ephedra

[chefmel]

I know that ephedra is banned and that's great. I'm curious about something though, is it taking the ephedra the herb itself that was dangerous or was it taking it in combination with caffeine?

[jan]

I think they found that the herb itself was bad, but I know that it was made even worse when combined with a stimulant. I think that's what really lead to it being banned. I could be wrong, but I think the dangerous side effects that were reported and the deaths was a combination of both ephedra and caffeine.

[anne]

I also think it has more to do with it being combined with caffeine that made it really bad. That being said, I think it effects the central nervous system and it's fairly potent on its own. It might not have been so bad if they knew more about it and it was properly regulated, but the FDA treats supplements like foods and not as drugs, so it's not really regulated. That why sometimes it can be dangerous to take OTC diet pills and why it's so important to do your research and make sure the company is reputable.

[freddyboy]

Yeah ephedrine or ephedra itself is bad enough because its a stimulant that acts like an amphetamine. When combined with other stimulants it is definitely worse.

[chefmel]

Yeah ephedrine or ephedra itself is bad enough because its a stimulant that acts like an amphetamine. When combined with other stimulants it is definitely worse.

Oh! I didn't realize it acted like an amphetamine...no wonder it's so bad...

[CuJo1992]

Oh! I didn't realize it acted like an amphetamine...no wonder it's so bad...

Yup. It's really, really not good for many reasons.

[anne]

Take care that if you are trying to avoid ephedra, this herb has many other names and some disreputable companies will still use it in their products, even though it's banned for sale as a food supplement for weight loss in the US. This is why it is so very important that you choose a diet pill that is from a reputable company and you take the time to investigate the ingredients.

[Paplo]

Take care that if you are trying to avoid ephedra, this herb has many other names and some disreputable companies will still use it in their products, even though it's banned for sale as a food supplement for weight loss in the US. This is why it is so very important that you choose a diet pill that is from a reputable company and you take the time to investigate the ingredients.

Really? How many names does it have? Shouldn't companies be obligated to call it ephedra...then again, they shouldn't be using it anyway...so I guess that doesn't really matter. Okay, I'll bite. What are the other names that should be watched for?

[tara]

Really? How many names does it have? Shouldn't companies be obligated to call it ephedra...then again, they shouldn't be using it anyway...so I guess that doesn't really matter. Okay, I'll bite. What are the other names that should be watched for?

It has lots and lots of them! Here are some that WebMD lists: Belcho, Cao Mahuang, Desert Herb, Efedra, Ephedra distachya, Ephedra equisetina, Ephedra gerardiana, Ephedra intermedia, Ephedra shennungiana, Ephedra sinensis, Ephedra sinica, Ephedra Sinisa, Ephedra vulgaris, Ephedrae Herba, Ephedrine, Ephedrine Alkaloid, Herbal Ecstasy, Joint Fir, Ma Huang, Ma-Huang, Mahuang, Mahuanggen (ma huang root), Muzei Mahuang, Popotillo, Raisin de Mer, Sea Grape, Teamster's Tea, Yellow Astringent, Yellow Horse, Zhong Mahuang.