Ephedra falls under FDA jurisdiction - natural stimulant

Vegetarian Times, Sept, 1997 by Cristin Marandino

The regulatory debate aside, are ephedrine products safe? Blumenthal says that there are those who simply should not take ephedrine: children under 13 years of age, pregnant women and people with high blood pressure, heart conditions or neurological disorders. However, he also believes that the FDA needs to scrutinize the claims of ephedrine-related illness before cracking down on the supplement.

"There is another way of looking at those 800 illnesses," says Blumenthal. "There may be other causes, or maybe the ma huang affected a pre-existing condition. In many ways, the existing data is sketchy and incomplete."

Amidst all the conflicting arguments, one thing remains certain: While ephedrine may not be the public menace that some claim it to be, it definitely isn't candy. If you're interested in taking ephedrine, you owe it to yourself to investigate it. "We urge people to talk to their doctors before using dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids and to always use them with caution," says Friedman.