from reuters

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I am not sure this is accurate below

 

Chinese Herbalists Laud U.S. Exemption for Ephedra

Wed 31 December, 2003 01:37

 

By Elinor Mills Abreu

 

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - When U.S. regulators said they would ban the

use of ephedra in weight-loss supplements on Tuesday they allowed an

exemption for practitioners of Chinese medicine who have been using

the herb for thousands of years to treat ailments ranging from asthma

to fevers.

 

Synthetic ephedra-based weight loss pills sold over the counter can be

harmful when taken in large doses and by people who have heart

ailments, high blood pressure and other health problems, the FDA said.

 

But when taken properly under a health practitioners supervision, the

herb -- also known as ma huang -- is good medicine, according to

several trained Chinese herbalists.

 

Ephedra can help people overcome asthma attacks, colds and other

health problems, practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine said on

Tuesday after U.S. health officials banned ephreda-based weight-loss

pills citing risks of stroke and heart-attack.

 

Ephedra " should not be in dietary weight loss products. That's not the

proper use of it, " said Robert Wright, a licensed acupuncturist who

has a private practice in Napa, California.

 

" It's commonly used for colds, in short-term, small-dose use, " he

added. " It's a great herb, when used properly by trained

professionals. "

 

Ephedra " is one of the best things you can prescribe for someone who

is having an asthma attack, " said Suzanne Friedman, director of the

Traditional and Medical Qigong Clinic in San

Francisco, where alternative medical treatments like herbs and

acupuncture are widely practiced.

 

" It's a very respected herb, one of the first, if not the first, herb

you learn in Chinese medical school, " she said. " When misused for

weight loss or keeping people awake or keeping them energized, that's

a complete misuse of the herb and it could lead to health problems. "

 

The herb, which stimulates the central nervous system and acts like a

bronchial dilator, has reportedly been in use for 5,000 years and has

been traced back to classical medical texts in the 1st or 2nd century,

according to Charlotte Furth, a history professor at the University of

Southern California who specializes in ancient Chinese medicine.

 

" If you look at the Ming dynasty texts on Chinese medicine, ma huang

was certainly a widely used drug, but the doctors warned against using

it in large quantities, " she said.

 

Ma huang was used to bring on a sweat in treating fevers, Furth said,

adding: " It's a very important drug. "

 

Ma huang, whose Latin name is ephedra sinica, comes from a

cone-bearing shrub indigenous to China that is also found in the

Mediterranean, India, Iran and western South America.

 

Extracts of ma huang have been used in over-the-counter drugs since

the 1920s, but attention has focused on health risks in recent years.

 

Even so, athletes have been known to take ephedra and related

compounds because they can increase energy and endurance by increasing

the flow of blood to the muscles.

 

Baltimore Orioles pitching prospect Steve Bechler died in February

from heat stroke. A medical examiner said the athlete's use of an

ephedra supplement contributed to his death.

 

Ephedra has been banned by the U.S. Olympic Committee.

 

 

Chinese Herbs

 

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