Ephedra information site

Ephedra is a herb used for hundreds of years to treat disorders such as asthma and bronchitis. Because ephedra has the ability to increase metabolism, and burn fat it became a popular ingredient used in diet pills starting in the late 1980s.

Ephedra is a naturally occurring substance that comes from botanicals. The principal active ingredient ephedrine is an amphetamine-like compound that can powerfully stimulate the nervous system and heart. Ephedrine alkaloids are found naturally in a number of plants, including the ephedra species (also known by the traditional Chinese medicine name--ma huang or Chinese Ephedra, or epitonin). In recent years, ephedra products have been marketed as dietary supplements to promote weight loss, increase energy, and enhance athletic performance.

About 12 to 17 million people consumed ephedra in 1999, reports the Americian Herbal Products Association. The Nutrition Business Journal estimated that sales of ephedra in 2002 were $1.25 billion.

Ephedra is powerful

The FDA took ephedra off the market, also known by its chinese name Ma-huang, from the market in April 2004 claiming that it was responsible for dozens of deaths.

Judge Campbell states that the FDA had failed to prove that ephedra at low doses was dangerous, and that it lacked the authority to ban the substance without such proof. She called for the FDA to lift the ban on ephedra.

The ephedra ban on was reversed on 14, April 2005, among other things the court clarified that the FDA must follow the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) and can not treat dietary supplements like drugs or medical devices.

According to the court low doses of ephedra do not pose significant or unreasonable risk by a preponderance of the evidence. Companies that sell ephedra based products are allowed to resume selling products with no more than 10mg of naturally occurring ephedrine alkaloids.

Ephedra diet supplements have made their way back on to the market, much to the delight of dieters everywhere.

Ephedra diet pills had been removed from store shelves when a ban went into effect on April 2004. In April 2005 a Utah judge overturned the FDA's ban sighting that the FDA needed proof that the herb was harmful if taken as directed. The FDA has not provided that proof.