Unsafe Drugs: Controversy Surrounds Ephedra

Ephedra in the form of the Ma Huang plant was discovered more than 5,000 years ago by the Chinese. The Chinese have used ephedra for a long time to treat cold and flu symptoms, among other things. Research has indicated that ephedra increases weight loss and fat burning, burbs the appetite, relaxes the air passages in the lungs, and also helps promote urination to relieve water retention.

The Controversy Surrounding Ephedra

However, concerns over the cardiovascular effects of ephedra caused the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ban ephedra supplements in 2004. Consumer reaction to the ban was mixed: those who still wanted to use ephedra simply used "copycat" products to achieve affects similar to those of ephedra. In April 2005, Judge Tena Campbell ruled in favor of a Utah supplement company that had challenged the FDA's ephedra ban. Because the FDA had not demonstrated adequately that ephedra was unsafe in small doses, she lifted the ban on sales of 10 mg or less. The FDA, however, stands by its ban firmly.