Word: ephedra
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...HEALTH: Ephedra is out, but that doesn't mean you can trust other weight-loss supplements...
Just in time for any New Year's weight-loss resolutions, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week announced its intention to ban dietary supplements that contain any of six stimulants collectively known as ephedra alkaloids. Folks who don't mind risking their health in a desperate attempt to cut a few pounds (you know who you are) may be upset, but the rest of us should be pleased. The FDA has received more than 16,000 reports of complications--ranging from dizziness to strokes--that may have been triggered by the supplement, and it has linked ephedra...
Studies show that ephedra can promote modest short-term weight loss (an extra pound per month), apparently by somewhat suppressing appetite and boosting metabolism. In combination with caffeine, it may also jolt the muscles enough to enhance athletic performance for brief spurts...
...problems, hypertension, increased hostility and aggression and cardiovascular diseases. Even more prevalent than steroid use is amphetamine use, which players take to stay energized and alert during night games. Possible side effects of this drug include an increased heart rate and blood pressure, restlessness, weight loss and heart failure. Ephedra, which has similar effects to amphetamines but is sold over-the-counter, can also be dangerous when taken before exercise, and was linked to the death of Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler earlier this year. One Orioles team doctor said, “It makes the heart beat faster...
...death of baseball pitcher Steven Bechler may have been linked to the herb ephedra [HEALTH, March 3]. It brings to the fore a problem that needs urgent regulatory attention. Alternative-medicine gurus and the burgeoning over-the-counter drug industry have fostered the notion that anything natural is safe. Well, the poisons strychnine, belladonna, ricin and botulin are all natural. Legislation is needed to prohibit advertising that implies "all natural ingredients" means "safe." HERMAN BIEBER Kenilworth...