Ephedra

Ephedra, from the plant Ephedra sinica, has been used as an herbal remedy in traditional Chinese medicine for five thousand years for the treatment of asthma and hay fever, as well as for the common cold too. Known in Chinese as ma huang, ephedra is a stimulant which constricts blood vessels and increases blood pressure and heart rate.

Ephedra is both a stimulant and a thermogenic; its biological effects are due to its ephedrine and pseudoephedrine content. These compounds stimulate the brain, increase heart rate, constrict blood vessels (increasing blood pressure), and expand bronchial tubes (making breathing easier). Their thermogenic properties cause an increase in metabolism, evidenced by an increase in body heat.

Well, the adverse effects of ephedra are known to include insomnia, motor restlessness, irritability, headaches, nausea, vomiting, disturbances of urination, and tachycardia (fast heart beat). The German Commission E (which was Germany?s regulatory body governing herbs) indicated that doses higher than 300 mg/day of total ephedra alkaloids ?may produce a drastic increase in blood pressure [and] cardiac arrhythmia.?

Category: Useful Stuffs