The Dangers of Ephedra!

Ephedra is an herb used in dietary supplements sold as weight-loss aids and energy boosters that have been associated with serious health problems, including hypertension, irregular heartbeat, strokes and seizures. Some of those problems resulted in death or injury in previously healthy people.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has compelling data showing that ephedra poses serious and unreasonable health risks to consumers. To date, the FDA says that at least 100 deaths have been linked to the use of ephedra. Other studies reveal that risks from the use of ephedra far outweigh any benefits

From January 1993 through October 2000, the FDA received 1,398 reports of adverse events linked to herbal supplements containing ephedra, including 81 deaths, 32 heart attacks, 62 reports of cardiac arrhythmia, 91 reports of hypertension, 69 strokes, and 70 seizures. Complaints about herbal supplements containing ephedra constituted 42 percent of all dietary supplement complaints and 59 percent of all reported deaths.

A comprehensive report appearing in the March 26, 2003 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association, links the use of ephedra with risks of heart, psychiatric, and gastrointestinal problems, while finding insufficient evidence to support its use to enhance athletic performance, or to promote long-term weight loss.

According to an analysis released by the Annals of Internal Medicine in February, products containing ephedra accounted for 64% of all adverse reactions to herbal products reported to the American Association of Poison Control Centers in 2001. The researchers calculated relative risks for an adverse reaction to ephedra compared with other herbs in the database and found huge (100-fold or more) increases in risk for those taking ephedra.

The American Medical Association has called for ephedra's removal from the marketplace. In addition, a host of other organizations representing athletes, including the International Olympic Committee, the National Football League, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association, have already banned ephedra's use among their members and players.

The Feb. 17 death of Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler has focused new attention on the dangers of ephedra. Bechler, 23, died of heatstroke after a spring-training practice.