in addition to the seeds stimulant qualities, they also contain high levels of tannins and theobromine - due to these attributes of the seed, and the tropical taste of the fruit, guaraná has become extremely popular throughout brazil, and especially rio de janeiro, for stimulation, athletic enhancement, and weight loss, to compliment the high energy, healthy lifestyle of the city.

there are varying tales of how and when the fruit was originally used in its current capacity, and also how it made its way down to rio de janeiro, on the country's southeastern coast - one prominent theory is that a physician from rio de janeiro, luiz pereira barreto, first began to process syrup from the fruit, in 1905, which was then taken by the guaraná antarctica company, who began to mass produce a soda drink from the syrup, in 1921.