The story of Ephedra Diet Pills is a classic case of “Something that works, but don’t use it.”
Origins
Ephedra is a Chinese herb that has been used for over 5,000 years to treat asthma, hay fever, bronchitis, colds, joint symptoms, and pain. Usually, it is mixed with many other herbs when in use. However, when it reached the United States, it was more an item of interest for other reasons. Athletes were interested in it as a drug that would improve performance. Others were intrigued by its effectiveness as a weight loss supplement, since ephedra diet pills were found to be particularly successful in reducing weight because they worked in two ways. First, they have the effect of suppressing one’s appetite, and secondly, they could speed up fat burning.
FDA Ban
Many ephedra diet pills therefore flooded the market, with a combination of other nutrients and minerals, but the main selling ingredient was ephedra. What followed was a variety of side effects. Some were as basic as nausea, headaches, and some skin reactions. Others were extreme including anxiety, psychosis, kidney stones, seizures, heart damage, high blood pressure, and death. As a result, the FDA banned all ephedra-containing diet supplements, noting that as of now, the safety level of ephedra is not known, as a diet pill.
Despite the FDA ban, however, many people are still able to get ephedra diet pills online. Much of the time, these come from overseas, where the ban does not exist. Oftentimes, the ephedra within these diet pills come from the leaves of the plant, which are not the source of its weight loss effect.
Biologically Speaking
Ephedra works as a stimulant to the brain. In so doing, compounds that are in ephedra work to increase the heart rate and blood pressure, and permit easier breathing. This is why for thousands of years the Chinese have successfully used it to help the lungs.
The question arises: If the Chinese have used ephedra successfully for 5,000 years, why did it go wrong in the United States? Perhaps one possibility is that because it was being used for a different purpose, the dosage of ephedra was large enough to be effective, but too large for many to tolerate. A case, we dare say, of misuse and abuse?
This then is a cautionary tale. It works, but don’t use it. Anything is good or bad when used correctly or incorrectly. On the darker side, ephedra has been considered to be the forerunner of methamphetamine, a highly dangerous illicit drug, the effect of which has been described as “melting the brain”.
When it’s Ephedra – Don’t
These days, the wise way would be, if you are looking for diet pills that are relatively safe and work well, and you discover that they contain ephedra-don’t. There are many other options available in the market, and in the endgame, your best bet is to do your research, and then consult your doctor. Because it did not take a wise man to say, better safe than sorry.
