Ephedra

Ephedra is a stimulant found as an active ingredient in weight loss and appetite suppression pills, over-the-counter nasal decongestants, and asthma medication. Ephedra, also known as Metabolife, Xenadrine, Ma Huang, Desert Tea, and Mormon Tea, is normally found in products used for:

Weight loss
Common cold
Cough
Asthma
Congestion
Hay fever (allergies)
Increased energy
Weight training formulas
Side effects of Ephedra use
Heart attack
Stroke
Tachycardia
Paranoid psychosis
Depression
Seizure
Coma
Fever
Vomiting
Heart palpitations
High blood pressure
Hypoventilation

A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) study indicates that Ephedra could critically harm or kill those who use it. Over the years, the safety of Ephedra products (i.e. Metabolife) has come into question. It has continually been debated whether the federal and state governments are doing enough to regulate the diet industry. In 1999, the FDA put pressure on the industry to enforce dosage requirements for Ephedra supplements. However, Congress criticized the idea, and it was soon put to rest. In 1997, the FDA presented a proposal to implement safety measures for ephedrine dietary supplements. In that document, Deputy Commissioner of Food and Drugs Dr. Michael Friedman said, "Consumers should be aware that just because a product is labeled â€˜natural' or from an herbal source, it is not guaranteed to be safe."

Ephedra, which originates in an Asiatic shrub, contains ephedrine. Ephedrine stimulates the central nervous system and relaxes the bronchial tubes. A man-made form of ephedrine is used in bronchodilators and over-the-counter allergy medicine like Sudafed and Actifed, which are monitored by the FDA.

More information:

Side effects of drugs containing ephedrine