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Ephedra, derived
from an Asiatic shrub, contains ephedrine, a stimulant that acts on
the central nervous system to relax bronchial tubes. Ephedrine acts
on the appetite control center of the brain, the hypothalmus,
suppressing the desire to eat. Ephedrine stimulates the heart and
causes blood vessels to constrict, increasing blood pressure and
heart rate.
Ephedra can produce
the following adverse reactions: heart attack, stroke, tachycardia,
paranoid psychosis, depression, convulsions, coma, fever, vomiting,
palpitations, hypertension, and respiratory depression. The
Department of Health and Human Services reported that dietary
supplements containing ephedra may present significant or
unreasonable risks as currently marketed, and announced a series of
actions designed to protect Americans from these risks.
In May 2003, a class
action lawsuit was launched against approximately 16 ephedra
manufacturers across the United States, possibly the first such suit
in the supplement industry. The complaint names Metabolife
International, Twin Laboratories, Rexall Sundown and Cytodyne, in
addition to other ephedra power players such as Herbalife, Next
Protein, EAS and Bioplex Nutrition. The
widow of Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler has also sued the
manufacturer and the distributor of a dietary supplement containing
ephedra for $600 million.
The 23-year-old Bechler started a firestorm of controversy over the
ephedra supplement after he collapsed. His body temperature
rose to more than 108 degrees and he died the next day. A bottle of
Xenadrine RFA-1 was found in Bechler's locker. Toxicology tests
confirmed significant amounts of an over-the-counter supplement
containing ephedra led to Bechler's. The lawsuit filed by Kiley
Bechler also seeks a ban on the sale of ephedra-based products.
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