What is wrong with Ephedra? Is it dangerous to use it? Has it been clinically proven? Why isit being Illegal

Question

I just received an Email from an Internet Site. Claiming I should stock up on Ephedra products. I ordered a one time weight loss pill, but they keep urging me to Buy ASAP. What is wrong with Ephedra and If it's Illegal why are they selling it?

Answer 1

Species of Ephedra have traditionally been used by indigenous people for a variety of medicinal purposes, and are a likely candidate for the Soma plant of Indo-Iranian religion. Also known as ma huang, it was used in traditional Chinese medicine up to 5,000 years ago[citation needed], probably for the treatment of asthma and hay fever. In the late 1900s, it was used as a stimulant and a dieting aid. Due to the risk of adverse effects on the cardiovascular system, Western medical professionals recommend against the consumption of any ephedra.[1]

Chemistry

The alkaloids ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are the active constituents of the plant. Pseudoephedrine is used in over-the-counter decongestants. Ephedrine is used to treat low blood pressure, but alternatives with reduced cardiovascular risk have replaced it for treating asthma. It is also considered a performance-enhancing drug and is prohibited in most competitive sports. Some species in the Ephedra genus have zero alkaloid content and are therefore essentially inert, however the most commonly used species, Ephedra sinica, has a total alkaloid content of 1–3% by dry weight. Ephedrine constitutes 40–90% of the alkaloid content, with the remainder consisting of pseudoephedrine and the demethylated forms of each [2].
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Effects

Ephedra is both a stimulant (similar to adrenaline) and a thermogenic. It stimulates the brain, increases heart rate, constricts blood vessels (increasing blood pressure), and expands bronchial tubes (making breathing easier). Its thermogenic properties cause an increase in metabolism, evidenced by an increase in body heat.

Side effects of ephedra may include irritability, nervousness, dizziness, trembling, headache, vomiting and hyperthermia. Chemical dependence may also develop.

Safety

Just like other stimulants such as Ritalin[3], in high doses ephedra can cause heart attacks, stroke, and seizures[4]. Yet, because ephedra is unregulated and because its primary use is now for weight-loss, there is additional concern about safety due to dieters taking more than the recommended amount, hoping to lose weight faster.

The FDA maintains that "[ephedra] is dangerous at any dose"[5]. But there are many people including experienced users of ephedra[6] who don't agree with the FDA. One popular website with a focus on ephedra questions the FDA's recommendation, asking, "If ephedra is as dangerous as the FDA claims it is, given that the Chinese have been using it for 5,000 years, shouldn't they have experienced enough adverse events to be wary of it? If the FDA is so forceful in its opinion that any amount of natural ephedra is harmful, why does it allow you to buy Big Pharma's synthetic versions of ephedra, 240mg pseudoephedrine[7] and 25mg ephedrine[8] without a prescription? Unless natural ephedra is more dangerous than its synthetic form, it's disingenuous to prohibit the sale of natural ephedra if the synthetic form can be sold without a prescription!"[9]

Ephedra and pseudoephedrine are precusors to methamphetamine. After ephedra was restricted, sales of pseudoephedrine soared (which can be used instead of ephedra in the production of the drug methamphetamine). Sales of decongestants such as Sudafed now have restrictions and are monitored in the United States. However it should be stated that decongestants were popular for the making of methamphetamine prior to the restrictions placed on ephedra products.
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Regulatory history in the United States

Beginning in the 1990s, concerns about the safety of Ephedra and Ephedra-based products began to be publicly raised in the United States. Concentrated mixtures were found in weight control products marketed as "dietary supplements". Sympathomimetic amines such as ephedrine raise heart rate and blood pressure and can be particularly hazardous to those with pre-existing cardiac problems. After receiving over 800 reports of "adverse events", the country's federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed regulations in 1997 for a warning label, and a limited dose of 8mg (no more than 24mg per day).[10]

After various petitions for and against the regulations, (including complaints about the accuracy of dosage and lack of quality control in the dietary supplement industry [11]) the FDA hired the RAND Corporation to do a study in 2002, [12] and eventually linked 155 deaths to Ephedra, most of them caused by cardiac problems and strokes.[citation needed]

In May 2003, the health food store General Nutrition Center announced that they would stop carrying ephedra-containing products as of June 2003. [9]

The FDA must approve all drugs before they may be sold in the United States. It considers the risks and benefits of medications for specific medical conditions, may require a doctor's prescription, make labeling requirements, or ban the drug entirely. The burden of proof for safety is on the manufacturer. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 creates a class of substances known as dietary supplements, which are not subject to pre-approval, and for which the burden of proof is on the government if it wishes to restrict availability. As a traditional herb, Ephedra qualifies as a dietary supplement.

On December 30, 2003, the FDA announced a ban (effective 12 April 2004) on the uncontrolled sale of dietary supplements containing Ephedra, citing "an unreasonable risk of illness or injury"[citation needed] from the use of the drug. The active ingredients ephedrine and pseudoephedrine remained available as an ingredient in some over the counter (OTC) medications that are clearly labeled in accordance with FDA regulations. Chemicals created in a laboratory do not qualify as dietary supplements, even if they are the same as those found in natural products.

Many advocates maintained that Ephedra was safe in low doses typical of traditional herbal preparations, and that the adverse cardiovascular effects were associated with higher doses.

The Nutraceutical Corporation of Park City, Utah, which had been selling a relatively low dose (10mg, compared to 40mg-100mg doses also on the market) sued the FDA. On 14 April 2005, Utah federal district judge Tena Campbell ruled in favor of the company.[13] The ruling stated that because of the 1994 law and Ephedra's status as a dietary supplement, the FDA did not have the statutory authority to require the manufacturer to prove that the product offered a benefit, and that it had failed to meet its burden of proof that the 10mg dose posed a sufficient risk. Nutraceutical said that it did not plan to re-introduce Ephedra, and that it had brought the suit merely to protect its other product lines from overzealous regulation by the FDA. The FDA said that it considered further research into the dose-dependent safety of Ephedra to be unethical, given the lack of benefit (other than for short-term weight loss [14]) and potential risk.[15] Critics renewed calls to reform the 1994 dietary supplement law.[16] [17]

The state of California has reinstated Ephedra dietary supplements in January 2006, followed by New York and Illinois. These laws are not affected by the federal court decision. [18]

On August 17th, 2006 a three judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit overruled a lower United States District Court decision by Judge Tena Campbell for the District of Utah. [19]

On August 18th, 2006, Jonathan Emord, the attorney representing Nutraceutical Corporation announced "On or before September 29, 2006, Plaintiff Nutraceutical Corporation will file a petition for rehearing en banc by the entire 10th Circuit." [20]
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In professional sports

In the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the Argentine footballer Diego Armando Maradona tested positive for ephedrine in a doping control for using one dietary supplement product containing the substance. The Japanese motorcycle racer Noriyuki Haga tested positive for it in 2000, being disqualified from two races and banned from two more as a result.

The U.S. National Football League banned players from using ephedra as a dietary supplement in 2001 after the death of Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Korey Stringer. The substance is also banned by the National Basketball Association.[21]

Baseball pitcher Steve Bechler of the Baltimore Orioles died in 2003 after taking the supplement that same year. [10] Later that year, his widow filed a $600 million wrongful death lawsuit against the manufacturer.[22]

NFL player Todd Sauerbrun of the Denver Broncos was suspended for the first month of the 2006 season after testing positive for the banned supplement ephedra.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephedra

Answer 2

Dont use it because it gives people heart attacks & strokes & It is bad for your liver.

~Unlike drugs, dietary supplements do not have to be proven safe before going on the market, but federal authorities can act to take them off the shelves if they are shown to be unsafe.~
The best way to lose weight is
Eat healthy, Exercise, and drink plenty of water don't use diet pills they are bad for you.

http://www.aurorahealthcare.org/yourhealth/healthgate/getcontent.asp?URLhealthgate=%2221697.html%22

There is strong scientific evidence of harm associated with the use of ephedra products. It is only a short-term weight loss anyways & not worth the risk.

Answer 3

Because some people have taken large quantities of ephedrine diet products rather than the recommended dose and have suffered heart problems as a result. So for their stupidity and inability to follow directions, it is being taken off the market.

Answer 4

Ephedra has caused heart attacts but the real issue is money. It is more valuable to the economy for America to be fat than to be thin. Billions of $$$ are spent on weight loss...anything that actually work is quickly outlawed....profit is is weigh gain not in weight loss.

Ephedra Is available on the internet....buy and be free!

Answer 5

Beans, beans, are good for your heart, the more you consume the more you... lose weight actually. Super-effective and full connected with fibre, beans will regulate your appetite and slow down the rate at which your stomach empties, meaning you continue to be fuller for longer.

Answer 6

Al dente pasta has a lower GI value, so is usually a healthier option than nuking your own fusilli till it’s soggy.

Answer 7

People who plan their weekly meals tend to be more successful at losing weight than individuals who don’t. Plan your dishes to feature healthy carbs such as lovely potato and wholegrain pasta, green vegetables and lean proteins, buy the many ingredients in advance and don’t be tempted to consume out or order in.

Answer 8

Cary a new motivational picture to you

Answer 9

Just about any physical exercise burns calories

Answer 10

Suck the item in. Consciously hold in and contract your stomach muscles while you’re walking, sitting for your desk or making the meal. This will help to strengthen your abdominals and your core, and enable you to get one step closer to a flatter stomach.

Answer 11

Eat goats cheese instead of regular cheese. It contains 40 % fewer calories than the cheese created from cow’s milk.