Red yeast rice is produced by cultivating M purpureus on polished rice. The fully cultured rice is then either sold as the dried grain, or cooked and pasteurized to be sold as a wet paste, or dried and pulverized to be sold as a fine powder. China is the world’s largest producer of red yeast rice. It has been used for centuries by the Chinese as a spice. This is what gives Peking duck its red color. As well as its culinary uses it has been documented as far back as the Tang Dynasty for its use in traditional Chinese medicine to invigorate the body, aid in digestion and remove “blood blockages”

There have been several studies lately that suggest red yeast rice has the ability to reduce the instance of repeat heart attacks, lower cholesterol, and may be an alternative for people that can not take statin drugs due to the negative side effects.

One study of patients that previously had heart attacks showed that partially purified extract of red yeast rice reduced repeat heart attacks by 45%, while by-pass surgery and mortality were reduced by one third. The study was a multi center, randomized, double blind study conducted on 5,000 patients ranging in age from 18 to 70 over a five year period at 60 hospitals in the Peoples Republic of China.

David M. Capuzzi, M.D., Ph.D, director of the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Program at Jefferson’s Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine and Zonliang Lu, M.D., Ph.D, from the Fuwai Hospital at the Chinese Academy of Medical Science reported their findings in the June 15th edition of the American Journal of Cardiology. Dr. Capuzzi is quoted as saying “It’s very exciting because this is a natural product and had very few adverse side effects including no abnormal blood changes”.

In another study researchers at the University of Tromso in Norway, Shanghai University of Traditional Medicine and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine conducted a meta-analysis of 93 randomized studies that tested the effectiveness of three different red yeast rice preparations. The researchers were assessing the effectiveness in treating hyperlipidemia which is a condition in which patients have an abnormally high concentration of lipids (fats) in the blood. They found that all three preparations significantly reduced total blood cholesterol as well as triglyceride and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, while increasing HDL (good) cholesterol levels.

The study also showed that all three preparations were as effective in lowering lipid cholesterol levels as popular statin drugs Zocor, Lipitor and Mevacor. However, unlike statin drugs they did not exhibit the side effects such as muscle discomfort, liver damage, depression and sexual dysfunction. The effects of these three preparations seemed to be limited to dizziness and some gastrointestinal discomfort.

It is estimated that about 15% of people taking statin drugs to lower cholesterol stop the medication because of the side effects. This leaves this population with no effective treatment.

Research by two Philadelphia area cardiologists finds that over-the-counter dietary supplements sold at health food stores and pharmacies may be an alternative for those patients suffering from high cholesterol that can not take statin drugs. Dr. David Becker and Ram Gordon, M.D. at Chestnut Hill Cardiology, published the findings of their study, “Red Yeast Rice for Dyslipidemia in Statin-Intolerant Patients,” in the June 16, 2009 edition of Annals of Internal Medicine.

When the study was concluded some of the findings were:

- LDL (bad) cholesterol levels decreased more in patients receiving red yeast rice than in the patients who did not.

- Total cholesterol levels improved more in the group taking red yeast rice than the placebo.

According to Dr. Becker “Every physician has patients who refuse to take statins or have significant side effects from them”. And he goes on to say “One of the largest challenges in the medical community has been that there is no agreement or consensus on how to treat these patients. We are convinced that our research may lead to some answers.”

Dr. Gordon goes on to say, “While red yeast rice isn’t appropriate for everyone, the goal of our research was to see if it has potential to be an option for those patients who discontinue their statins because of the side effects. Often these patients with high cholesterol are left without lipid-lowering therapy. This is especially worrisome if the patient has a history of heart attacks, stents, bypass surgery or strokes.”

This study has added significance because it was funded by a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania rather than the pharmaceutical companies with their commercial interest in mind.

Get the Cure For Panic Attacks and Stop Calling 911 for False Heart Attacks

One of the major symptoms when having a panic attack is the feelling of having a heart attack.  You feel your chest tighten and feel like the end is coming. This really seems realistic so you call 911.

Believe me, Ive been there before. Ive called 911 numerous times feeling like Im having a heart attack.

They check my blood pressure, check my blood sugar and pulse and everything is normal. They bring me to the emergency room and subject me to tests like x-ray, blood test, EKG, and all tests are normal, they say there is nothing wrong.

Its good that there is nothing wrong but it is embarrassing.

This happened to me a couple of times and one time one of the 911 respondents was obviously annoyed for always being called and there is nothing wrong.

It really feels like crap and you wish it would go away but its there and you dread when its going to happen again.

Some steps you can take to help you are:

1. Excercise regularly.

2. Eat healthy food.

3. Watch lots of comedy, laughter is really good for your health

4. Talk to someone who understands what you are going through.

Get the Cure For Panic Attacks and Stop Calling 911 for False Heart Attacks

Those are just for starters, you need to have a way to stop all this insanity and embarassment and live your life normal again.

You will also need to be in the midst of other people who are going through the same situation and understand you. People who never had panic attacks can never relate to us, they think we are crazy and that does not help at all.

Sufferers of insomnia may be prescribed a wide range of medications. Although generally safe, these medicines are not without their risks. Side effects range from a mild headache to cardiac arrest so they are not to be taken lightly. If you are taking medication or thinking about it, this article can serve as a starting point for discussion between you and your doctor; it is not intended to be medical advice.

Ambien (zolpidem) – If you don’t get enough sleep at night, you may feel sleepy during the day. This can lead to increased risk of injury, especially if you operate heavy machinery. If taken with alchohol, those effects can be magnified. Zolpidem also carries a risk of dependency so it should not be used by people with a history of drug abuse. You can become dependent on zolpidem so if you’ve been taking it on a regular basis, don’t stop taking it abruptly. This drug can be harmful to unborn babies so if you are pregnant or think you might become pregnant be sure to mention it to your doctor.

Lunesta – Side effects can include dizziness, memory loss, drowsiness, and problems with coordination. The memory problems can be avoided or minimized by taking it only when you intend to go to sleep. Rarely, people have suffered from outgoing or aggressive behavior, confusion, agitation, hallucinations, suicidal thoughts, and strange behavior. You should contact your doctor immediately if you are having dangerous thoughts.

Sonata ( Zaleplon) – Headache and nausea may occur but contact your doctor immediately if you have joint pain, loss of coordination, or dizziness. Rare side effects may include irregular pulse, chest pain, mood changes, memory problems, loss of appetite, tingling of hands or feet, blood in the stool, changes in your urine, and eye and ear problems. You should contact your doctor immediately if you have these or any other side effects.

Diphenhydramine (Sominex, Nytol) – Diphenhydramine may cause prolonged sleepiness, dizziness, and dry mouth. It is not recommended for nursing or pregnant women and it may not be safe for people with a history of enlarged prostate, heart problems, or glaucoma.

Temazepam (Restoril) – Temazepam may cause headache, prolonged drowsiness, blurred vision, nausea, diarrhea, and low blood pressure. It should not be taken by pregnant or nursing women, the elderly, or people with a history of depression or lung disease.

Trazodone (Desyrel) – Trazodone may cause diarrhea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, blurred vision or weight fluctuations. Rarely, this drug may cause cardiac complications or seizures so be sure to remind your doctor if you have a history of heart problems or high blood pressure. This drug interacts with Coumadin and many herbal supplements so be sure to let your doctor know if you are taking them.

No matter which drug you end up trying, it is vitally important that you follow your doctor’s orders and report any serious side effects immediately. Sometimes a minor adjustment in the dosage may alleviate your side effects but in other cases you may need to try something entirely different.

A person experiencing the symptoms of an anxiety attack often thinks they are having a heart attack. This is understandable, since there are similarities between the two sets of symptoms. If you talk to someone about what they are feeling during an anxiety attack, one of the most common responses is that they think they are having a heart attack. Let’s look at some symptoms of anxiety attack so that we can see where these people are coming from…

Typical symptoms are:

You can now see why a person who hasn’t had an actual heart attack before would think that they were having one. The symptoms above mimic what the sufferer ’believes’ are the symptoms of a coronary.

However, the symptoms of an anxiety attack are just the body’s reaction to a perceived threat. In this case the irrational fear of the victim. The most important thing to remember is that they are just symptoms and not life threatening. An anxiety attack cannot harm you.

Under normal everyday levels of anxiety, someone who finds themselves in a highly stressed situation like a job interview, job loss, public speaking, exams, stuck in a lift, public transport, traffic jam, etc. wouldn’t normally have an anxiety or panic attack. But someone who already has an abnormally high level of general anxiety and is then put into a stressful situation can suffer all or some of the symptoms of an anxiety attack.

Now, you would think that after their initial anxiety attack they would be able to recognise the symptoms and understand during future attacks that their life is not in danger. But the symptoms of anxiety attack are just so terrifying that it’s almost impossible not to get caught up in the terror again and really believe that something dreadful is about to happen.

Not only that, but the ‘fear’ of having another anxiety attack on top of high general anxiety can actually trigger another attack. So one of the most important aspects in preventing further, repeat attacks is to eliminate that ‘fear’ of another attack. Once having done that you can then concentrate more effectively on getting rid of your general anxiety. Mainstream treatments aren’t very effective in this…

Drug-based medications such as antidepressants, tranquilizers and beta blockers etc. are usually prescribed by your doctor. These can help reduce your general anxiety over time but they have many well known bad side effects and don’t address the root cause(s) of your anxiety, i.e. the things in your life and experiences that have given rise to your general anxiety.

Other non-drug therapies like psychotherapy, hypnosis, and meditation, can help but they may only teach you how to ‘cope’ with your anxiety through the power of positive thought etc., not cure it necessarily. These are coping techniques.

So you need to find a simple, effective way to eliminate your fear of the symptoms of an anxiety attack. You need to find a technique that, once learned and implemented, will prevent further attacks from occurring. This is an important first step in getting rid of your anxiety.

Would you like to discover how to eliminate your ‘fear factor’, prevent anxiety attacks and get rid of your anxiety for good? Then please go to http://eliminatepanicattacks.blogspot.com and claim your life back.

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication abuse, frequently by teens & young adults, has resulted in an increase in emergency room visits. A January 2006 Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recommended that ADHD medication carry a warning of increased potential for cardiac problems, such as hypertension, cardiac arrest and stroke. The possibility of experiencing medical problems may be exacerbated by using ADHD medications improperly, or in combination with other drugs.

Ritalin is the ADHD prescription drug that is most frequently abused. It is a CNS stimulant that is chemically known as methylphenidate, which when metabolized by the liver, forms ritalinic acid (RA) i.e. when someone pops in a pill of Ritalin, within the liver this methylphenidate is converted or metabolized into ritalinic acid as a primary metabolite. Now, both methylphenidate & its metabolite ritalinic acid can be used for diagnostic purposes. Various diagnostic techniques have been developed over last few decades for drug identification & quantification purposes; some of the most common have been briefly mentioned below:

• Liquid/Gas Chromatography

• Mass Spectrometry

• Enzyme Linked Immunoassays

Liquid/Gas Chromatography: Chromatography is a process used for separating mixtures by virtue of differences in their absorbency. Most frequently employed methods for chemical compound separation & subsequent identification include gas chromatography (GC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). HPLC employs incompressible silica or alumina µ-beads as the stationary phase and pressures of up to a few thousand psi over the sample which most frequently is urine.

Mass Spectrometry: Developments of technology and methodology in the field of mass spectrometry have been rapid over the last seven years and are providing highly sensitive and accurate strategies for drug detection purposes. In this, a spectroscope is used for obtaining a mass spectrum by deflecting ions into a thin slit and measuring the ion current with an electrometer. Usually, selected reaction monitoring (SRM) as well as an electro-spray ionization source (EIS) are used to detect both urinary methylphenidate and the more prevalent metabolite which is ritalinic acid in this case. The major advantage of MS analysis is that this ionization technique tolerates a reasonable amount of impurities in the sample to be analyzed & many different samples can be processed rapidly in an automated manner and these can be kept on the target for several days without compromising the quality of the analysis, allowing easy re-analysis when required.

Enzyme linked immunoassays: ELISA uses antibodies that are covalently linked to a “reporter enzyme” such as alkaline phosphatase or horseradish peroxidase, enzymes whose products are readily detected, often just by a color change. The serum or urine to be tested is placed along with a solution of antibodies covalently linked to a reporter enzyme. If methylphenidate or ritalinic acid is present, the specific antibodies will adhere to them. The presence and quantity of bound antibody are then determined by adding the substrate for reporter enzyme & quantitative analysis can be done on the basis of intensity of the developed color.

Panic Attack or Heart Attack?  This is a very common question because the symptoms are similar.  They are not the same but similar.  Many people having a panic attack for the first time think they are having a heart attack.  Upfront, I just want to say that people don’t die from panic attacks.

One of the most well-known and key points in determining a heart attack is a shooting pain in the left arm. This usually occurs before cardiac arrest. And of course, you will experience chest pain, which can be anywhere from very light to excruciating.  Panic attacks are usually accompanied by labored, erratic breathing, abnormally fast heartbeat, sweating, and trembling. You shouldn’t really experience any pain in your left arm.

Panic attacks are often brought on by tremendous stress, sudden waves of heavy emotion such as fear or sadness, and just general nervousness. They can occur anywhere at anytime, whether you are feeling stressed at the moment or not. Some situations where you may have a panic attack include getting lost while driving, being in an overwhelming, highly populated area, worrying about a test, studying too much, etc.

Overall, panic attacks and heart attacks are often confused because of the similarity of symptoms, but depending on your age and health, it is usually only one or the other.

Remember that panic attacks often come with hyperventilation, overwhelming emotion, sweat, trembling, very fast and erratic heartbeat, and are usually stress related occurrences…heart attacks induce feelings of light-headedness and disorientation, shooting pain in the left arm, and chest pain.  Your heart isn’t being strained; it’s being thrown into a natural fight or flight response. Also, your heart isn’t what’s causing the panic attack – your mind is.

You will not die from a panic attack but just because you won’t die from a panic attack, doesn’t mean you should just live with the debilitating anxiety it creates. There IS help for you.Using the correct techniques and exercises, you CAN learn to control and even completely eliminate panic attacks.

After the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) discovered health risks with the natural herbal substance Ephedra, they banned the use of the drug. Ephedra is a natural ingredient from Asian countries that has been used in many dietary supplements and over-the-counter asthma drugs.

Although Ephedrine alkaloids have been used in the treatment of respiratory diseases such as asthma, the use of Ephedra in dietary supplements is becoming a serious health risk. Dietary supplements are one of the largest areas in drugs and pills that Ephedra is found in.

Originally, the FDA could not regulate the production and distribution of Ephedra because it is a dietary supplement protected under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHE). According to the FDA, under this Act, the manufacturer of the dietary supplement is responsible for ensuring that it is safe before it is marketed to the public.

The FDA is responsible for taking action against any unsafe dietary supplement product after it reaches the market. As such, most manufacturers are not required to register their products with the FDA, nor must they get FDA approval, before producing or selling dietary supplements.

The burden of proof lies on the shoulders of the manufacturers, and they are required to make sure that product label information is truthful and not misleading.

Despite the limitations the DSHE Act imposed upon the FDA to act as an agent of change, the FDA issued numerous warnings beginning in the early 1990’s detailing the health risks to consumers of products containing Ephedra.

Since the FDA was not able to regulate ephedra effectively until after millions of Americans had already consumed the stimulant, many consumers are unaware that suppliers of products containing the drug were able to make health and weight loss claims about these substances without a scientific basis. The use of this product and the intential neglect to avoid disclosing the serious side effects from this drug has been a serious issue affecting those taking the supplement.

In 1994, the FDA began receiving many reports regarding the side effects of products containing Ephedra. Although Ephedra is used in less than 1 percent of diet pills it is among the largest in sales, receiving 64 percent of all sales.

More than 800 reports were submitted about serious side effects from Ephedra use during a nine year period. These included but are not limited to:

* High blood pressure.

* Heart rate irregularities.

* Insomnia, nervousness.

* Tremors.

* Seizures.

* Heart attacks.

* Strokes.

* Brain hemorrhages.

* Death.

Ephedra’s effects are similar to that of adrenaline and it affects the central nervous system. Ephedra acts as a stimulant and it can cause rapid or irregular heartbeats, chest pain, psychosis and tremors.

Ephedra dilates the bronchial muscles, contracts nasal mucosa, raises blood pressure, and is a cardiac stimulant. Complications from these adverse effects can result in strokes or heart irregularities that can cause cardiac arrest or death. Recent research is now connecting primary pulmonary hypertention to the use of Ephedra.

Reports of these adverse side effects have increased in recent years and include the deaths of a few high profile athletes.

However, the side effects of Ephedra are serious and can be deadly. As such it has become critical to monitor its production, distribution and use. Perhaps this is why, in 2003 the states of California, Illinois and New York individually took action and banned the use of ephedra products. This in turn encouraged the Federal Government to move more quickly towards a blanket ban on the stimulant.

The FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) began discussing the ban of Ephedra in late 2003.

The DHHS stated that Ephedra can be linked to numerous health dangers and the FDA then urged consumers to immediately stop consuming products containing the drug. Other products still on the shelves have been encouraged to be recalled by the FDA.

Effective April 12, 2004, the FDA banned the sale of all Ephedrine over the counter dietary supplements, having concluded,”the totality of the available data showed little evidence of Ephedra’s effectiveness except for modest, short-term weight loss without any clear health benefit, while confirming that the substance raises blood pressure and otherwise stresses the circulatory system. These effects are linked to significant adverse health outcomes, including heart attack and stroke.”

It is now against the law to purchae or sell all dietary products containing Ephedra. The FDA notified 62 companies that market products containing Ephedra of the ban. Prior to the FDA ban one of the most popular supplements containing Ephedra was Metabolife356, which was manufactured by Metabolife International, Inc.

Heart Attack is a condition in which a portion of the heart muscle is damaged due to inadequate supply of Oxygen to that area. If immediate first aid and medical attention is not given, there may be a Cardiac arrest. That is, the heart stops to pump enough blood to the vital organs.

Help to take Medication

The person must be made to sit down and be calm. Loosen any tight cloth. Ask if the person takes any chest pain medication for a know heart condition. Help the person take the medication (usually nitro glycerine which is paced under he tongue.).

Under unconscious Condition

If there is no breathing or pulse the patient has a cardiac arrest and do the following. Raise the legs up to 12 to 18 inches to allow more blood to flow towards the heart. Immediately place the palm of your hand flat on the patient’s chest just over the lower part of the sternum (breast bone) and press your hand in a pumping motion once or twice by using the other hand. This may make the heart beat again. If the action do not restored the pulse or if the subject doesn’t begin to breathe again provide artificial respiration immediately and begin to give CPR.

How to give artificial respiration

Tilt the head back and lift up the chin. Pinch the nostrils shut with two fingers to prevent leakage of air. Take a deep breath and seal your own mouth to the persons mouth. Breath slowly into the person’s mouth-it should take about two seconds to adequately inflate the chest. Do this twice. Check to see if the chest rises as you breath into the patient. If there is resistance try to hold the head back further and lift the chin again. Repeat this procedure until help arrives or person start breath again.

How to perform CPR

Artificial respiration and CPR should be performed both at the same time.Look at the person’s chest and find the ‘upside-down V’ shaped notch that is made by the lower edge of the ribcage. Place your middle finger in this notch and then place your index finger beside it, resting on the breastbone. Take the heel of your other hand and slide it down the breastbone until it is touching this index finger. The heel of your hand should now be positioned on the middle of the lower half of the breastbone.  Now place the heel of your other hand on top of the first. Keep your fingers off the chest, by locking them together. Your pressure should be applied through the heels of the hands only. Keep your elbows straight, and bring your body weight over your hands to make it easier to press down.

Press down firmly and quickly to achieve a downwards movement of 4 to 5cm, then relax and repeat the compression. Do this 15 times, then give artificial respiration twice, and continue this 15:2 procedure until help arrives.   Aim for a rate of compression of about 100 per minute. You can help your timing and counting by saying out loud ‘one and two and three and four …’ etc.

Make sure the patient continues breathing and has a pulse until the Ambulance arrives.

Getting and staying healthy is a very important aspect of many people’s lives. Yet, relatively few people take full advantage of the possibilities that exist for doing more to improve their health. Nutritional supplements are some of the simplest things that you can use to greatly improve your overall well-being. Supplementing your diet takes relatively little time, but can prove priceless to those who can avoid traumatic health concerns later in life by taking care of their body’s now.
Prevention is the best approach to any disease. Fortunately for all of us, it is very difficult to do too much to prevent poor health, especially when it comes to heart health. Heart disease takes more lives in America than any other disease. Fortunately, there is a wide variety of nutritional supplements out there that you can use to help in the prevention of the symptoms of heart disease.
People seem to neglect to do the simple things that it takes to prevent heart attack and stroke for multiple reasons, but perhaps the most common reason is because of inconvenience. We do not want to be troubled to take any more time from our day than we have to. In our fast paced world many take advantage of fast food and fast driving to get from place to place, instead of focusing on thier health and what can be done on each day to make significant improvements. Many people are aware of what such things as the food pyramid are and what nutritious foods are suggested, but no one seems to have the time or the effort to do anything about it. The combination of proper nutrition with supplements is the key to having optimal health. Being in optimal health is the key to avoiding health problems.
So the answer is simple, exert some effort to eat right and take the nutritional supplements that your body needs to keep working at its best. But what types of supplements are there that are specifically formulated to help prevent cardiovascular problems? The answers are found within a unique blend of supplements that combines natural ingredients (such as the Acai berry) with ingredients that are naturally found in the body (such as L-Arginine and L-Citrulline) that when combined restore the body’s natural nutrients and provide a boost that helps all of your systems work at their highest and optimal levels. This type of mixture that takes all of the body’s inner workings into account but puts focused emphasis on what can be done to improve the role of the heart is exactly the kind of product that those who are worried about heart attack and strokes should be looking for.
There have been studies that show that there is even relief for those who are already experiencing the symptoms of an unhealthy heart. Supplements such as L-Arginine can reduce the discomfort of some of those symptoms by allowing for improved blood flow. Although cures for heart disease have yet to be found in herbal supplements and alternative medicines, it has been found that these products can improve the symptoms of these conditions, making it easier to fight through them and safeguard your health. Because lifestyle changes are required, it is easy to see that there is no miracle cure for any disease. Each individual must put forth the required effort if they are concerned about their own health.

Ephedra is a naturally occurring substance derived from the Asian supplement Ma Huang and is also known as Ephedrine, Pseudoephedrine, and Epitonin. Its principal active ingredient is Ephedrine, a drug that is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and found in over-the-counter asthma medications.
While products containing natural Ephedrine alkaloids have long been used to treat certain respiratory symptoms in traditional Chinese medicine, in recent years Ephedra has been extensively promoted as a stimulant that aids in weight loss, enhanced athletic performance and an increase in energy levels. Ephedra is now a household name and is primarily found in various over the counter diet pills.
Originally, the FDA could not regulate the production and distribution of Ephedra because it is a dietary supplement protected under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHE). According to the FDA, under this Act, the manufacturer of the dietary supplement is responsible for ensuring that it is safe before it is marketed to the public.
The FDA is responsible for taking action against any unsafe dietary supplement product after it reaches the market. As such, most manufacturers are not required to register their products with the FDA, nor must they get FDA approval, before producing or selling dietary supplements. The burden of proof lies on the shoulders of the manufacturers, and they are required to make sure that product label information is truthful and not misleading.
Despite the limitations the DSHE Act imposed upon the FDA to act as an agent of change, the FDA issued numerous warnings beginning in the early 1990’s detailing the health risks to consumers of products containing Ephedra.
Since the FDA was not able to regulate ephedra effectively until after millions of Americans had already consumed the stimulant, many consumers are unaware that suppliers of products containing the drug were able to make health and weight loss claims about these substances without a scientific basis. These suppliers also neglected to disclose the harmful and potentially deadly side effects of the products.
In 1994, the FDA began receiving many reports regarding the side effects of products containing Ephedra. While Ephedra-containing products account for less than one percent of all dietary supplement sales, the drug accounts for an alarming 64 percent of adverse events associated with dietary supplements.
Between 1994 – 2002, the FDA received more than 800 reports of adverse effects from Ephedra and Ephedrine alkaloids. These included but are not limited to:
* High blood pressure.
* Heart rate irregularities.
* Insomnia, nervousness.
* Tremors.
* Seizures.
* Heart attacks.
* Strokes.
* Brain hemorrhages.
* Death.
Ephedra’s effects are similar to that of adrenaline and it affects the central nervous system. Ephedra acts as a stimulant and it can cause rapid or irregular heartbeats, chest pain, psychosis and tremors. Ephedra dilates the bronchial muscles, contracts nasal mucosa, raises blood pressure, and is a cardiac stimulant. Complications from these adverse effects can result in strokes or heart irregularities that can cause cardiac arrest or death.
New medical research has suggested that ephedra can also cause primary pulmonary hypertension, a disabling and fatal condition of the lung. Reports of these adverse side effects have increased in recent years and include the deaths of a few high profile athletes.
Ephedra is a dangerous and potentially life threatening drug. As such it has become critical to monitor its production, distribution and use.
Perhaps this is why, in 2003 the states of California, Illinois and New York individually took action and banned the use of ephedra products. This in turn encouraged the Federal Government to move more quickly towards a blanket ban on the stimulant.
In December 2003, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the FDA announced the intention to ban Ephedra.
The DHHS stated that Ephedra can be linked to numerous health dangers and the FDA then urged consumers to immediately stop consuming products containing the drug. The FDA also strongly encouraged manufacturers to recall products still on the shelves.
Effective April 12, 2004, the FDA banned the sale of all Ephedrine over the counter dietary supplements, having concluded,”the totality of the available data showed little evidence of Ephedra’s effectiveness except for modest, short-term weight loss without any clear health benefit, while confirming that the substance raises blood pressure and otherwise stresses the circulatory system. These effects are linked to significant adverse health outcomes, including heart attack and stroke.”
It is now against the law to purchase or sell all dietary products containing Ephedra. The FDA notified 62 companies that market products containing Ephedra of the ban. Prior to the FDA ban one of the most popular supplements containing Ephedra was Metabolife356, which was manufactured by Metabolife International, Inc.