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Quotes about Ephedra from the world's top natural health / natural living authors

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"Vlthough quite natural, ephedra has caused a lot of controversy in modern-day America. As a stimulant, it has been used as a weight-loss aid in products that claim to boost metabolic rates. But it also raises blood pressure and heart rates, which poses a danger to those with health problems. Still, for centuries, the Chinese have used the herb to heal respiratory ailments like asthma, as ephedra opens airways for easier breathing. Before you use ephedra, however, talk with your doctor." - Bottom Line Books, Uncommon Cures For Everyday Ailments (Get the book.)

"Ephedra: This powerful, natural stimulant is an effective treatment for asthma, but has potentially serious side effects. ephedra has been banned for sale in the United States by The US Food and Drug Administration due to its potential to cause cardiovascular problems, such as heart attack and stroke. Despite this, many still believe it is safe when administered for right reason and in the right dose. Always consult a health professional about ephedra, and use this powerful natural product only under his or her guidance. 507 DIAGNOSIS Bronchitis is an obstructive pulmonary disease." - Marshall Editions, 1000 Cures for 200 Ailments: Integrated Alternative and Conventional Treatments for the Most Common Illnesses (Get the book.)

"Ephedra increases heart rate, blood pressure, and energy expenditure, stimulating beta-1 and beta-2 adrenergic sympathetic receptors. ephedra is often combined with caffeine as a weight-loss supplement. Ma huang is also combined with guarana, a Brazilian plant with a high caffeine concentration, and promoted as a weight-loss supplement." - J. Douglas Bremner, Before You Take that Pill: Why the Drug Industry May Be Bad for Your Health (Get the book.) "MA HUANG The Chinese plant ma huang, one of the most popular supplements, contains ephedra, a compound similar to ephedrine (see Chapter 6 for more information, page 123). ephedra is one of the most dangerous over-the-counter supplements available today. It is associated with a two- to threefold increase in psychiatric, autonomic, heart-related, and gastrointestinal side effects. Eighty-seven episodes of heart attack, stroke, seizures, and high blood pressure have been reported to the FDA." - J. Douglas Bremner, Before You Take that Pill: Why the Drug Industry May Be Bad for Your Health (Get the book.)

"Pakistani ephedra is ephedra gerardiana. American ephedra, which contains norpseudoephedrine, thought to be an even more potent central nervous stimulant than ephedrine, is ephedra nevadensis, also known as "Mormon tea" and "whorehouse tea." In Chinese traditional medicine, ephedra is used as an anti-asthmatic, a diuretic and for the treatment of allergies, among other disorders. Other folk medicines use it in similar ways. Ephedrine has pronounced stimulating effects on the central nervous system. It has a more prolonged though less potent action than adrenaline." - Sheldon Saul Hendler, The Doctor's Vitamin and Mineral Encyclopedia (Get the book.)

"The story of ephedra serves as one example of another such substance. Widely marketed in consumer goods, especially in herbal teas marketed as asthma self-treatments (as the Chinese remedy "ma-huang") and in over-the-counter stimulant aids, ephedra is a product over which the FDA claimed it had no jurisdiction. It was not until Steve Bechler, a twenty-three-year-old pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles who had been using ephedra, collapsed and died at 2003 spring training that the FDA was goaded into action.12 Even more dramatic is the tragic case of a toxic chemical dye called FD&C Blue no. i." - Paul D. Blanc, M.D., How Everyday Products Make People Sick: Toxins at Home and in the Workplace (Get the book.)

"The FDA, perhaps because of political pressure, has since revoked the ban. ephedra increases heart rate, blood pressure, and energy expenditure by stimulating beta-1 and beta-2 adrenergic receptors. It is often combined with caffeine as a weight-loss supplement. Ma huang is also combined with guarana, a Brazilian plant with a high caffeine concentration, and promoted as a weight-loss supplement. A recent meta-analysis showed that ephedra-containing products result in a weight loss of two pounds per month, although no information is available for treatment longer than six months." - J. Douglas Bremner, Before You Take that Pill: Why the Drug Industry May Be Bad for Your Health (Get the book.)

"An exception to the safety of supplements would be gross overuse of stimulating herbs, such as ephedra, which was recently banned in the United States. Overdose of ephedra can be fatal, and it was implicated in several deaths before it was removed from the market. However, no stimulating herbs are used in the Healing Program. I do recommend a few herbal preparations for specific problems, but all of these herbs-such as garlic or oregano oil-are notably benign. Supplements can, however, cause rather subtle and complex adverse reactions in some people." - Kenneth Bock, Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies: The Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders (Get the book.)

"Still, for centuries, the Chinese have used the herb to heal respiratory ailments like asthma, as ephedra opens airways for easier breathing. Before you use ephedra, however, talk with your doctor. According to herbal experts, look for a formulation that is derived from the entire plant—not just the essential oil—and follow package instructions carefully. Responses Make a Dent For patients who have panic attacks and have been slow to respond to standard psychotherapy and/or medications, yoga and breathwork therapies can provide long-term relief from what seems like paralyzing fear." - Bottom Line Books, Uncommon Cures For Everyday Ailments (Get the book.)

"Ephedra belongs on the list. ephedra was in a number of "diet" preparations. It is also called Ma Huang and epitonin. It has well-documented cardiovascular and central-nervous-system effects that have caused adverse events. Its benefit/ risk ratio is very small, at best. Various authorities, including Sid Wolfe, who directs the Citizen Health Research Group, assaulted the fda to ban this agent in order to protect the uninformed and unsuspecting. The agent was pulled from the market despite arguments by its purveyors that too few are harmed to be concerned." - Nortin M. Hadler MD, Worried Sick: A Prescription for Health in an Overtreated America (Get the book.)

"EPHEDRINE • The alkaloid ephedrine is derived from the plant ephedra equi-setina and others of the forty species of ephedra or produced synthetically. ephedra has been used for more than five thousand years in Chinese medicine and has become more and more popular in Western medicine. It acts like epinephrine (see) and is used as a bronchodilator, nasal decongestant, to raise blood pressure, and topically to constrict blood vessels. See also ephedra. EPICHLOROHYDRIN • A colorless liquid with an odor resembling chloroform. It is soluble in water but mixes readily with alcohol and ether." - Ruth Winter, Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives: A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients Vitamin E (Get the book.)

"Overdose of ephedra can be fatal, and it was implicated in several deaths before it was removed from the market. However, no stimulating herbs are used in the Healing Program. I do recommend a few herbal preparations for specific problems, but all of these herbs-such as garlic or oregano oil-are notably benign. Supplements can, however, cause rather subtle and complex adverse reactions in some people. Unfortunately, these reactions are sometimes rather confusing. For example, a few kids may have a negative reaction to the substance phosphatidylcholine, the active ingredient in lecithin." - Kenneth Bock, Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies: The Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders (Get the book.)

"The speed category includes ephedra, which is a major ingredient of many herbal appetite suppressants. The same problems exist with thyroid supplements. If your thyroid is intact, taking more to speed yourself up will work for a while, but at a cost to your natural balance. And as long as you continue to eat too much, the method won't work and your health will suffer. 1. I am ready to give up the belief that there will be a magical solution to my weight problem. 2. I still believe there is a simple solution, like a pill, that I have yet to find." - Roger Gould, Shrink Yourself: Break Free from Emotional Eating Forever (Get the book.)

"Ephedra alkaloids (ma huang): Though this natural stimulant has a small effect on reducing appetite, the FDA has issued a warning regarding serious and potentially lethal side effects associated with the use of products containing ephedra, including arrhythmias, heart attacks, strokes, psychosis, abnormal liver function, seizures, rapid heart rate, anxiety, and stomach pain.7 ephedra is so dangerous that it has been linked with fatalities ?even a low dose has detrimental health effects. Conclusion: it's not worth the risk. What about drugs for weight loss?" - Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss (Get the book.)

"A clue was when the herb ephedra, used by the Chinese for thousands of years and an ingredient in many weight loss formulas to stimulate the metabolism, was pulled by the FDA. A major issue was made over the fact that an athlete, who suffered from a heat stroke, had taken ephedra. Many had used the herb for years, and without incident. In excessive doses it could possibly over stimulate, but Tylenol? sold over-the-counter, and in some children's remedies, could easily result in liver failure in high doses." - Dr. David W. Tanton; Ph.D., A Drug-Free Approach To Healthcare, Revised Edition (Get the book.)

"Widely marketed in consumer goods, especially in herbal teas marketed as asthma self-treatments (as the Chinese remedy "ma-huang") and in over-the-counter stimulant aids, ephedra is a product over which the FDA claimed it had no jurisdiction. It was not until Steve Bechler, a twenty-three-year-old pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles who had been using ephedra, collapsed and died at 2003 spring training that the FDA was goaded into action.12 Even more dramatic is the tragic case of a toxic chemical dye called FD&C Blue no. i." - Paul D. Blanc, M.D., How Everyday Products Make People Sick: Toxins at Home and in the Workplace (Get the book.)

"If all the drugs currently on the market were no more 1/t dangerous than ephedra, there would be much less concern than there is regarding their safety. The basic difference is that ephedra is a natural herb, and not approved by the FDA (for our protection, of course). The FDA has had far better reasons for stopping the use of many potentially serious drugs still on the market today, such as some of the antidepressants. Incidentally, shortly before the antidepressant Prozac?" - Dr. David W. Tanton; Ph.D., A Drug-Free Approach To Healthcare, Revised Edition (Get the book.)

"Ephedra alkaloids (ma huang): Though this natural stimulant has a small effect on reducing appetite, the FDA has issued a warning regarding serious and potentially lethal side effects associated with the use of products containing ephedra, including arrhythmias, heart attacks, strokes, psychosis, abnormal liver function, seizures, rapid heart rate, anxiety, and stomach pain.7 ephedra is so dangerous that it has been linked with fatalities ?even a low dose has detrimental health effects. Conclusion: it's not worth the risk. What about drugs for weight loss?" - Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss (Get the book.)

"Do not under any circumstance take Meridia, ephedra, ma huang, phenter-mine, or any of the other amphetaminelike drugs. Drug Common, ." - J. Douglas Bremner, Before You Take that Pill: Why the Drug Industry May Be Bad for Your Health (Get the book.)

"BRONCHODILATORS AND DECONGESTANTS SYSTEMIC DRUGS Ma huang, ephedra spp. The plant and the drug Ma huang (Ephedra sinica Stapf. and other species of the family Ephedraceae) is an ancient Chinese medicine, which is now used worldwide. It was the original source of ephedrine, a useful decongestant and bronchodilator. Traditionally, it is used to treat asthma and nasal congestion, in the form of nasal drops. Pseudoephedrine is now used more widely for respiratory congestion as it has fewer central nervous system (CNS) stimulatory properties." - Dr. Michael Heinrich, Joanne Barnes, Simon Gibbons and Elizabeth M. Williamson, Fundamentals of Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy (Get the book.)

"See Chapter Nineteen for precautions.) • ephedra (ma huang) (3 cups of tea a day) is useful for providing relief. Or use ephedra Plus (one or two capsules two or three times a day), a combination herbal formula containing ephedra, ginger, licorice root, marshmallow root, and other synergistic herbs, available from PhytoPharmica, Green Bay, Wisconsin. Warning: Too much ephedra can increase your heart rate and be too stimulating. Do not use if you have high blood pressure or heart disease." - Ralph Golan, M.D., Optimal Wellness (Get the book.)

"He collapsed and died in 2003 after taking three ephedra pills.23 Even though the number of deaths related to ephedra was small compared to those of prescription drugs, the path to quick results is often filled with landmines. Fostered by unquenchable consumer demand, manufacturers are always on the look out for the next performance enhancing brew that can put your health at risk. Basic Research Zoller Laboratories, the maker of Zantrex-3, cautions people sensitive to stimulants to consult a physician before beginning a diet program using the product, and with good reason. ConsumerLab." - Craig Pepin-Donat, The Big Fat Health and Fitness Lie (Get the book.)

"A Chinese herb called ephedra is a good nasal decongestant, says Dr. Tyler. You can often find it in teas in health food stores, but make sure you're getting ephedra sinica, the Chinese or Indian variety. The American species of ephedra lacks the active ingredient you need. Dr. Tyler cautions that ephedra will also act as a mild stimulant and should be avoided if you have high blood pressure or heart problems. Drink two cups a day until you feel better. What if It's an Allergy} If your doctor says your chronic stuffy nose results from an allergy, these are the basic treatments." - the Editors of PREVENTION Magazine Health Books, Symptoms: Their Causes & Cures : How to Understand and Treat 265 Health Concerns (Get the book.)

"There is recent concern with ephedra (and guarana less so) products that are used for energy and weight loss. Many people have problems with nervousness, agitation, fast heart rate, palpitations, and even more dangerous heart issues. There have been some deaths from ephedra use/overuse and deaths, and because of this, there are current legislation attempts to eliminate ephedra stimulants from the public marketplace. Both extracted and synthesized caffeine may be added to other products." - Elson M. Haas, M.D., The New Detox Diet: The Complete Guide for Lifelong Vitality With Recipes, Menus, and Detox Plans (Get the book.)

"Ephedra In addition to its decongestant value, Chinese ephedra has a long history of use in Asia as a coffeelike stimulant. Recent studies have also shown that ephedra boosts metabolic rate—the speed at which the body burns calories. As a result, it has shown some benefit as a weight-loss aid, but only in those who are significantly overweight. ephedra can also increase heart rate and blood pressure, so don't use it if you have high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes or glaucoma. How-to: For a decoction, use one teaspoon of twigs per cup of boiling water. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes." - Kevin Trudeau, Natural Cures (Get the book.)

"Haller and Benowitz (2000) discuss ephedra alkaloids and their toxicities. Ang-Lee et al. (2001) discuss the need for concern about herbal medicines in the surgical arena. As for the benefit/risk ratio of dietary supplements, Ernst (2002) does it justice. Examples of the science include the papers published by Barrett et al. (2002) and Turner et al. (2005) on echinacea, Wilt et al. (1998) and Bent et al. (2006) on saw palmetto, and Linde and Mulrow on St. John's wort (1998)." - Nortin M. Hadler MD, Worried Sick: A Prescription for Health in an Overtreated America (Get the book.)

"If you want to avoid commercial antihistamines, you can try drinking ephedra tea or taking ephedra in capsule form. (Find it at your health food store.) The ephedrine found in ephedra tea is the natural form of the pseudoephedrine found in many antihistamine remedies. Don't overdo it with the ephedra, however—especially if you have high blood pressure or problems with anxiety." - Earl L. Mindell, RPh, PhD with Virginia Hopkins, MA, Bottom Line's Prescription Alternatives (Get the book.)

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