If Its Herbal Is It Safe

Ephedra has many names; some of them include Ma-Huang, desert herb and herbal ecstasy. It is an herb that has been used in a wide variety of herbal products and supplements that have claimed to have been able to work wonders when it comes to curing sickness and losing weight.

What is Ephedra

The main ingredient in Ephedra is ephedrine, this is a chemical which is known as a stimulant and which stimulates the heart, lungs and the nervous system.

Ephedra’s withdrawal from the marketplace

Although Ephedra was commonly used in many herbal remedies it has been withdrawn from many due to its instability. Although studies did conclude that Ephedra did have some effect in decreasing the symptoms of asthmatics the amount that was needed to lessen the symptoms outweighed the benefits. Due to this, others thought there had to be safer herbal medications to turn to.

Ephedra at one time was widely used and promoted in weight loss supplements; however studies showed that there was no clear evidence that Ephedra did in fact cause you or even help you to lose weight. As such its popularity in these products drastically declined along with the safety issues Ephedra posed.

Ephedra has been giving cause for concern when taken in high doses or for long periods of time. Some of the problems associated with it include a raise in blood pressure, seizures, strokes, a contributing factor to heart attack and loss of consciousness. It has been noted that taking stimulants alongside Ephedra has increased the risk of side effects, with common side effects people have been reporting including dizziness, anxiety, restlessness, loss of appetite and in some cases nausea and even vomiting.

Regardless of these factors ephedrine products can still be bought despite the fact that the FDA has banned it. There have been over 40 reported deaths linked to the use of ephedrine along with over 800 different side effects also being linked to its use.

Ma huang

Ma huang is a common form of ephedra still found in many herbal remedies in health food stores along with chromium. Recent changes to the regulations mean that the makers of nutritional supplements do not have to fully identify ingredients used in their products, which allows this herbal remedy to slip through.

Unfortunately in the present Ma-huang has been linked with several deaths of high school students who have used it as an aphrodisiac and stimulant. The deaths from these were due to heart attack or CNS bleeding.

So while Ephedra is classed as an herbal remedy for many different things, its safety should clearly be regarded as an issue. Many people regard products which are labeled as herbal and 100% natural ingredients as completely safe to take, while in fact many herbal remedies such as those which contain among other ingredients, Ephedra should be used with as much caution as those drugs which are prescribed by your doctor.

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