Information AboutEphedra |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT EPHEDRA | |
| dietary supplements | |
| herbal and fungal stimulants | |
| traditional chinese medicine | |
| drugs in sport | |
| withdrawn drugs | |
| amphetamine alkaloids | |
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Ephedra is an . Accessed March 15 2007 . Native Americans and Mormon pioneers drank a tea brewed from an ''Ephedra,'' called '''Mormon Tea'''. In recent years, the safety of ephedra-containing 2006 the U.S. Court Of Appeals For The Tenth Circuit upheld the FDA's ban of ephedra. FDA Statement on 10th Circuit Court's ruling to uphold ban of ephedra . Accessed 7 Feb 2007. As of June 2007, the sale of ephedra-containing dietary supplements remains illegal in the United States due to their health risks. EPHEDRA BIOCHEMISTRY The . Published 1997. Accessed 7 Feb 2007. EFFECTS AND USES Ephedra is both a Stimulant and a Thermogenic ; its biological effects are due to its ephedrine and pseudoephedrine content.7 These compounds stimulate the brain, increase Heart Rate , constrict blood vessels (increasing Blood Pressure ), and expand bronchial tubes (making breathing easier). Their thermogenic properties cause an increase in metabolism, evidenced by an increase in body heat. In traditional Chinese Herbology , ''E. sinica'' is included in many herbal formulas that treat cold and flu such as 麻黃湯 ''ma huang tang'' (ephedra decoction) or 麻杏石甘湯 ''ma xing shi gan tang'' (ephedra, apricot kernel, gypsum, and licorice decoction). Ephedra is used therapeutically as a Diaphoretic to help expel exterior pathogens and regulate the proper functioning of the lungs. {Link without Title} Ephedra is widely used by athletes,8 despite a lack of evidence that it enhances athletic performance.910 Ephedra may also be used as a precursor in the illicit manufacture of Methamphetamine .11 Ephedra has also been used for weight loss, sometimes in combination with Aspirin and Caffeine . Some studies have shown that ephedra, when taken in a regulated and supervised environment, is effective for short-term weight loss, although it is unclear whether such weight loss is maintained.12 However, several reports have documented the large number of Adverse Event s attributable to unregulated ephedra supplements.13 . Accessed April 11 2007 . PURITY AND DOSAGE There are no formal requirements for '', 1999, pp 44–48. Studies of ephedra supplements have found significant discrepancies between the labeled dose and the actual amount of ephedra in the product. Significant variation in ephedrine alkaloid levels, by as much as 10-fold, was seen even from lot to lot within the same brand.1415 SAFETY AND REGULATORY ACTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES Escalating concerns regarding the safety of ephedra supplements led the FDA to ban the sale of ephedra-containing supplements in the United States in 2004. This ban was challenged by supplement manufacturers and initially overturned, but ultimately upheld. Initial concerns and supplement industry response In 1997, in response to mounting concern over serious side effects of ephedra, the FDA proposed a ruling that would ban the sale of products containing 8 mg or more of ephedrine alkaloids and require stricter labeling of low-dose ephedra supplements. The FDA also proposed that ephedra labels should be required to disclose the health risks of ephedra, such as , June 4 1997 . Accessed 7 Feb 2007. In response to the proposed ruling, the supplement industry created a '' magazine. Published May 2004, accessed 7 Feb 2007. The Ephedra Education Council also attempted to block publication of a study confirming wide discrepancies between the labeled potency of supplements and the actual amount of ephedra in the product. During this time, on March 5 2003 . Purchase required to view full text. Accessed 7 Feb 2007. In addition to the activities of the Ephedra Education Council, Metabolife spent more than $4 million between 1998 and 2000 lobbying against state regulation of ephedra in Texas.16 '''' on September 2 2002 . Accessed March 31 2007 . Ultimately, in 2000, the FDA withdrew the proposed labeling changes and restrictions. "Dietary Supplements Containing Ephedrine Alkaloids; Withdrawal in Part" , from the Federal Register , April 3 2000 . Accessed 7 Feb 2007. Additional evidence A review of ephedra-related adverse reactions, published in the '''' on February 25 2003 . Accessed March 15 2007 . Death of Steve Bechler , published March 13 2003 . Accessed 7 Feb 2007. Following Bechler's death, the FDA re-opened its efforts to regulate ephedra use. According to Bruce Silverglade, legal director for the Center For Science In The Public Interest , "All of a sudden Bechler's death Congress dropped objections to an ephedra ban and started demanding the FDA act." Senator Orrin Hatch, who in 1999 had helped block the FDA's attempts to regulate ephedra, said in March 2003 that "...it has been obvious to even the most casual observer that problems exist," and called FDA action to regulate ephedra "long overdue." Given Hatch's prior defense of ephedra, '''' on March 5 2003 . Accessed March 31 2007 . Ephedra banned In response to renewed calls for the regulation of ephedra, the FDA commissioned a large Meta-analysis of ephedra's safety and efficacy by the RAND Corporation . This study found that while ephedra promoted modest short-term weight loss, there was no evidence that it was effective for long-term weight loss or performance enhancement. The use of ephedra in this study was associated with significant gastrointestinal, psychiatric, and Autonomic side effects.17 Almost simultaneously, a study in '' Annals Of Internal Medicine '' found that ephedra was 100 to 700 times more likely to cause a significant adverse reaction compared to other commonly used supplements such as Kava or Ginkgo Biloba . On 2003 , accessed 7 Feb 2007. Subsequently, on April 12 2004 , the FDA issued a final rule banning the sale of ephedra-containing dietary supplements. Tommy Thompson , the Secretary Of Health And Human Services , stated that "...These products pose unacceptable health risks, and any consumers who are still using them should stop immediately." Legal challenges Nutraceutical Corporation, a supplement manufacturer based in '', published April 15 2005 . Accessed 7 Feb 2007. The ruling was appealed to the U.S. Court Of Appeals For The Tenth Circuit in Denver, Colorado . On August 17 2006 , the Appeals Court upheld the FDA's ban of ephedra, finding that the 133,000-page administrative record compiled by the FDA supported the agency's finding that ephedra posed an unreasonable risk to consumers. Nutraceutical Corp. filed a petition for a Writ Of Certiorari seeking a rehearing on the ban of ephedra; however, on May 14 2007 the United States Supreme Court declined to hear this petition. The sale of ephedra-containing dietary supplements remains illegal in the United States, due to their health risks. page from ephedra.com . USE IN SPORTS Ephedrine is listed as a '' on July 6 2006 . Accessed March 15 2007 . The substance is also banned by the National Basketball Association . Nonetheless, ephedra remains widely used by athletes; a 2006 survey of collegiate hockey players found that nearly half had used ephedra in the belief it would enhance athletic performance.18 Prominent cases of ephedra use In the 1994 2000 . Accessed March 15 2007 . NFL Punter Todd Sauerbrun of the Denver Broncos was suspended for the first month of the 2006 season after testing positive for ephedra. SEE ALSO REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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