Restriction Or Ban Of Ephedra Supported By First Comparative Herbal Study

[Guest guest]

I figured this article may be of interest to some

 

*Smile*

Chris (list mom)

 

http://www.alittleolfactory.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

Restriction Or Ban Of Ephedra Supported By First Comparative Herbal

Study

 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/02/030204074629.htm

 

Source:

University Of California - San Francisco

Date:

2003-02-04

 

The first comparative study to examine the risk of taking ephedra

with that of taking other commonly used herbs calls into question the

herbal stimulant's current standing as an unrestricted dietary

supplement.

 

Researchers found that products containing ephedra accounted for less

than 1 percent of the herbal supplement sales in the United States in

2001. These products, however, were responsible for 62 percent of all

herbal-related reports made to poison control centers nationwide that

year, according to the study by researchers at the San Francisco VA

Medical Center (SFVAMC).

 

" The argument has always been that ephedra is safe because it is

natural and has been used for thousands of years. Our study shows

that ephedra is hundreds of times riskier than other commonly used

herbs, " said the study's lead author, Stephen Bent, MD, staff

physician at SFVAMC and an assistant professor of medicine at UCSF.

 

The study will appear in the March 18 issue of the Annals of Internal

Medicine and becomes available online February 3. The findings

prompted its authors to call for more stringent regulation or banning

of the substance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

 

Products containing ephedra, also known as ma-huang, often claim to

promote weight-loss and boost energy. However, the herb and its

extract are known to cause certain side-effects including anxiety,

insomnia, increases in blood pressure and heart rate, and have been

associated with many more serious reactions, including heart attacks

and strokes that can lead to death.

 

In the current study, researchers used data gathered by the American

Association of Poison Control Centers and published in its " Toxic

Event Surveillance System Database Annual Report 2001. " An estimated

80 percent of the calls received by poison control centers come from

the general public, as opposed to health care providers.

 

The researchers used the call data in conducting a statistical

analysis commonly employed to monitor the relative safety of

prescription drugs. " We looked at the number of adverse events among

ephedra users versus the number of adverse events among users of

other herbs, " said Bent, also a researcher with UCSF's Osher Center

for Integrative Medicine.

 

Taking into account the volume of sales for each product, the

researchers calculated that the use of ephedra poses a risk 200 times

greater than the risks posed by all other herbal supplements

combined. Individual comparisons ranged from a relative risk compared

to kava of 100 times greater to 720 times greater when compared to

Ginkgo biloba.

 

" The markedly elevated relative risks observed with ephedra-

containing products were stable over a wide range of estimates of

ephedra sales, " Bent said.

 

The study's senior author, Michael Shlipak, MD, MPH, said ephedra has

stimulant properties that have been well described. " Our study shows

that ephedra is unsafe for routine and unsupervised use, " said

Shlipak, a SFVAMC researcher and an assistant professor of medicine

and epidemiology and biostatistics at UCSF.

 

Shlipak said: " The regulation of ephedra is an important issue that

currently has the attention of the US Congress and the Bush

administration, and we hope that our study will inform that

decision. "

 

 

Additional authors on the study include Thomas N. Tiedt, PhD of the

Med-Tox Group of Longboat Key, Florida and Michelle Odden, BS of the

San Francisco VA Medical Center.

 

Bent's research is supported by a career development award from the

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a

component of the National Institutes of Health.

 

Shlipak's research is supported by a career development award from

the Health Services Research and Development division of the Veterans

Affairs.

 

 

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Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued for

journalists and other members of the public. If you wish to quote any

part of this story, please credit University Of California - San

Francisco as the original source. You may also wish to include the

following link in any citation:

 

 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/02/030204074629.htm

[Guest guest]

Hi there (Hi Chris :-))

 

It is so ridiculous the way Ephedra is being used.

 

It has been used safely for thousands of years by chinese herbalists and

native americans, and now still...- but not for the vain attempt at weight

loss or " energy " gobbed together with every other stimulant imaginable!

 

Ephedra was in a formula that helped my daughter through asthma attacks-

prescribed by our acupuncturist who knew she was a good candidate for short

term, sensible use of the herb.

Western medicine prescrebed an inhaler- which she did not need when taking

the formula with ephedra in it. She is now asthma free- it took

tonification, perseverence and removal of allergens....Ephedra was very

helpful when we needed it.

 

No qualified herbalist would put together a formula like " metabolife " or one

of the other " throw every stimulant you can in there so people will be able

to drive all night and not eat " My gosh! Idiotic! Then there are the folks

who take over the appropriate dose (if there is any with such a thing) and

have heart palpitations- you bet!

 

Michelle

[Guest guest]

Yes, I agree!

Too many folks are looking for the " magic bullet " for everything and

go way overboard using herbs (and everything else for that matter)in

an irresponsible manner and then complain when they experience

problems. Its pretty darn ridiculous. But then again, these days we

are a " blame everyone and everything else for our stupidity and

problems resulting from stupidity " society. It's McDonald's fault I'm

fat. It's the coffee company's fault I'm a spaz and spilled my coffee

and burned myself. It's the RV manufacturer's fault that they didn't

specify in the manual that cruise control is not to be used as an

auto pilot system to drive the vehicle while going into the back of

my RV to make breakfast (this was a lawsuit somebody actually filed

and WON!). People have to be more responsible for their own health

and actions and research what they are putting into (and onto) their

bodies. On the same token companies have to be made more responsible

with the products they put out there to the general public. Its too

bad how the herbs themselves get the bad rap when its really a

combination of the irresponsible manufacturers and iresponsible users

who deserve the bad rap!

 

Oi Vey!

 

*Smile*

Chris (list mom)

 

http://www.alittleolfactory.com

 

, " Michelle Morton-niyama "

<lakshmi@k...> wrote:

> Hi there (Hi Chris :-))

>

> It is so ridiculous the way Ephedra is being used.

>

> It has been used safely for thousands of years by chinese

herbalists and

> native americans, and now still...- but not for the vain attempt at

weight

> loss or " energy " gobbed together with every other stimulant

imaginable!

>

> Ephedra was in a formula that helped my daughter through asthma

attacks-

> prescribed by our acupuncturist who knew she was a good candidate

for short

> term, sensible use of the herb.

> Western medicine prescrebed an inhaler- which she did not need when

taking

> the formula with ephedra in it. She is now asthma free- it took

> tonification, perseverence and removal of allergens....Ephedra was

very

> helpful when we needed it.

>

> No qualified herbalist would put together a formula

like " metabolife " or one

> of the other " throw every stimulant you can in there so people will

be able

> to drive all night and not eat " My gosh! Idiotic! Then there are

the folks

> who take over the appropriate dose (if there is any with such a

thing) and

> have heart palpitations- you bet!

>

> Michelle