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Ephedra: Blessing or Curse?
What if there was a plant that contained a substance that could help asthmatics breathe by opening their airways during an asthma attack? What if this drug was a plant that had been used safely for thousands of years? Guess what? There is such an herb. In China it's called Ma Huang. Its Latin name is herba ephedra. It is so effective that it has been synthesized by pharmaceutical companies, and it can be purchased over the counter as pseudophed (which means artificial ephedrine) or Sudaphed. Chinese herbalists have prescribed ephedra for thousands of years for patients with asthma. It has always been used carefully and in small doses for brief periods of time. This is because it was known to have serious side effects when misused.
Ephedra works by stimulating the sympathetic nervous system (the fight–or–flight response) and in doing so increases heart rate and blood pressure. Ephedra also has the ability to open up the adrenergic receptor sites found primarily in the heart and lungs, thereby increasing the metabolic rate and calorie consumption by promoting themogenesis (the burning of fat).
For this reason it has become popular in America as a weight–loss aid and a stimulant to help athletes improve their performance. There have been a number of cases of people who have been injured or even died as a result of the misuse of this valuable herb. Symptoms of ephedra overdose include nervousness, dizziness, tremor, alterations in blood pressure or heart rate, headache, and gastrointestinal distress. Ephedra should never be used except for a legitimate medical condition (such as asthma) and always under the care of a licensed medical practitioner.
Due to the problems associated with the misuse and abuse of ephedra, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering banning its use altogether. Members of the Chinese medical community are actively working to ensure that Ma Huang remains part of the Chinese pharmacopoeia and to ensure it is used safely and appropriately for patients who can benefit from its therapeutic properties.
Please do not be a victim of the media scare tactics that only portray ephedra as a dangerous substance. Keep in mind that Ma Huang has been used safely and effectively for thousands of years to promote health and well–being. Like any medication it can misused or abused. Should we ban all medications that have the potential for harm? If that were the case there would be very few medicines on the market at all. Or should we insist that they be used appropriately and under the care of a skilled practitioner? Common sense dictates the latter.
© 2004 Larry Forsberg. All rights reserved.
Articles posted on this Web site are for personal use only and remain the property of Larry Forsberg, L.Ac.
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