Ephedra
Specific Nutritional Supplement – Ephedra Common name: Ma huang Botanical names: Ephedra sinica, Ephedra intermedia, ephedra equisetina The specific nutritional supplement I have chosen to critically analyze for this assignment is Ephedra which makes the claim you can ‘go from Fat to firm in just a few weeks’. ... The active compound in Ephedra (Ma Huang) is ephedrine. ... Ephedra has been used widely to treat many conditions such as the common cold,asthma, and congestion of the bronchial tubes. ... According to the Ephedra web site: Ephedrine I is a powerful bronchodilator containing 8mg of ephedrine hydrochloride. Ephedrine HCL is a sympathomimetic drug derived from the stem and leaves of the Chinese plant Ephedra Sinica - also known as ma-huang -which dilates the bronchioles and has pronounced stimulating effects on the central nervous system - a more prolonged though less potent action than adrenaline. Ephedra poses a serious risk to health. So many risks, that Health Canada requested a recall of certain products that contain Ephedra/ephedrine. Adverse events including stroke, heart attacks, heart rate irregularities, seizures, psychoses and deaths have been reported in association with the use of some products containing Ephedra/ephedrine.