How to Take Ephedra for Health

Introduction

Ephedra (Ephedra sinica) is native to China and also known as ma huang, which means "yellow hemp" in Chinese. It grows in dry climates and the above-ground parts are used medically. Ephedra specifically refers to an alkaloid that is extracted from the plant. The following steps will help you decide whether or not to take this herbal supplement.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Steps

1

Step One

Read about the historical uses of ephedra. It has been used for 5,000 years in China to treat asthma, hay fever and the common cold.

2

Step Two

Understand the potency of ephedra. The dry weight of the aerial parts of the plant is 1 to 3 percent alkaloid content, most of which is ephedrine. This means that the plant is a powerful stimulant by itself without refinement.

3

Step Three

Study the chemistry of ephedrine to know that it is a powerful stimulant that is chemically similar to amphetamine and methamphetamine. It is also a considered a performance-enhancing drug in most sports.

4

Step Four

Trace the legal history of ephedra in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed banning ephedra products containing more than 8 mg of ephedrine in 1997. This was opposed by the health supplement industry, which lobbied heavily to prevent the ban, and the FDA withdrew its proposal in 2000.

5

Step Five

Review additional evidence published by the New England Journal of Medicine in 2000 which attributed a number of deaths to ephedra use. The FDA banned the sale of ephedra products on April 12, 2004, and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the ban on Aug. 17, 2006. The sale of ephedra remains illegal in the United States.