Ephedrine / Ephedra: Potent Fat Burner, Or Dangerous Drug? Part III
This is part III of the ephedra / ephedrine article. If you missed Part I, just click here to review it! Part II is available here!
So ephedrine itself is only a small part of the problem here — it’s a lack of education and regulation.
Properly controlled and regulated by the FDA, ephedrine would be far less likely to make it into the hands of those who are most likely to be harmed by this drug.
And if the populace in general were made aware of the possible dangers of this supplement, and that it is often derived from all-natural compounds (compounds that yield a level of active ingredient that is no less potent and dangerous than manufactured versions), this problem would all but disappear.
When used at the appropriate dosage by healthy indivduals, the number of adverse reactiions associated with ephedrine / ephedra is relatively insignificant.
So the next logical question is…
“Is ephedrine an effective fat burner?”
The answer to the first question is a definite yes, especially when it is combined with caffeine and aspirin. There are plenty of clinical studies that validate both its effectiveness and safety — when used properly, of course! (See Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2004 Nov;28(11):1411-9, Obes Res. 2004 Jul;12(7):1152-7, Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2001 Mar;25(3):316-24, Int J Obes (Lond). 2006 Oct;30(10):1545-56, Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2005 Jan-Feb;32(1-2):47-53 ).
Should you try ephedra yourself?
Remember, ephedra is illegal in many countries, including the U.S. Anyone interested in obtaining ephedra safely and legally, check out my review of “The Black Market Report On Ephedrine.” It will show you how to source and use ephedra, without risking the wrath of the law.
This question is not nearly as simple — it can only be answered by you. If any of the following apply to you — high blood pressure, liver, thyroid, or psychiatric disease, pernicious anemia, nervousness, anxiety, depression, seizure disorders, cardiac arrythmias, prostate enlargement, or you’re taking any MAO inhibitor or any prescription drug, don’t even think of taking an ephedrine-based product without seeing your doctor first.
Remember, clinical studies performed on ephedra for safety and effectiveness are performed on healthy individuals, not on people suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions.
Before you dismiss this product entirely, I urge you to remember…
Sometimes the FDA-regulated prescription alternatives, like phentermine and fen/phen (fenfluramine/phentermine) are actually much more dangerous. Secondly, there’s the option of stimulant-free fat burners, some of which can be effective — click here to view our recommendations!
