Ephedra Diet Pills & Weight Loss

Ephedra, or ma huang in Chinese medicine, is a natural substance with amphetamine-like properties. Ephedrine alkaloids derived from ephedra were often combined with caffeine and marketed as weight-loss pills. But in 2004, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned the sale of products containing ephedra.

Potential Side Effects

In an 11-year period spanning from 1993 to 2004, FDA officials received 16,961 reports of serious health consequences linked to ephedra. At least 100 people died due to the supplement, according to these reports. Ephedra was linked to serious side effects such as tachycardia, increased blood pressure, seizures, heart attack, stroke, central nervous system excitation and cardiac arrhythmia, notes MayoClinic.com. The unacceptable number of serious or fatal events linked to ephedra led FDA officials to ban sales of products containing ephedra.

Weight Loss Potential

Ephedra caused minimal weight loss, especially in comparison to the potentially dangerous side effects, according to the National Institute for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Also, some athletes believed that taking ephedra enhanced their performances; medical science determined that the energy-boosting effects of epehdra were modest at best.

Illicit Sales

Despite the ban on ephedra in the U.S., dieters can still find the product online or masquerading under different ingredient names such as epitonin, ma huang, sida cordifolia and sinica, warns ConsumersUnion.org. In some cases, caffeine is labeled as guarana, kola nut, maté, paullinia cupan and tea extracts.

Other Potentially Dangerous Supplements

Other herbs alone or combined with caffeine may be as dangerous as ephedra. Bitter orange is likely unsafe but at the time of publication is not banned for sale in the U.S., warns MayoClinic.com. FDA officials have banned remedies such as country mallow or heartleaf. Too much of healthy supplements like green tea, especially when combined with stimulants, can cause headaches, jitters, insomnia and gastrointestinal problems. At the time of publication, prescription and over-the-counter versions of the fat-blocking drug orlistat are under FDA investigation. Some patients allege that the drug caused severe liver injuries. All of these supplements can cause interactions with prescription drugs taken for other conditions and can create a more serious set of health problems. Pregnant and nursing women should avoid any diet pill or supplement.