just 5%)
  • Artificial sweeteners and flavors

I haven’t tried it yet (will pick some up when I head into Austin next). But I’m not the target market: I’m not keen on fake flavors, and prefer the antioxidants and complex flavors that come with naturally caffeinated coffee and tea. Kickstart comes in orange citrus and fruit punch flavors, which makes it sound like a carbonated, caffeinated Kool-Aid, but we shall see.

Check Kickstart’s ingredient panel here, and Olivia Waxman recounts her Kickstart experience on TIME.

 

Filed Under: Buzz, Soda Tagged With: breakfast drink, caffeine, Kickstart, Mt. Dew, orange soda, soda

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About Kate Heyhoe

I'm an author and journalist specializing in food and cooking. Caffeine Basics is my ninth book. I've written about the U.S. wine industry, international foods, shrinking your "cookprint," and cooking with kids. Great Bar Food at Home was a James Beard Award finalist, and Cooking Green: Reducing … More

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