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Since early 1990, the FDA has issued numerous warnings to consumers of diet products and supplements containing Ephedrine, Ephedra or Ma Huang. In fact, in November 1994, the FDA informed Alliance U.S
.A. that its Natureˇ¦s Nutritional Formula One posed a potential health hazard and was in violation of federal laws designed to protect the public health and even issued a recall of their products due
to their combination of Ma Huang and caffeine containing Kola Nut. Alliance later removed the caffeine containing Kola Nut and was allowed to continue to sell its new product.
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Ephedrine is the active ingredient in many diet pills and supplements. Many use the name "thermo", "lean" or "fat burner." Brand names include, Metabolife, MeTrim, Herbalife, Adiphen, Thermalean, Lipo
drene, Zymax, Genicil, Patent Lean, Thermoslim, Ultra Lipo Lean, Trim Life, Hydroxy Cut, Xenadrine, Herbal Phen-Fen, Shapefast, Thermoburn, Thyro-slim, Trim Spa, Natural Trim, Thermo-Lift and many oth
ers.
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These terms are used to refer to the same substance derived from the plant Ephedra. (There are many common names for these evergreen plants, including squaw tea and Mormon tea.) Ephedra is a shrub-lik
e plant that is found in desert regions in central Asia and other parts of the world. The dried greens of the plant are used medicinally. Ephedra is a stimulant containing the herbal form of ephedrine
, an FDA-regulated drug found in over-the-counter asthma medications.
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Ephedrine has moderately potent bronchial muscle relaxant properties, and
-therefore is used for symptomatic relief in milder cases of asthmatic
-attack; it is also used to reduce the risk of ac
ute attacks in the treatment
-of chronic asthma. The typical adult dose range is 30-60 mg taken orally,
-three to four times per day, in the form of tablets. Ephedrine in the form
-of nose dr
ops is also widely used to relieve nasal congestion associated
-with upper respitory tract illnesses. It is also used to treat low blood
-pressure, because it constricts blood vessels and stimul
ates certain actions
-of the heart. Common side effects are qualitatively similar to those
-produced by amphetamines and are generally milder.
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Ephedrine alkaloids are amphetamine-like compounds used in OTC and prescription drugs with potentially lethal stimulant effects on the central nervous system and heart. The FDA has received more than
800 reports of adverse effects associated with use of products containing ephedrine alkaloid since 1994. These serious adverse effects, include hypertension (elevated blood pressure), palpitations (ra
pid heart rate), neurophathy (nerve damage), myopathy (muscle injury), psychosis, stroke, memory loss, heart rate irregularities, insomnia, nervousness, tremors, seizures, heart attacks, and death. Th
e agency has proposed to prohibit the marketing of dietary supplements containing 8 milligrams or more of ephedrine alkaloids per serving.
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Tea is a stimulant beverage with an ancient history of use. Coffee is another. Another is ephedra, which the Chinese call ma huang. Like coffee and tea, it has been brewed into a beverage for thousand
s of years and consumed for its stimulant effects. Cola nuts, which contain caffeine, are used to make the stimulant beverage, Coke. Legally we classify these stimulant beverages as foods.
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