Ephedra – Does it work for Weight Loss

For over 4000 years ephedra (Ma huang) has been used in Chinese
medicine to treat several disorders. Ephedra comes from a plant
that has a few powerful active compounds, of which ephedrine is
the most useful. Research has shown that ephedra increases
metabolism and helps promote weight loss, relaxes the air
passages in the lungs to help treat asthma and cough, promotes
perspiration to help a person recover from a minor cold and
helps promote urination to help relieve edema. Ephedra has been
widely researched for its thermogenic (fat burning) properties.
Research has show that ephedra helps promote the loss of fat
while helping spare lean muscle tissue, a highly sought-after
property that prescription diet medications still have not been
able to reproduce. Because of its stimulating effect on the
nervous system, ephedra can be found in some popular weight loss
and energy products. For dieters it suppresses the appetite and
stimulates the thyroid gland, which stimulates metabolism.
Recently ma huang has been the subject of scientific research
for obesity because of its thermogenic fat-burning effect on
dietary intake. Ma huang is also found in “energy” products that
may give athletes extra energy without draining their reserves.
People also indicate an increase in alertness and perception.
Similar to the diet formulas, it is often combined with
ingredients such as kola nut or guarana, which contain caffeine.
Everyone agrees that the way we lose weight is to burn more
calories than we consume. Ephedra helps in that process by
producing a thermogenic effect, which causes one to burn more
calories. Further, it appears that by taking Ephedra people seem
to eat less and have more energy and thus are more active.
Whether one also needs to consciously lower their caloric intake
and/or exercise depends on a variety of circumstances, which is
best discussed with your health care professional. Ephedra had
been banned for the last year because of possible health risks.
Thursday, April 14 2005 (Health Day News) — Saying that the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration had not met the burden of
proof that any specific dosage of the controversial weight-loss
drug ephedra was dangerous, a U.S. District Court judge in Salt
Lake City has lifted the year-old FDA ban and sent the matter
back to the agency for further evaluation. From the Ephedra
Educational Council web site “More than 15 million consumers a
year benefit from Ephedra, with only a minute fraction reporting
problems to the FDA. Any risk of inappropriate use must be
balanced against the health benefits accruing to millions of
Americans. The nation’s obesity epidemic creates a personal and
public imperative for weight control, and 98 million Americans
must not be denied an option for improving their health without
conclusive scientific evidence.” www.EphedraCom.com

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