Buying Weight Loss Products With Ephedra
You may have trouble buying weight loss products with ephedra if you live in the United States. Ephedra was banned for the second time in late 2006 and it is no longer allowed for sale or use in the United States. There were many weight loss products which contained ephedra but after it was banned the companies replaced ephedra with safer ingredients. There were over 800 reports of strokes , heart attacks, and even death from 1994 until 2003 when ephedra was banned the first time in the United States. Other side effects reported to the FDA was insomnia, high blood pressure, rapid heart beat, irregular heart beat, seizures, nervousness, tremors, anxiety, allergies, itching, hives, nausea, vomiting, and psychosis. There may be more side effects not listed here. Some people felt that ephedra was not dangerous so they compiled a petition and filed it with the court. The court lifted the ban on ephedra and claimed that the FDA did not have enough evidence to prove that ephedra was dangerous in small doses of 10 mg. or less. So the products had to reduce the ephedra in their products and there was to be no more than 10 mg in them. The FDA kept getting reports of people suffering from heart attacks and strokes among other side effects. There were over 1,000 reports of people hospitalized and at least 17 deaths from 1997 until 2006. The FDA did some tests on some of the products which contained ephedra. The amounts of ephedra did not match the amounts stated on the labels of the bottles. Some contained more and some less than was stated on the labels and some contained no ephedra at all. With the evidence they had gathered the FDA went back to court and this time they had the proof that even in small amounts ephedra was a danger to the public. Ephedra was banned for the second time late in 2006. Many people have suffered from some product which contained ephedra and some have received compensation for their suffering. Others have lawsuits pending. If you or a member of your family have suffered from the use of an ephedra product you or they might be entitled to compensation as well.
Ephedra comes from the ephedra shrub plant or is made synthetically. The plant is found in arid regions around the world and is also called Mormon Tea, Ha Muang, Chinese ephedra, Squaw Tea, Herbal Ecstasy, and Epitonin. It has been used for many years by the Chinese, Native Americans, Mormons, and Mexicans for medicinal purposes. It was used for common colds, asthma, congested bronchial tubes, weight loss, as an energy booster, and as a sports performance booster.
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