Shekelle P, Morton S, Maglione M. Ephedra and ephedrine for weight loss and athletic performance enhancement: clinical effectiveness and side effects. Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE): Quality-rated Reviews [Internet]. 2003. Ephedra or Ma Huang is a plant used in Chinese medicine. Many weight loss, bodybuilding, and energy supplements include it as the main ingredient. Ephedra is a low, evergreen shrub with scaly leaves. In China and India, it is used to treat colds, fever, headache, cough, wheezing, and other conditions. The FDA ban is the first time the agency has withdrawn a popular dietary supplement from the market under DSHEA`s terms. “We will publish a rule that clarifies and enforces a legal standard that has never been applied before. With the high standard set out in the legislation, we have done everything we can to ensure that our regulatory actions will be successful,” said Dr. McClellan.1 Many caffeinated and ephedra/ephedrine products have not been shown to be effective for their intended purpose and have increased the rate and severity of the above side effects.
If you have taken a product that contains ephedra and experience any unusual side effects, you should contact your doctor immediately. You should also consult a product liability attorney to discuss and protect your legal rights related to damages caused by products containing ephedra. Ephedrine has been shown to be an amphetamine-like compound, and amphetamines increase heart rate and blood pressure. Because ephedra can speed up a person`s heart rate and cause them to narrow blood vessels, it can increase their risk of heart attack, seizures, strokes, and sudden death. The researchers found that supplements containing ephedra/ephedrine (usually in combination with caffeine) had modest short-term effects on weight loss before prohibition. Despite this benefit, the serious risks associated with these supplements were considered too great to surpass. No long-term effects on weight have been studied. In terms of athletic performance, there was insufficient evidence to draw conclusions. Despite ephedrine`s widespread popularity in sports and supplements, a 2003 study found that its benefits are questionable.
The study found that ephedrine does not appear to increase strength, endurance, reaction time, anaerobic capacity, or recovery time after prolonged exercise. Despite ephedrine`s widespread popularity in sports and supplements, a 2003 review showed that the benefits of using it are questionable. Among the findings: The FDA banned dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids because of their serious safety risks. The supplements have been linked to heart attacks, seizures, strokes, and sudden death. Some of the serious events occurred in people without pre-existing medical conditions, in people who took relatively low doses of ephedra, or in people who took ephedra alone. Ephedra is an alkaloid compound that can be isolated from a plant called Ephedra Sinica. There are several types that produce this compound, and it has long been used as a medicine. Some people bought it over-the-counter, while others isolated it themselves. It`s not as common as it used to be, but it`s been used as a stimulant for a long time. Stimulant medications are used to help people concentrate. One of the most common uses of stimulants is to treat ADHD. The only product containing ephedrine that can be legally sold over-the-counter is Chinese herbal medicine known as Ma huang.
It is the raw and natural tea of E. equisetina or E. equisetina. A loophole in the law allows tea to be sold without restriction, as long as it is not marketed as an appetite suppressant or added to another dietary supplement of any kind. In a move related to the announcement, the FDA sent letters to 62 companies marketing dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids “to notify you in advance of the publication of this rule to facilitate your earliest compliance” and to inform those companies that “FDA intends to begin enforcing the rule as soon as it goes into effect” (i.e., 60 days from the date of issuance).1 The content of the letter and the list of companies to which the letters were addressed will also be published on the FDA`s website (see below). Ma Huang, a Chinese herbal medicine, is the only product containing ephedrine that can be legally purchased over the counter. It is the raw and natural tea of E.equisetina or E.sinica. There are many sports supplements marketed as “safe ephedra extracts.” In very many cases, however, they are made with other plant substances such as Caralluma fimbriata and contain no ephedra at all.