Ephedra, also known as ma hung, is a plant-derived substance with amphetamine-like properties, meaning it can powerfully stimulate your heart and nervous system. In the early 2000s, numerous diet pills contained ephedra by the belief that it stimulates weight loss. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned ephedra-containing supplements in 2004 in response to serious reported side effects. Some people continue to sell and use ephedra products illegally, regardless of well-established risks.
Function
People take diet pills for various reasons. You may feel incapable of making healthy dietary changes on your own, feel you lack the self-discipline and energy needed for exercise or desire a "quick fix" solution. Like other stimulatory supplements, ephedra diet pills claim to enhance your energy levels, athletic performance and metabolism, or the rate at which your body uses calories for fuel. Although some evidence upholds ephedra's usefulness for weight reduction, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, research findings remain limited, inconclusive and controversial.
Side Effects
Ephedra may cause you to feel as though you've consumed too much caffeine. Milder side effects include restlessness, irritability, anxiety, headaches and urinary problems, such as a frequent need to empty your bladder. Ephedra can also cause nausea, vomiting and insomnia, or the inability to fall or remain asleep. People with insomnia tend to over-caffeinate during the day, according to the National Sleep Foundation, which can perpetuate sleep problems and exacerbate other ephedra side effects, such as anxiety and mood swings. In severe cases, ephedra causes a rapid or abnormal heartbeat, high blood pressure, stroke, seizures and death.
Interactions
The active ingredients of ephedra have been linked with serious drug interactions, according to the UMMC, including amphetamines and amphetamine derivatives, such as dextoamphetamine, antidepressants, such as clomipramine and monoamine oxidase inhibitors, aspirin, blood-thinning medications and blood pressure medications -- clonidine in particular. Ephedra may also interact with narcotics, such as codeine and morphine, the asthma medication theophylline, caffeine and guarana, which is a stimulatory herb.
Additional Precautions
The FDA does not analyze the content of dietary supplements, so they may contain contaminated ingredients. Ephedra diet pills may also contain additional ingredients that pose side effects. For example, numerous diet pills contain caffeine and ephedra. Ephedra may also worsen the effects of medical conditions, including anxiety, depression, heart disease, high blood pressure, urinary problems, diabetes and seizure disorders, and interfere with the health of pregnant women and babies. Since the ban of ephedra supplements, herbal products with similar properties, such as bitter orange, have gained popularity. MayoClinic.com dietitian Katherine Zeratsky warns that "natural" does not necessarily mean safe in terms of supplements and recommends talking to your doctor before taking any supplement.
References
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Consumer Advisory: Ephedra
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Ephedra
- National Sleep Foundation: Caffeine and Sleep
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Frequently Asked Questions
- MayoClinic.com; Bitter Orange Weight-Loss Supplements: Do They Work? Katherine Zeratsky; November 2009
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