Weight Loss Guru


Ephedra

All About Ephedra:

     A herb that has become hugely popular in weight loss despite the fact that it is deadly, is Ephedra. Here are the facts that you should know about Ephedra.

     The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned that this potentially hazardous herb is the key ingredient in so-called "natural" herbal alternatives to the now-banned prescription anti-obesity drug known as "fen-phen." The FDA considers "herbal fen-phen" weight loss pills to be unapproved diet pills that have not been proven safe or effective, and that contain ingredients linked to numerous injuries.

The Dangers:

     Also known as ma huang, ephedra is the natural source of the amphetamine-like stimulant ephedrine. Its key ingredient can act as a powerful decongestant, suppress appetite, and speed the burning of fat, but in herbal diet pills the dangers of ephedra far outweigh the benefits. Over the last five years, the Food and Drug Administration has logged 1,000 serious reactions that may be linked to ephedra, including 38 deaths. The reactions included soaring blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, insomnia, tremors, seizures, heart attack, and stroke.

What the FDA says:

     The FDA urges everyone to consult with a doctor before trying herbal weight loss pills containing ephedra and to always use them with extreme caution. Other diet experts advise against using any weight-loss products that contain the herb. If you do, make sure you don't get more than 8 milligrams of the drug ephedrine in any 6 hour period, and don't take any ephedra product for more than a week. You should avoid herbal weight loss pills containing ephedra completely if you have hypertension, heart trouble, kidney disease, neurologic disorders, diabetes, or an overactive thyroid gland, or if you're pregnant or nursing.

Proven Benefits?

     According some past research, it was found that ephedrine combined with caffeine helped obese patients on a strict diet lose an extra 7.5 pounds over six months compared with patients who simply dieted. However, eight pounds in six months does not sound that promising to consumers.

Be Careful!!!!:

     Be aware of the following information about herbal preparations and nutritional supplements little known to the consumer:

- Unlike prescription medications, neither the Food and Drug Administration nor any other governing body oversees the manufacturing of these products. The supplement manufacturers currently have the advantage - their products don't have to be tested for their safety, quality, effectiveness, or appropriate dosage. The public tends to believe that over-the-counter herbal products and nutrition supplements have been researched, tested, and inspected.

- Many times, what the manufacturer claims is in the product is not actually present in the quantities labeled.

- Manufacturers do not have to fund studies to prove the effectiveness, side effects, or appropriate dosage of these products as manufacturers of medications do. Since studies can cost millions of dollars, and studies on "nutritional supplements" are not legally required, most manufacturers, for financial reasons, choose not to do studies. Those that do choose to conduct research, generally do "in-house" studies, which are not reliable. Independent organizations, not product manufacturers with a vested interest in the product, should conduct research on a product, in order for research to be valid. Many manufacturers rely on anecdotes from users who claim the product works. Anecdotes are not valid research. The manufacturers fail to tell you about any negative customer testimonials associated with the product or any potential side effects. They also fail to research the reason behind how the product works if it does appear to work or makes you feel better - many times the product "working" is due to significant pharmacological and physiological actions in the body which produce terrible long-term side effects. Many times, what makes us feel better (or in this case, lose weight) can take a terrible toll on the body in other ways. Natural does not necessarily equal safe and harmless.

- You can't tell if one brand is superior to another unless studies are done to compare each product's effectiveness. Expensive brands do not guarantee quality, but they do fatten pocketbooks.

- Manufacturers can make numerous claims for what these products can do, even if research has never been done to substantiate the claim. Because various claims are legal to make, many manufacturers do make outrageous claims.

- The salespeople who promote these products generally have little to no medical or nutritional background, and cannot and do not offer sound advice about how the product works or its potential side effects.

     Due to strong public interest in natural remedies and herbs, we see more and more research done on these products, which is a very good thing. Many products show quite promising effects. On the other hand, many appear to be simply expensive, useless, and overly hyped. Of course, without the proper research done, you can't know the difference.

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