 
|
Welcome! Two thousand years ago ephedra (under the name Ma huang) was used in Chinese medicine to treat several disorders. Amongst other illnesses asthma and bronchitis were treated with ephedra. Ephedra comes from a plant that has a few powerful active compounds, of which ephedrine is the most useful. More information on the chemical connections and the extraction of the active substances is to be read in chemistry.
Over the past few years ephedra has gained much more attention for its side-effects: an increased metabolism, plus the thermeogenic and fat burning qualities that come along with that. This gives the body stimulation and provides energy. Thanks to these qualities ephedra now has the reputation of being a fat-burner, smartdrug and sports supplement. A reputation that has recently become controversial because of the ban on ephedra products in the United States and the Netherlands. Read about the why, when and how on our page regarding the legal status of Ephedra. The menu parts all contain articles, which were published in the original English version. We also have some user experiences, a users guide, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), links and a forum.
* News * April 25, 2012 - Samples of traditional Chinese medicine found to contain ephedra amongst other banned or harmful products Two recently published studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine can be harmful and often contain ingredients that are illegal and some that can cause cancer. Critics have long warned that some mixtures can also contain naturally occurring toxins; contaminants such as heavy metals; added substances such as steroids, which can make them appear more effective; and traces of animals that are endangered and trade-restricted. Now, researchers in Australia have investigated the issue using modern sequencing technology. The team analyzed 15 traditional Chinese medicine samples seized by Australian officials. In the herbal preparations that they tested, Bunce and his colleagues found members of 68 plant families, among them plants of the genera Ephedra and Asarum. Both can contain toxic substances such as aristolochic acid, banned in many countries because it causes kidney disease and upper urinary tract cancer, or UUC. Although detecting DNA from a certain species does not mean that a toxin produced by that plant is present, chemical analysis of one of the four samples containing Asarum did turn up aristolochic acid. Read the full news article here.* * * * * More news items can be found in the news section. * * * * * -This site is meant to be nothing but informative; we are not promoting the use of ephedra (or other energizers) in some or another way, but would like to give a view on this product from different perspectives. The use of ephedra is always at your own risk and for possible undesired effects we cannot be hold responsible.
|
