| "Just the FAQs!": Ephedra | |
Q: What's all the fuss about ephedra? I don't understand what happened.
A: Hundreds of adverse event reports about ephedra, also known as ma huang, were filed with the Food and Drug Administration during the late 90's and early on into 2000. Initially, products containing ephedra were recommended by some health experts as being an effective supplement for weight loss, and other health problems (when approved by one's physician).
But the adverse event reports sent to the FDA included cases of serious stroke or even deaths in otherwise healthy people. According to a report in The New England Journal of Medicine, one-third of these events were "definitely related" to ephedra and another third were "probably related" to the ingredient.
Reference:
New England Jour. of Medicine, Dec. 21, 2000
