Beverage Industry logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Beverage Industry logo
  • NEWS
    • R&D News
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Products
    • Reader's Choice Poll
  • CATEGORIES
    • Alternative Drinks
    • Beer
    • Bottled Water
    • Cannabis Beverages
    • Carbonated Soft Drinks
    • Energy Drinks & Shots
    • Juice & Juice Drinks
    • Plant-Based Beverages
    • Sports Drinks
    • Tea and Coffee
    • Wine & Spirits
  • R&D
    • Beverage R&D Features
    • Ingredient Spotlight
  • PACKAGING
    • New Packages
    • Packaging Equipment
    • Packaging Material
  • OPERATIONS
    • Distribution
    • Plant Focus
  • TOP LISTS
    • Beer Market Report
    • Executive of the Year
    • State of the Beverage Industry
    • Top 100 Beverage Companies
    • Truck Report
    • Wholesaler of the Year
  • MEDIA
    • eBook
    • Podcast
    • Polls
    • Videos
    • Webinars
  • DIRECTORIES
    • Annual Manual
    • Contract Packaging Guide
    • Take a Tour
  • MORE
    • Classifieds
    • Channel Strategies
    • eNewsletters
    • Events
      • Membrane Technology Forum
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • Market Insights
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archived Issues
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Ingredient Spotlight

Guayusa’s natural attributes drive usage in beverage formulations

Suppliers refine extract capabilities to support guayusa stability in beverages

By Jessica Jacobsen
RUNA energy drinks
RUNA energy drinks source their caffeine from guayusa. Native to the Amazon, guayusa provides more sustained energy, experts note. (Image courtesy of RUNA)
Ethan’s Organic Energy dietary supplement
Ethan’s Organic Energy dietary supplement line is naturally caffeinated through an infusion of green tea and guayusa extracts that provide balanced energy and focus, the company says. (Image courtesy of Ethan’s)
RUNA energy drinks
Ethan’s Organic Energy dietary supplement
September 23, 2020

The song “Food into Energy” by StoryBots educates kids that “your tummy is like a gas tank that you fill up when you want to get going.” For some consumers, however, everyday food and drink might not be enough for that energetic jolt. To supplement this need state, natural solutions like guayusa are providing the sustained energy consumers desire with a healthy halo.

“Guayusa has a natural makeup that is pretty unique and very attractive for beverage formulas,” says Brian Zapp, creative director for Applied Food Sciences, Austin, Texas. “The active compounds that we target are naturally occurring caffeine and antioxidants in the form of chlorogenic acids. The most similar comparison for guayusa is its cousin-plant yerba maté. However, guayusa contains 20 percent more polyphenol antioxidants, double the caffeine, and 70 percent less bitter tannins than yerba maté, making it one of the most functional and flavor-friendly ingredients for beverage applications.”

Loick Fenaux, head of lifescience and nutrition for Döehler North America, Pine Brook, N.J., also highlights the benefits of guayusa compared with its other tea counterparts.

“Compared to other tea ingredients, guayusa has much higher levels of naturally occurring caffeine,” he says. “This allows a higher energizing effect without having to fortify with purified caffeine, which usually comes with a jittery effect. Caffeine is the main active linked to a stimulating effect but the guayusa also provides much higher levels of antioxidants than green tea or coffee beans.”

These product attributes have helped guayusa command a larger share in terms of new product development.

“We have seen a surge in demand for guayusa from many customers,” Fenaux says. “Not only from leading beverage brands, but even retailers have been developing guayusa-based drinks under their own brands. New product launches have seen over 50 percent growth rates in the last five years, and it seems like the market is planning to keep the same pace.”

Applied Food Sciences’ Zapp adds that although guayusa might be in its infancy in the United States and Europe, the ingredient supplier has seen upticks in demand for its guayusa branded extract AmaTea.

“While our branded AmaTea has only been on the market for four years, we have seen the demand for guayusa go up exponentially during that time,” he says. “With the results of our clinical research and the announcement of our gamer-Esports study, we have hundreds of open R&D projects using the ingredient.”

Historically significant

Although guayusa has become a vanguard ingredient in North America and Europe, its history shows a long-standing stature in the Amazon regions of Ecuador and Peru.

“Looking back in time, the Kitchwa people, native to Ecuador, have been using guayusa for millennia,” Zapp explains. “They connect guayusa to more cerebral offerings, like aiding our intuition and even supporting their elders to interpret dreams. Others have dubbed guayusa, ‘the night watchmen,’ because it is said to help their hunters go out at night and sit perfectly still while remaining laser-focused on their objective.”

This historical background, coupled with the scientific knowledge of guayusa, has significantly lowered the release of epinephrine compared with other caffeine sources, thus  solidifying the tea ingredient’s position going forward, he adds.

“[W]e have been calling guayusa ‘The Next Generation of Caffeine’ to fit the needs of our modern workforce that focus at their desk or other work environments,” he says. “Those that need more cognitive performance and alertness out of their energy product while sitting or standing in place. Guayusa is a clean label, all-in-one solution to the premium energy market.”

As an all-in-one solution, guayusa’s applications in beverage categories can span various need states.

“Guayusa can be drank as a simple loose-leaf tea or as [ready-to-drink] (RTD), but it can also be part of a next generation energy drink formula,” Döehler’s Fenaux says. “It’s level of caffeine is high enough to provide a 100 percent natural beverage the needed ‘kick’ and the consumer perception for its naturalness and sustainability helps elevate the brand equity.”

However, traditional brewing methods for guayusa do not align well with RTD formats because of sediment and inconsistent values of actives, Applied Food Science’s Zapp says. As such, he recommends utilizing extracts when developing RTD products.

“[A]FS has patented an extraction process that presents a much cleaner ingredient while still delivering the desired active compounds,” he says. “Our innovation lab has researched guayusa to understand better its actives and how they relate to the body. We developed a fully water-soluble ingredient with a more neutral taste profile for even simpler formulation in beverage applications throughout this process.”

Döehler’s Fenaux adds that guayusa can present bitterness, which can be mitigated through extract solutions. “Like any other botanical that is high in polyphenols, guayusa has a slightly more bitter taste,” he says. “At Döehler, we’ve been able to mitigate this through adapting our extraction technology or in some cases by using our powerful bitterness masker.”

With extract solutions coupled with a demand for natural energy, guayusa looks to be on a sustainable path.

“With the natural industry not showing any signs of slowing down, healthy ways of supporting the daily consumer’s needs are in dire demand,” Fenaux concludes. “Guayusa is by far the leading botanical source for naturally occurring energy. All while remaining a sustainable and affordable raw material.”

KEYWORDS: guayusa natural energy drinks Ready-to-Drink (RTD) sustainability

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Jess 200

Jessica Jacobsen, editor of Beverage Industry, visits a range of beverage companies for cover stories and facility tours, represents the magazine at trade shows and industry events, and works with the Beverage Industry team to determine the content and direction of the magazine and its online components. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Marquette University.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla shakes

    Classic flavors provide reliable, consistent results for beverage-makers

    Classic flavors of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry...
    Ingredient Spotlight
    By: Chloe Alverson
  • Free Spirits Instant Bar Bundle

    Lifestyle trends drive growth for non-alcohol category

    As lifestyle trends continue to drive growth for the...
    Wine & Spirits
    By: Lauren Sabetta
  • Younger generation displays unique habits when it comes to beverage consumption

    Generation Z shakes things up in beverage

    Experts share that Gen Z is changing the standard on what...
    Beverage News
    By: Chloe Alverson
Subscribe For Free!
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Manage My Preferences

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Beverage Industry audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Beverage Industry or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Fourpeople toasting with cocktails made with low-sugar ingredients, celebrating healthier drink options.
    Sponsored byCargill

    What’s Hot in Sugar Reduction: Beverages

  • chocolate milk
    Sponsored byCargill

    Sweetening the Future for Dairy and Dairy-Alternative Beverages

  • woman pouring a drink
    Sponsored byFFP

    Building a Beverage System: Meeting Consumer Demand for Precision Wellness

Popular Stories

halfday sodas

Beverage-makers turn to fiber, prebiotics and more to support consumer needs

Anheuser-Busch Brewing Futures

Anheuser-Busch announces $300 million investment in US manufacturing

smoothie

Opportunities abound for relaxation, stress-relief beverages

Vote for your favorite new product

Have your say in what makes it to the top this month!
Vote for your favorite new product and help us celebrate excellence.


VOTE NOW!

Events

April 16, 2025

2025 State of the Industry Series: Alcoholic Beverages

On Demand In Beverage Industry’s annual State of the Industry: The Alcohol Beverage Market, analysts at S&D Insights LLC delve into these trends and how they’re shaping the industry.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Retail Coffee Segment

What retail coffee segments will fare well into the next year?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

Milk and Dairy Foods Nutrition, Processing and Healthy Aging

Milk and Dairy Foods Nutrition, Processing and Healthy Aging

See More Products

Related Articles

  • BI Nutraceuticals

    Millennials help drive tropical fruit usage in beverages

    See More
  • Beneo Energy Drink

    Sustained energy in demand for beverage formulations

    See More
  • Sierra Nevada Rye Ale - Beverage Industry

    Clean-label trends boosts spice usage in beverages

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • nanotech.jpg

    Nanotechnology in the Beverage Industry 1st Edition

  • mycotoxins.jpg

    Mycotoxins in Food and Beverages: Innovations and Advances Part I

  • 9781032008370.jpg

    Mycotoxins in Food and Beverages Innovations and Advances, Part II

See More Products
×

Elevate your expertise in the beverage marketplace with unparalleled insights and connections.

Join thousands of beverage professionals today. Shouldn’t you know what they know?

JOIN NOW!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing