Ephedra is stimulant obtained from the Ephedra equisetina plant, also called Ma Huang. It is also produced by chemical synthesis, which is marketed in form of pseudoephedrine or ephedrine HCl.
Ephedra and its ephedrine alkaloids were once popular ingredients used in diet pills. Research indicates that the ephedra herbal supplement increases metabolism slightly and can assist people in losing weight. When still available for purchase in the U.S., ephedra diet pills were by far the most popular weight loss products. Over the past ten years however, studies have evaluated the safety and potentially harmful side-effects of these diet pill ingredients.
Yellow Bullet is an example of a diet pill that contains ephedra. Ephedra products are banned from being sold in the U.S. and Canada.
Ephedra has various side effects about which the public is concerned. Following the deaths of a professional baseball player and young basketball star, both who were using ephedra products, the sale of ephedra and ephedrine was banned in the U.S. by the Food and Drug Administration in 2006. The symptoms of an adverse reaction to ephedra are similar to the reactions to amphetamines. Overdosing on ephedra can lead to anxiety, restlessness, dizziness, adrenal disorders, insomnia, rapid pulse, tremor, respiratory difficulties, sweating, confusions, delirium, hallucinations as well as infrequent convulsions. The most severe ephedra side effects are heart attack, stroke, rapid irregular heartbeat and an abnormally high blood pressure. A single dose of ephedra two or three times a day could cause a significant rise in high blood pressure. In the case of the elderly, a slight overdose can instantly lead to fatal results.
Following the ban of ephedra in the U.S., a number of diet pill manufacturers endeavored to provide safe alternatives to ephedra. Some of these ephedra alternatives have proved to be effective for weight loss while others have not. Alternatives such as Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), green tea extract, and bitter orange extract can provide some of the weight loss benefits of ephedra, but without the associated risks.
Another need to find safe ephedra alternatives is that ephedra has a high potential for abuse because of its addictive properties. Sudden discontinued use of ephedra leads to severe withdrawal symptoms including depression, manic-depressive behavior caused by weight gain, anxiety and changes in metabolism. These side effects are caused by the damage of a person’s adrenals, which lessen a vital brain communication neurotransmitter known as the noradrenaline, that sources mental liveliness. This can lead to behavioral changes, which are also frequently noticed in people who consume ephedra products.
Although ephedra and ephedrine products are banned in the U.S. and Canada, there are still countries where these products are legal, such as the U.K. There are as many people against the use of ephedra as there ones who who support its use and the danger of these products can be disputed. Even still, with the higher risk associated with these weight loss products, the need for a safe ephedra alternative is indisputable.
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