Heather Boon, BScPhm, PhD and Michael Smith, BPharm, MRPharmS, ND
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 Intermediate ephedra), ephedra equisetina Bunge (Mongolian ephedra), ephedra geradiana Wallich ex Stapf (Pakistani ephedra) and ephedra nevadensis S. Wats (Mormon tea).1-3-4
Ma huang is a fragrant perennial shrub growing to 20 inches or 50 centimeters, with long stems and tiny leaves, native to many parts of Asia.5 It is one of the smallest members of the genus, with greenish herbaceous stems, producing small white flower-like cones.15
Parts Used
Usually the aerial parts of the plant, including the stems, are used medicinally.1 |
J. Douglas Bremner
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 EPHEDRA
One such supplement is the Chinese plant ma huang, which contains ephedra, a compound similar to ephedrine, which stimulates the sympathetic nervous system. ephedra increases heart rate, blood pressure, and energy expenditure, stimulating beta-1 and beta-2 adrenergic sympathetic receptors. ephedra is often combined with caffeine as a weight-loss supplement. Ma huang is also combined with guarana, a Brazilian plant with a high caffeine concentration, and promoted as a weight-loss supplement. |
Craig Pepin-Donat
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 One of the most common examples is ephedra. In 1999, 37-year-old Anne Marie Capati suffered a fatal stroke while working out at her gym after her trainer recommended using supplements containing ephedra to help get fast results. Although she told her trainer that she was on medication for hypertension, the trainer still encouraged her to purchase and use the product containing ephedra, which has proven to be deadly for people with high blood pressure. Yet, she wasn't warned of the danger. |
Joe Graedon, M.S. and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D.
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 For quite a while, ephedra (Ephedra sinica) was promoted as a natural weight loss aid. Companies producing ephedra products made a lot of money until, eventually, the FDA reviewed all the reports of problems with this herb. The agency determined that ephedra was associated with a number of strokes, heart attacks, and other serious complications and called for its removal from the market. Aside from being overweight, some of the people who suffered life-threatening or even fatal side effects were otherwise in good health. |
Paul D. Blanc, M.D.
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 The story of ephedra serves as one example of another such substance. Widely marketed in consumer goods, especially in herbal teas marketed as asthma self-treatments (as the Chinese remedy "ma-huang") and in over-the-counter stimulant aids, ephedra is a product over which the FDA claimed it had no jurisdiction. It was not until Steve Bechler, a twenty-three-year-old pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles who had been using ephedra, collapsed and died at 2003 spring training that the FDA was goaded into action.12
Even more dramatic is the tragic case of a toxic chemical dye called FD&C Blue no. i. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 From that isolated abuse of the herb, the FDA banned all ephedra. But here's the smoking gun: It kept Sudafed legal even though Sudafed contains the same chemical constituents as ephedra! That's where the name of the drug comes from: "pseudo" and "ephedra." Put them together and you get "Sudafed."
So why was the herb (ephedra) banned while the drug (Sudafed) was kept on the market? You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out: Because Sudafed was making lots of money for its manufacturer, a drug company. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 We saw that with ephedra, which is the "ma huang" herb used in traditional Chinese medicine. This herb has been used safely for thousands of years, and yet the FDA banned it as an isolated phytochemical even though the very same compound remains perfectly legal in the over-the-counter medicine called Sudafed.
The FDA claims to have banned ephedra, but that's not what actually happened. All it did was ban the ephedra herb, not the ephedra molecule. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 There are a few dozen people who have been killed by overdosing on ma huang or ephedra. The FDA touted that as evidence that the herb was dangerous to everyone, and they decided to ban the herb nationwide, effectively turning vitamin shop owners into criminals if they were to sell ephedra.
Where was the whole argument of benefits outweighing the risks when the FDA was taking a look at ephedra? That argument was nowhere to be seen. There are literally millions of people in this country who could benefit from ephedra as part of a Chinese medicine remedy. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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| But here's the smoking gun: It kept Sudafed legal even though Sudafed contains the same chemical constituents as ephedra! That's where the name of the drug comes from: "pseudo" and "ephedra." Put them together and you get "Sudafed."
So why was the herb (ephedra) banned while the drug (Sudafed) was kept on the market? You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out: Because Sudafed was making lots of money for its manufacturer, a drug company. And the FDA consistently acts in favor of drug companies rather than consumers.
Hoodia is likely to suffer the same fate as ephedra. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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| The FDA touted that as evidence that the herb was dangerous to everyone, and they decided to ban the herb nationwide, effectively turning vitamin shop owners into criminals if they were to sell ephedra.
Where was the whole argument of benefits outweighing the risks when the FDA was taking a look at ephedra? That argument was nowhere to be seen. There are literally millions of people in this country who could benefit from ephedra as part of a Chinese medicine remedy. In Chinese medicine, ephedra is never taken alone, and never in high doses. |
Marshall Editions
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 Ephedra: This powerful, natural stimulant is an effective treatment for asthma, but has potentially serious side effects. ephedra has been banned for sale in the United States by The US Food and Drug Administration due to its potential to cause cardiovascular problems, such as heart attack and stroke. Despite this, many still believe it is safe when administered for right reason and in the right dose. Always consult a health professional about ephedra, and use this powerful natural product only under his or her guidance.
507
DIAGNOSIS
Bronchitis is an obstructive pulmonary disease. |
Earl L. Mindell, RPh, PhD with Virginia Hopkins, MA
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| If you want to avoid commercial antihistamines, you can try drinking ephedra tea or taking ephedra in capsule form. (Find it at your health food store.) The ephedrine found in ephedra tea is the natural form of the pseudoephedrine found in many antihistamine remedies. Don't overdo it with the ephedra, however—especially if you have high blood pressure or problems with anxiety. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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| Where was the whole argument of benefits outweighing the risks when the FDA was taking a look at ephedra? That argument was nowhere to be seen. There are literally millions of people in this country who could benefit from ephedra as part of a Chinese medicine remedy. In Chinese medicine, ephedra is never taken alone, and never in high doses. It's only taken as part of a medicinal recipe prescribed to patients on a person-by-person basis, and it has been used for literally thousands of years in China and Asia without harm. |
Andrew Pengelly
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 Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are derived from the aerial parts of ephedra spp. (Ephedraceae). The major source is the Chinese species known as 'ma huang'—Ephedra sinica—for centuries one of the most important medicines in the Chinese Materia Medica. In the West its use is clouded in controversy and, in the case of Australia, restricted to registered practitioners. The two major alkaloids in ephedra form the basis of several proprietary prescription medicines, as well as the illicit amphetamine drugs. |
Sheldon Saul Hendler
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 Pakistani ephedra is ephedra gerardiana. American ephedra, which contains norpseudoephedrine, thought to be an even more potent central nervous stimulant than ephedrine, is ephedra nevadensis, also known as "Mormon tea" and "whorehouse tea."
In Chinese traditional medicine, ephedra is used as an anti-asthmatic, a diuretic and for the treatment of allergies, among other disorders. Other folk medicines use it in similar ways.
Ephedrine has pronounced stimulating effects on the central nervous system. It has a more prolonged though less potent action than adrenaline. |
Craig Pepin-Donat
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| Although she told her trainer that she was on medication for hypertension, the trainer still encouraged her to purchase and use the product containing ephedra, which has proven to be deadly for people with high blood pressure. Yet, she wasn't warned of the danger.22 The sad thing is that if she had been a bit more patient with her exercise regimen and less focused on a quick fix, she might still be alive today.
Steve Belcher, a 23-year-old prospect for the Baltimore Orioles, wanted to improve his performance. He collapsed and died in 2003 after taking three ephedra pills. |
| In 1999, 37-year-old Anne Marie Capati suffered a fatal stroke while working out at her gym after her trainer recommended using supplements containing ephedra to help get fast results. Although she told her trainer that she was on medication for hypertension, the trainer still encouraged her to purchase and use the product containing ephedra, which has proven to be deadly for people with high blood pressure. Yet, she wasn't warned of the danger.22 The sad thing is that if she had been a bit more patient with her exercise regimen and less focused on a quick fix, she might still be alive today. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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| The FDA claims to have banned ephedra, but that's not what actually happened. All it did was ban the ephedra herb, not the ephedra molecule. Apparently, if you work at the FDA, all herbs are dangerous, while all over-the-counter drugs are perfectly safe, even if those two contain the exact same molecule. That's right: one has been banned, the other remains perfectly legal.
You can bet that in the ongoing campaign to discredit herbs and gain new regulatory power over them, the FDA is going to cite this study about finding heavy metals in a few imported Ayurvedic herbal products. |
Brigitte Mars, A.H.G.
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 In fact, ephedra was found in the grave of a Neanderthal skeleton discovered in Shan-idar Cave, in northeastern Iraq, and dating to some sixty thousand years ago.
Ephedra relaxes the muscles of the lung region, dilates the blood vessels of the coronary system and on the skin's surface, stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, and stimulates metabolism. |
| Taoist monks use ephedra to sharpen awareness. The herb also has been smoked as an aphrodisiac.
Constituents
Ascorbic acid, chromium, catechin, ephedrine, pseu-doephredine, N-methyl-ephedrine, n-methyl-pseu-doephedrine, norephedrine, norpseudoephedrine
Energetic Correspondences
• Flavor: sweet, pungent
• Temperature: warm
• Moisture: dry
• Polarity: yang
• Planet: SaturnAJranus/Mars
• Element: earth
Contraindications
Ephedra has had a lot of negative press in recent years because of its potential side effects. |
Craig Pepin-Donat
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| He collapsed and died in 2003 after taking three ephedra pills.23 Even though the number of deaths related to ephedra was small compared to those of prescription drugs, the path to quick results is often filled with landmines. Fostered by unquenchable consumer demand, manufacturers are always on the look out for the next performance enhancing brew that can put your health at risk.
Basic Research Zoller Laboratories, the maker of Zantrex-3, cautions people sensitive to stimulants to consult a physician before beginning a diet program using the product, and with good reason. ConsumerLab. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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| That's where the name of the drug comes from: "pseudo" and "ephedra." Put them together and you get "Sudafed."
So why was the herb (ephedra) banned while the drug (Sudafed) was kept on the market? You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out: Because Sudafed was making lots of money for its manufacturer, a drug company. And the FDA consistently acts in favor of drug companies rather than consumers.
Hoodia is likely to suffer the same fate as ephedra. |
Elson M. Haas, M.D.
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 Ephedra or mahuang is a Chinese herb that gives caffeine-like stimulation. These natural products have been used as stimulants throughout history. There is recent concern with ephedra (and guarana less so) products that are used for energy and weight loss. Many people have problems with nervousness, agitation, fast heart rate, palpitations, and even more dangerous heart issues. There have been some deaths from ephedra use/overuse and deaths, and because of this, there are current legislation attempts to eliminate ephedra stimulants from the public marketplace. |
J. Douglas Bremner
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| The FDA, perhaps because of political pressure, has since revoked the ban. ephedra increases heart rate, blood pressure, and energy expenditure by stimulating beta-1 and beta-2 adrenergic receptors. It is often combined with caffeine as a weight-loss supplement. Ma huang is also combined with guarana, a Brazilian plant with a high caffeine concentration, and promoted as a weight-loss supplement. A recent meta-analysis showed that ephedra-containing products result in a weight loss of two pounds per month, although no information is available for treatment longer than six months. |
| MA HUANG
The Chinese plant ma huang, one of the most popular supplements, contains ephedra, a compound similar to ephedrine (see Chapter 6 for more information, page 123). ephedra is one of the most dangerous over-the-counter supplements available today. It is associated with a two- to threefold increase in psychiatric, autonomic, heart-related, and gastrointestinal side effects. Eighty-seven episodes of heart attack, stroke, seizures, and high blood pressure have been reported to the FDA. |
Paul D. Blanc, M.D.
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| Widely marketed in consumer goods, especially in herbal teas marketed as asthma self-treatments (as the Chinese remedy "ma-huang") and in over-the-counter stimulant aids, ephedra is a product over which the FDA claimed it had no jurisdiction. It was not until Steve Bechler, a twenty-three-year-old pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles who had been using ephedra, collapsed and died at 2003 spring training that the FDA was goaded into action.12
Even more dramatic is the tragic case of a toxic chemical dye called FD&C Blue no. i. |
J. Douglas Bremner
See book keywords and concepts |
| Ephedra increases heart rate, blood pressure, and energy expenditure, stimulating beta-1 and beta-2 adrenergic sympathetic receptors. ephedra is often combined with caffeine as a weight-loss supplement. Ma huang is also combined with guarana, a Brazilian plant with a high caffeine concentration, and promoted as a weight-loss supplement. |
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