Ephedra supplement health risks, danger, safety
Ephedra side effects are common on moderate to high dosage, benefits include a thermogenic effect for weight loss

In February 2004, the FDA officially banned the sale of ephedrine in any dietary supplement in the U.S. due to the risk of illness or injury.
   Ephedra is a shrublike plant found in desert regions throughout the world. It is distributed from northern China to Inner Mongolia. The dried green stems of the three Asian species (E. sinica, E. intermedia, E. equisetina) are used medicinally.
    Ephedra’s main active medicinal ingredients are the alkaloids ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. The stem contains 1–3% total alkaloids, with ephedrine accounting for 30–90% of this total, depending on the plant species. Both ephedrine and its synthetic counterparts stimulate the central nervous system, dilate the bronchial tubes, elevate blood pressure, and increase heart rate. Pseudoephedrine (the synthetic form) is a popular over-the-counter remedy for relief of nasal congestion. Little research has been done on using the whole plant (compared to its isolated alkaloids) for any condition. The crude powdered stems of ephedra (with less than 1% ephedrine) are used at 1–4 grams per day in tea form. Tinctures of 1–3 ml three times per day can be taken. Over-the-counter drugs containing ephedrine can be used by adults at 10 mg every 8 hours. Adults should take no more than 30 mg every twenty-four hours.
   Ephedra (ma-huang) and its active ingredient ephedrine were commonly found in herbal dietary supplements used for weight loss. Ephedrine is used in asthma medicine, as well as to make methamphetamine, more commonly known as speed. There's little difference chemically between methamphetamine and ephedrine. Ephedrine can slightly suppress your appetite. Ephedrine in high doses can cause high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, insomnia, nervousness, tremors, seizures, heart attacks, strokes and even death. Ephedrine can interact with many prescription and over-the-counter medications.

Alternative to ephedra
 Diet Rx has no ephedra. A combination of hoodia, ginger, cinnamon, green tea extract, spirulina, acetyl-l-carnitine, choline, guggul, and several other herbs and nutrients, as found in Diet Rx, a very effective herbal diet pill for appetite suppression. Users of Diet Rx have lost several pounds within a week or two.

 


 Alkaloids in ephedra
Ephedra’s main active medicinal ingredients are the alkaloids ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. The stem contains 1–3% total alkaloids, with ephedrine accounting for 30–90% of this total, depending on the plant species. Both ephedrine and its synthetic counterparts stimulate the central nervous system, dilate the bronchial tubes, elevate blood pressure, and increase heart rate. Pseudoephedrine (the synthetic form) is a popular over-the-counter remedy for relief of nasal congestion. Little research has been done on using the whole plant (compared to its isolated alkaloids) for any condition.

The crude powdered stems of ephedra (with less than 1% ephedrine) are used at 1–4 grams per day in tea form. Tinctures of 1–3 ml three times per day can be taken. Over-the-counter drugs containing ephedrine can be used by adults at 10 mg every 8 hours. Adults should take no more than 30 mg every twenty-four hours.

Besides ephedra, herbs and supplements to lose weight
Guarana may work in combination with Yerba-Mate and damiana.
Green tea extract may be effective in some people as a weight loss pill. You can purchase Green-Tea-Extract here.
Caffeine is often found in weight loss pills but we prefer people not take extra caffeine since it can cause increased heart rate and anxiety. Most people already consume enough caffeine through coffee, tea, sodas, and chocolate.
Ginger may be helpful in some people but higher doses are required.
Hoodia has become quite popular over the past few years. You can buy Hoodia-Extract here.
5-HTP is a nutrient that helps curb appetite in some individuals. See Hydroxytryptophan supplement to purchase.

Are there other herbs that provide ephedra benefits for weight loss that are legal to use over the counter?
   A. Citrus aurantium or bitter orange extract has effects similar to ephedra.

Caution and health risks, side effects, danger
Abuse of ephedra (and particularly ephedrine) — especially for weight loss or as a recreational drug — can lead to amphetamine-like side effects, including elevated blood pressure, rapid heart beat, nervousness, irritability, headache, urination disturbances, insomnia, dry mouth, heart palpitations, and even death due to heart failure, stroke, or irregular rhythms. One study has shown that a single dose of ephedra caused mild elevation of heart rate but did not consistently affect blood pressure in otherwise healthy adults. When taken at higher levels, ephedra can cause drastic increases in blood pressure, as well as cardiac arrhythmias. Ephedrine is considered potentially habituating, though it is unclear if the whole herb ephedra is likely to do the same thing. Ephedra in high doses may increase the risk for stroke.
   Anyone with a medical condition (particularly hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, glaucoma, anxiety, thyroid disorders) or taking medicines or other supplements should consult their physician before taking ephedra.

Use with other herbs
Ephedra should never be taken with the supplement tongkat ali. These two herbs are too potent individually and excessively potent together.

A few thoughts about herbs
Pharmaceutical companies have provided us with some wonderful medicines. So has nature. Pharmaceutical companies have, at times, also marketed dangerous drugs. Nature has also created herbs and plants dangerous for human consumption. I often hear people emphatically claiming that herbal therapies are safe and are preferable to drugs. Although this is generally true, it would be simplistic to unequivocally assert that substances found in nature are inherently safer and superior to those synthesized in laboratories. Each chemical, whether natural or man-made, has to be evaluated on its own merits. Let's keep in mind that during millions of years of evolution, plants created chemicals to help them not only extract and use nutrients found in soil, water, and air, but created chemicals to make themselves unpalatable and toxic to insects and animals bent on consuming them. Poisonous Amanita mushrooms are a case in point. We know that many chemicals found in plants and herbs are not fit for human consumption. The only good way to find out the medicinal merits of a particular herb is to do extensive human testing.
   It just happens that certain plants have produced chemicals that are beneficial for human consumption. Examples are fruits and vegetables. Not only do they contain carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals, but they also have thousands of nutrients including bioflavonoids and carotenoids that have enormous health-promoting properties. Additionally, many plants have been found to have chemicals that have potential in the therapy of a variety of human ailments.

Inquiries
Q. I wanted to relate to you that taking yohimbe bark supplement with ephedra is not a good idea. The ephedra side effects combined with the aphrodisiac herb are extremely unpleasant.

I believe I ordered a product from you back in 2003. I gained 80 lbs when pregnant with my son and for almost a year I worked out 3 hours a day and ate healthy and no weight came off. 2 months before my sons birthday I tried your product and I took off 50 lbs in that 2 months. A month after his party 38 more pounds came off. I kept if off for almost 5 years and in this last year I put on 30 and I belong to a gym, eat right and on top of that I walk my dog 3 times a day .I cant remember the name of the product, it was banned in 2003 (b/c of the morons who abused it). It also contained real ephedra. Do you still carry this product or know where I can get it, I've been trying to find it again for years. IT was the best product I'd ever used, the weight melted off and I was never jittery. All these things that contain no ephedra or just a tiny bit of ephedra just don't work at all. I'm a single mother I need to talk this weight off drastically, no matter what the price. Please can you help find this product or one very very similar, I need this 30lbs of in less that 1 month 1/2 desperately. Please help, I know I bought 2 bottles in February of 2003.
   We are not sure which product you are referring to, but ephedra was banned in 2004 and is no longer in any over the counter diet products.

You make a statement that ephedra is no longer available. That is not true. The ban was lifted a few years ago. In fact, it is by far the # 1 selling category in my supplement store. Someone remarked recently about the safety. There has never been a documented death due to ephedra overdose. The ban came about originally as a result of two different individuals claiming they had died from ephedra. It was proven that this claim was false and that they both had died of drug and alcohol abuse. When you look at other products, ephedra has to be one of the safest available. Last year there were 486 documented deaths from Tylenol, and I doubt that Tylenol will be banned. . . Big Pharma! Several dozen people have died worldwide in the past couple of years from drinking too much water at one time. I rather doubt that they will ban water. Over 50,000 people die annually each year from automobile accidents. There is not even the slightest chance that this killer will be banned. After all it is not Tylenol, water, or autos that are the problem. It is the abuse of same. Anyway, just wanted to give you a heads up on the ephedra issue. You can buy literally dozens of differents brands right now on the internet. As an aside, ephedra is the best fat burner in the short term. However, one can not stay on it for weeks or months at a time due to receptor site overload and eventually one will experience adrenal fatigue. It is definitely a product that has to be cycled. August 2009.
    As far as we know, ephedra was banned a few years ago and is not available in supplements.