Ephedrine Importance - The Pros and Cons

            Ephedrine is a thermogenic herbal stimulant that used to be used to treat asthma and as a diet pill.  It has now been illegalized in medium to large quantities due to its extreme side affects: one of which is death.  Some people, however, had nothing happen to them and were displeased when it went off the market.  Now, a slightly modified version of it called pseudoephedrine can be obtained over the counter and any typical pharmacy.  This is also called "Ma Huang Extract".  It is said to do everything that regular ephedrine does, but most users find it to be a little weaker.  The worst case in using this product have just been liver failures (still a big deal, but not as big a deal as death).

            People and scientists alike are on both sides of the argument as to whether or not this herb is important enough to continue research on or not.  Everything has basically already been found out about the herb.  Ephedrine, when ingested and dissolved, creates a slightly faster pace in the metabolism.  When combined with caffeine, the pace created by the ephedrine of the metabolism increases a lot more, but still not to an extremely significant amount.  Patients that were on ephedrine and did not end up dying or have liver failures lost up to thirty pounds in three to four months, but usually did not show decrease in mass after that.  What people liked about this herb was that it was naturally found, it created weight loss, and it didn't require a TON of working out or changing one's diet completely (please note: diets and paces of metabolism helped with how fast the drug worked).  The reason that ephedrine still has scientists wanting to experiment with it is because it could be the next big diet plan.  Apparently, this drug doesn't require a drastic change in habits and only helps to lose up to thirty pounds.  Most entrepreneurs are positive this would appeal to people with busy lifestyles that don't have to time work out a lot and only need a little weight taken off.  Also, people say since it is natural then it is healthy.  WRONG.  There may be a small argument for allowing more of this drug out in the market and testing it for better combinations so that death does not ensue, but just because something is natural does not make it healthy.  That is where their argument falls short.  Most people against testing and use simply say that it kills you, so there is no good use to it*.

           **We are only discussing ephedrine as it is, with no alterations.  Ephedrine is still imported from China, altered and used in many weight loss supplements.  It is a multi-million dollar product.   A common alteration of it is Ephedrine HCl.  Even though these products have less drastic side affects, only controlled dosages per month are allowed.

 

PROS -   Lose Weight

               Treats Asthma 

                   Could be used to solve greater conditions (speculation)

CONS -   Major Side Affects Occur OFTEN (Even Death) 

                  Could Have No Positive Affect 

 

 

www.erowid.org

Quick Fact

        The law about Ephedrine differs in each country.  It is illegal to sell in the U.S. but can be bought in the U.K.  This website seems to show the consumer all the affects of the herb, but at a closer look, the website fails to mention death when taken in high amounts and has a bias.