The Truth About Ephedrine

Ephedrine, and the plant it is derived from, Ephedra Sinica, did indeed make the news, and most of the media coverage it got was negative. True to at least a part of the hype, ephedrine did cause harm, and in some cases, even death. However, that is a very one sided view of events. To clear everything up thoroughly, I'll start with the basics.

Ephedra is a herb that grows in the arid regions of the world and is also known as: Mormon Tea, Ma Huang, Squaw Tea, and Herbal Ecstasy. There are other minor sources, such as Sida cordifolia. It is best known for its main component Ephedrine.

Chinese traditional medicine have been using ephedrine, extracted from ephedra, for more than 5,000 years to treat the afflictions of the lungs, and it is still primarily used to relieve nasal congestion (blocked nose), and can raise the blood pressure. The main active chemical component of ephedra is ephedrine, a beta-adrenergic agonist (increases heart rate and body temperature.) Different strains of the herb contain different concentrations of ephedrine. The Chinese plant is the more potent of the Ephedra strains.

Fairly recently, ephedrine has been found to be a powerful stimulator that increases metabolism, and research conducted on ephedrine has shown that it has interesting implications for bodybuilders, weight-trainers, and athletes. Some of the effects that professionals take it for are:

weight loss
metabolizing (burning) fat
muscle maintenance.

Most importantly, and most (in)famously, ephedrine has been shown to increase the effectiveness of thermogenesis (fat burning) in the body. It contributes to the release and blocking the re-uptake of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine. This gives norepinephrine the ability to continuously stimulate receptors in your body, causing fat cell "flood gates" to open and facilitate fat loss.

This is ephedrine's greatest blessing and its greatest curse. To understand why, we must take a closer look that norepinephrine and what it does to your body.

Norepinephrine is a hormone secreted by the medulla of the adrenal glands, and acts as a neurotransmitter. The sympathetic nervous system functions in response to short-term stress; hence norepinephrine, whose levels are boosted by ephedrine, increases the heart rate as well as blood pressure. Other actions of norepinephrine include increased glycogenolysis (the conversion of glycogen to glucose) in the liver, increased lipolysis (the conversion of fats to fatty acids) in adipose (fat) tissue, and relaxation of bronchial smooth muscle to open up the air passages to the lungs. All of these actions represent a mobilization of the body's resources in order to meet the stressful challenge; such a response is often termed the "fight or flight" syndrome.

Basically, ephedrine keeps your body in "combat" mode for extended periods of time, facilitating weight loss. This is where problems may arise. Namely, the "fight or flight" mode infers a quickened heart rate and a higher blood pressure. If this occurs with a healthy individual, they should be fine, and may enjoy the benefits of ephedrine for as long as they want to. If the individual already suffers from hypertension or has a history of heart problems, they may experience more ephedrine side effects, or even events such as a heart attack. This is why it is vital for you to be absolutely certain that you have a clean cardio-vascular bill of health before starting an ephedrine-based weight-loss drug. If you do, and if you stick to the dosing schedule - you should be fine. But, indulge our mutual paranoia, and get checked up regularly, especially during the first month of ephedrine usage. Take your pulse and blood pressure, moderate spikes are normal with ephedrine, but should they become worrying - consult a doctor immediately.

Finally, whatever your weight-loss group tells you - as you move into your weight-loss program, and can feel yourself making first bits of progress, cut back on your meals. Not by much - 10% will do for starters. Don't starve yourself, this will get you nowhere, but simply add measure to everything you do. This will become a habit, and will keep you in shape even after you finish the program. Additionally, 30 minutes of physical activity daily is the trick. Forget running, forget weight-lifting - you can do that when you're slim again, to tone your body. What you want to do now is walk. They don't even have to be targeted walks - simply walk where you used to drive. Going to a friend's house? Take the bus, and walk a quarter of the way. You'll have 30 minutes less in your day, but they might turn into 30 years more of your life.

The Truth About Ephedrine

The Truth About Ephedrine

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