Word: ephedra
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Want to lose weight using ephedra? You can't. Bush's FDA has banned the over-the-counter supplement. Steroids? You heard the Nanny in Chief. And if you're a scientist researching a touchy subject, be prepared to feel the breath of Big Government down the back of your white coat. Early on in his Administration, the President--not scientists or patients--decided exactly how far federally funded research into stem cells could go. Cloning technologies? Forget about...
...EPHEDRA...
Since 1997 the FDA has been keeping track of ephedra, an herb used in dietary supplements for weight loss and energy boosts. Last month the agency finally amassed enough data on the herb's side effects--from high blood pressure to stroke and sudden death--to justify a proposed ban of the supplement. The move comes too late for the Baltimore Orioles' Steve Bechler, who died during spring training after taking the supplement. But health officials expect that a ban will save other lives...
...been trying to restrict ephedra supplements for the past six years, only to be beaten back by industry and political pressure. Thanks to the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, the FDA has to go through all sorts of legal hoops to restrict dangerous supplements and can act only after they have gone on the market. By contrast, the agency carefully vets prescription drugs long before they ever reach consumers...
...drumbeat of bad publicity about ephedra has taken its toll. Sales were reportedly down even before the FDA's announcement. Many supplement enthusiasts have started taking other so-called natural stimulants--like synephrine and octopamine, found in bitter orange--which are not as potent as ephedra. But even with these products, information on safety is sparse--thanks once again to the 1994 dietary-supplements...