Ephedra Weight Loss

Ephedra Spurs Weight Loss

Researchers say the herb ephedra (Ephedra sinica), also known as mahuang, increases your metabolism (the rate at which you burn calories) and reduces hunger. Studies show that ephedra works somewhat like green tea; ephedrine alkaloids in the herb stimulate your body to release the metabolism-boosting, appetite-suppressing hormone noradrenaline. Ephedrine is usually combined with caffeine to enhance these effects.

But ephedra for weight loss is controversial. Critics called for its banning after a 2000 report published in the New England Journal of Medicine linked ephedra to 43 cases of hypertension, stroke, seizures, and heart attacks. However, a new study conducted at the New York Obesity Research Center in New York City and at Harvard Medical School in Boston looked at the supplement's effect on people with healthy hearts and found that ephedra is safe and effective when used in recommended doses.

The six-month double-blind, placebo-controlled study, published this year in the International Journal of Obesity, involved 167 overweight people who were screened to ensure they did not have heart problems. Subjects who took 90 mg of ephedrine alkaloids and 192 mg of caffeine daily experienced weight loss without significant adverse effects to their hearts. The participants could eat what they wanted and exercise moderately.

Weight Loss Results Expected with Ephedra

Ephedra may help you lose about 1 1/2 pounds a month.

Ephedra Weight Loss Dose

Do not take ephedra without the guidance of a health care practitioner; you may have a heart problem that has not been diagnosed. Because the supplement formula used in the most recent study is not available for sale, Anthony Almada, a nutritional biochemist in Laguna Niguel, Calif., recommends a more conservative dose: Take a supplement that provides ephedrine and caffeine in a 1 to 10 ratio, with 5 to 10 mg of ephedrine alkaloids and 50 to 100 mg of caffeine once a day for three days. If this dose does not cause problems (like heart palpitations), add a second daily dose. Do not take more than 60 mg of ephedrine alkaloids a day, he advises.

Ephedra Weight Loss Cautions

Ephedra is a stimulant used for weight loss, so do not take it if you have a history of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, prostate conditions, anxiety, or mental illness. Don't use ephedra for longer than six months; long-term effects have not yet been studied, says Carol Boozer, D.Sc., director of the Energy Metabolism Lab at the New York Obesity Research Center.

Try Metabadrine One a day with 10 mg of ephedra.

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