Photo Credit: www.herb.daegu.go.kr
Ephedra is a herb that goes back over 5,000 years as something that can give people an energy boost as a stimulant, but can also be used as a herbal treatment against colds, asthma and hay fever. Over the years many cultures would use ephedra for a variety of treatments, and in the 1990’s it was not only used as a stimulant, but also as a weight loss supplement.
Ephedra, in the 1990’s, was seen as a miracle drug that people could use for almost anything. And they pretty much did, which led to many problems for people. It was being put into almost anything, and since the FDA didn’t regulate it, there were no warning labels anywhere telling people the dangers of ephedra. Those dangers included speeding up the heart, increasing blood pressure, and potentially inducing strokes and heart attacks.
Many young people died, not necessarily because they took ephedra, but because there weren’t any standards for the products, it was up to the people who were selling the products to tell people how much they should be taking. Those recommendations ranged from one pill a day to three pills three times a day, depending on the person selling the products.
Once there became this sudden rash of young people dying by taking many of these products, the FDA took the extraordinary step of deciding to regulate how much ephedra could be in a supplement. They also decided that anything containing ephedra is it had to be labeled telling everyone about the health risks of using the product. Immediately there was a backlash by the makers, establishing their own coalition to fight the FDA for their stance on this particular product. Lawsuits went back and forth, including much testing evidence, and eventually the government won out, accelerated by the death of a pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, Steve Bechler, who had ephedra in his system when he died of heat stroke during spring training, and was said to be suffering from ephedra toxicity.
By 2004, ephedra laced diet supplements were banned in the United States, overturned in a lawsuit in Utah, then subsequently put back in place in 2006, and supported by the Supreme Court in 2007 when they declined to hear an appeal of the case. At this point it’s been banned in most sports, although it can still be obtained illegally and in other countries.
This is dangerous stuff, and it’s not worth anyone’s health to take any chances with it.
See more:
The Dangers of Ephedra
Ephedra Uses
Ephedra Side Effects
Dr. Michael J. Murphy has been serving the East Valley communities of Mesa, Gilbert, and Chandler at 2 locations since relocating from Wisconsin in the spring of 2006. Dr. Murphy graduated Magna Cum Laude from the prestigious Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport Iowa and practiced for over 20 years in the Madison area.