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ephedra can be very dangerous! Please look it up and read some of the side effects...some can be deadly.

Here's a link to the health center on yahoo: http://health.yahoo.com/search/health?su=&g=&p=ephedra for some articles.

Also, from the Center For Complimentary Medicine: http://nccam.nih.gov/health/alerts/...eradvisory.htm:

Quote:

What is ephedra?
Herbal products containing ephedra (also known as herbal ephedrine alkaloids) are marketed in the United States as dietary supplements that claim to promote weight loss, increase energy, and enhance athletic performance. Ephedrine alkaloids, including the chemical known as ephedrine, are amphetamine-like compounds that potentially have powerful stimulant effects on the nervous system and heart. These alkaloids are found naturally in a number of plants, including the ephedra species of herbs (also known by its traditional Chinese medicine name--ma huang or Chinese Ephedra, or epitonin), but they can also be manufactured in the laboratory.

Like an amphetamine, ephedra stimulates the central nervous system, increasing blood pressure and heart rate, decreasing appetite, and making the user feel energetic. In synthetic form, ephedrine is regulated as a drug and is used as a decongestant for the short-term treatment of asthma, bronchitis, and allergic reactions by opening the air passages in the lungs.

What are ephedra's side effects and risks?
Although dietary supplements containing ephedra are widely used, many adverse event (serious reactions and problems) reports have been received by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These reports have raised questions regarding ephedra's overall safety. Serious side effects reported in ephedra users include nausea and vomiting, psychiatric disturbances such as agitation and anxiety, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, and more rarely seizures, heart attack, stroke, and even death. The International Olympic Committee, the National Football League, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, minor league baseball, and the U.S. Armed Forces have all banned the use of ephedra.

Scientific review of ephedra
NCCAM and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements sponsored, through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a systematic review of the existing scientific literature on ephedra efficacy and safety in weight loss and athletic performance enhancement. The report, conducted by the RAND Corporation, is available at www.ahrq.gov/clinic/evrptfiles.htm#ephedra. The review was conducted to assist NIH in developing an appropriate research agenda, to identify gaps in knowledge, and to suggest study designs that would yield more definitive answers regarding its safety.

FDA seeking public comment
The FDA is reviewing whether ephedra-containing products should be on the market. Dietary supplements are not regulated the same way as drugs are. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) requires proof of harm--a higher standard than used in prescription drug development--before a supplement like ephedra can be banned from the market. NIH-sponsored research like the recent RAND report provides the evidence on which decisions about the safety and effectiveness of products can be assessed. On February 28, 2003, the FDA announced that it is asking for public comment on whether, in light of the RAND report and other newly reported research findings, ephedra poses an unreasonable risk as currently marketed under DSHEA.

NCCAM ephedra research
In addition to supporting the RAND study with the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements and a recent study of reports to poison control centers of reactions to ephedra and other herbal products, NCCAM is funding two laboratory studies of ephedra to better understand the mechanism of action and chemical properties of this herb.

Pharmacology of Combined Ephedrine/Caffeine Supplements, University of California, San Francisco
Effects of Ephedra on Human Adrenoceptor Subtypes, University of Mississippi
The National Advisory Council on Complementary and Alternative Medicine will review the RAND report and additional research findings and discuss what further research studies concerning the safety or effectiveness of ephedra might be warranted. The Advisory Council will meet by conference call on March 17, 2003.

Summary
At present, there is no evidence that ephedra products enhance athletic performance and only preliminary evidence that ephedra promotes small amounts of weight loss for a few months. There is evidence that ephedra is associated with an increased risk of side effects, possibly even fatal ones.

NCCAM will be considering further research on ephedra, but in the meantime, people should be concerned about the significant risks it poses while offering limited benefits. While respecting the traditional uses of herbal medicines, their long history, and their potential health benefits, NCCAM believes that ephedra poses unique public health challenges that warrant the public's attention.

Please stay away from it! You may loose faster....but you may also loose more than just weight!