Mahuang
Scientific Name: Ephedra
Other Names: Ephedra sinica, Epitonin, Herbal Ecstasy, Ma Huang, Muzei, Popptillo
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Uses
NOTE: All individuals who are still using ephedra products are urged to stop taking them. The risks associated with taking ephedra are not worth whatever small effectiveness it may have. Taking ephedra for any reason is discouraged strongly.
In April 2004, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the sale of ephedra in the United States. A federal court later restricted the ban to products containing high daily doses of ephedra, and the FDA is considering how to conduct safety studies ordered by the court. Although manufacturers of ephedra products have not tried to put them back on the U.S. market, they asked the U.S. Supreme Court in 2007 to decide whether the ban should continue, but the Supreme Court declined to hear the case.
In 2006, Health Canada, the Canadian federal agency that oversees health issues for Canadian citizens, issued a warning to individuals using ephedra and caffeine together.
Ephedra contains active ingredients called alkaloids--the main one is ephedrine. If ephedrine is produced in the laboratory, it is considered to be a drug by the FDA. Ephedrine and some of the other alkaloids in ephedra are central nervous system (CNS) stimulants that have been included in products for losing weight. In studies, some participants using ephedra have lost small to moderate amounts of weight. The combination of ephedra and caffeine has also been reported to result in weight loss. However, many of the study participants were unable to maintain the reduced weight after they stopped taking ephedra and the side effects from ephedra caused a significant number of individuals to stop taking ephedra before the studies were scheduled to end.
Ephedra was also sold to improve exercise performance. However, clinical studies found that, at best, ephedra provides only limited enhancement of performance for short periods. Due to the possibly severe side effects associated with using ephedra, the U.S. military and several athletic organizations, including the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the U.S. National Football League (NFL), and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) prohibited its use well before the FDA ban was announced.
Even though it has a tightening effect on blood vessels near the surface of the skin, ephedrine widens bronchioles, which are small airways in the lungs. Therefore, it has been used in the past to relieve stuffy nose and chest tightness caused by allergies and colds. Formerly, ephedra was also included in drugs to treat asthma, but medications with greater effectiveness and less potential for side effects are now available.
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