Ephedra

October 3, 2020

Overview

Ephedra is an herb. Usually, the branches and tops are used to make medicine, but the root or whole plant can also be used. Ephedra is banned in the U.S. due to safety concerns.

Mormon tea and ephedra are often confused. Mormon tea or American ephedra comes from Ephedra nevadensis, and ephedra or ma huang comes primarily from Ephedra sinica. Mormon tea lacks the chemicals (notably ephedrine) that give ephedra its effects and potentially serious side effects.

Ephedra is used for weight loss and obesity and to enhance athletic performance. It is also used for allergies and hay fever; nasal congestion; and respiratory tract conditions such as bronchospasm, asthma, and bronchitis. It is also used for colds, flu, swine flu, fever, chills, headache, inability to sweat, joint and bone pain, and as a “water pill” to increase urine flow in people who retain fluids.

There has been a lot of debate about the safety of ephedra and legal wrangling over its status. In June 1997, the FDA proposed restrictions on the ephedrine content of dietary supplements, new warning labels for products that contain the active ingredients in ephedra, and a ban on combination products containing ephedra and other natural stimulants, such as guarana and cola nut, both of which contain significant amounts of caffeine. These proposals were dropped after the link between ephedra use and serious adverse effects was challenged by the General Accounting Office (GAO) and the dietary supplement industry. According to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, FDA must prove a supplement is unsafe before it can be withdrawn from the market. The FDA reviewed numerous adverse event reports involving ephedra-containing products, with 140 of the reports receiving in-depth clinical review by FDA and outside experts. Findings from experts outside the FDA support the FDA's initial finding that ephedra is likely the cause of many of the events noted in the reports.

On December 30, 2003, the FDA announced the ban of ephedra products in the U.S., effective April 2004. In April 2005, the dietary supplement industry successfully challenged the FDA ban on ephedra. A year after the ban on ephedra began, a federal judge in Utah struck down the FDA's action saying that FDA didn't prove that low doses of ephedra are harmful. In August 2006, an appeals court reversed the Utah judge's decision and upheld the FDA's ban of ephedra-containing dietary supplements.

Ephedra use is banned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, International Olympic Committee, and National Football League.

Ephedra is sometimes marketed as a recreational drug "herbal ecstasy." The FDA has announced that ephedra products marketed as recreational drugs are unapproved and that misbranded drugs can be taken by the authorities.

Classification

Is a Form of:

Herb

Primary Functions:

Weight loss

Also Known As:

Alcaloïde d’Éphédrine, Belcho, Cao Mahuang, Desert Herb, Efedra, Éphédra, Éphédra Américain

How Does It Work?

Ephedra contains a chemical called ephedrine. Ephedrine stimulates the heart, the lungs, and the nervous system.

Uses

Ephedra can produce modest weight loss when used with exercise and a low-fat diet, but it can cause serious side effects, even in healthy people who follow product dosage directions. Taking ephedra seems to produce weight loss of approximately 0.9 kg (about 2 pounds) per month for up to 6 months. It is not known if weight loss continues beyond this time frame or if weight returns after ephedra is discontinued. Caffeine may provide additional weight loss. The combination of ephedra, cola nut, and willow bark may also cause modest weight loss in overweight and obese people. Early research suggests that a specific combination product containing ephedra, guarana, and 17 other vitamins, minerals, and supplements (Metabolife 356) might help reduce weight by approximately 2.7 kg (about 6 pounds) over 8 weeks when used with a low-fat diet and exercise. Taking 90 mg of ephedra in combination with caffeine from 192 mg of cola nut per day for six months seems to cause a modest weight reduction (5.3 kg or about 12 pounds) in overweight people with a body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 40. This combination, along with limiting fat intake to 30 percent of calories and moderate exercise, also seems to reduce body fat, lower “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and raise “good” high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. However, even in carefully screened and monitored otherwise healthy adults, ephedra combinations can cause small changes in blood pressure and heart rate. There are serious concerns about the safety of these products since they combine significant amounts of the stimulants ephedra and caffeine and are often taken without monitoring for harmful side effects.

Recommended Dosing

The appropriate dose of ephedra depends on several factors such as the user’s age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for ephedra. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.

Ephedra Supplements Frequently Asked Questions

Why did they ban ephedra?

Why the FDA banned ephedra. In December 2003, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it was banning the sale of products containing ephedra. Its claims for promoting weight loss as well as for increasing energy and alertness led athletes and average gym goers alike to take ephedra products.

Is Ephedrine an ephedra?

Ephedrine is a chemical contained in the ephedra herb. Ephedrine has medical uses, mostly in operating rooms and intensive care units. Its chemical properties raise blood pressure and heart rate and open up the large air passages in the lungs.

Is Ephedra safe to take?

Ephedra is LIKELY UNSAFE for adults and children. Ephedra can cause severe life-threatening or disabling conditions in some people. Ephedra use is linked to high blood pressure, heart attacks, muscle disorders, seizures, strokes, irregular heartbeat, loss of consciousness, and death.

Is ephedra legal in UK?

It is illegal to sell or supply any product that contains more than 720 mg pseudoephedrine or 180 mg ephedrine without a prescription. It is illegal to sell or supply a combination of products that between them add up to more than 720 mg pseudoephedrine or 180 mg ephedrine without a prescription.

What does ephedra do to the body?

Ephedra can cause severe life-threatening or disabling conditions in some people. Ephedra use is linked to high blood pressure, heart attacks, muscle disorders, seizures, strokes, irregular heartbeat, loss of consciousness, and death.

Is it legal to grow ephedra?

The sale of ephedra alkaloid-containing dietary supplements remains illegal in the United States. Sales of products containing ephedra extract not containing ephedrine remain legal.

Is ephedra good for weight loss?

Possibly Effective for

Ephedra can produce modest weight loss when used with exercise and a low-fat diet, but it can cause serious side effects, even in healthy people who follow product dosage directions. Taking ephedra seems to produce weight loss of approximately 0.9 kg (about 2 pounds) per month for up to 6 months.

Can you buy ephedra in Canada?

Health Canada is also reminding Canadian retailers not to sell unauthorized products containing Ephedra or ephedrine.

How do you grow ephedra?

The Ephedra is robust and doesn't need much attention. Plant the seeds around 20ºC (68ºF). Grow indoors or in a warm and dry climate, free of frost. It thrives in ordinary loamy soil and does very well in a loose rocky soil with full sun and a little water.

How effective is ephedra?

Possibly Effective for

Is Ephedra a drug?

Ephedra is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing drug, despite a lack of evidence that it improves athletic performance. Ephedra may also be used as a precursor in the illicit manufacture of methamphetamine. Ephedra has been used as a weight-loss aid, sometimes in combination with aspirin and caffeine.

What is the difference between ephedrine and ephedra?

Where is ephedra found?

Ephedra is an evergreen shrub-like plant native to central Asia, and Mongolia; it also grows in the southwestern United States. People have used ephedra for centuries in China for colds, fever, flu, headaches, asthma, nasal congestion, and wheezing.

How many mg of ephedra is safe?

Side effects and safety

Doses of ephedrine used in research vary, with intakes of less than 20 mg per day considered low, 40–90 mg daily considered moderate, and doses of 100–150 mg per day considered high.

What part of ephedra plant is used?

Ephedra sinica, Ma Huang, has been used for thousands of years in the treatment of asthma, sinusitis, and as a stimulant. Traditionally, the aerial parts are dried and brewed into a tea.

Is ephedra banned in the US?

In response to accumulating evidence of adverse effects and deaths related to ephedra, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the sale of supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids in 2004. Ephedra extracts not containing ephedrine have not been banned by the FDA and are still sold legally.

How do you make ephedra tea?

For two cups take 10 grams of ephedra-herb and let it boil for 10 minutes. Then filter out the herb, for instance in a coffee filter. You now have two cups of Mormon tea. If necessary add sugar to taste.