Will ephedra be banned? Proponents say the herb ephedra is safe when used properly. Opponents say it's deadly, Both sides await the final word from government officials - News & notes: latest research, interviews, product reviews, tips, and trends

Natural Health, Jan-Feb, 2002 by Clare Horn, Susanne Althoff, Melissa Nachatelo

PUBLIC CITIZEN, A CONsumer safety watchdog group based in Washington, D.C., recently demanded that the FDA ban all ephedra products. The group cited nearly 1,400 reports to the FDA of ephedra-related health problems, ranging from hypertension to death, between 1999 and 2001. It also cited 876 reports filed with the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) between 1997 and 1999.

Ephedra, also known as ma huang, has been used for more than 4,000 years in traditional Chinese medicine. It has recently become popular as an ingredient in weight-loss and performance-enhancing supplements in America. Controversy started this past summer when two college football players who reportedly had been using ephedra died. Coroner and doctor reports were inconclusive, but that didn't stop Public Citizen from filing its petition in September. Three days later the National Football League barred its players from using the supplement, voicing concerns over safety.

The FDA reports cited by Public Citizen are misleading because they aren't verified or documented with medical records, says Wes Siegner, legal counsel to the Ephedra Education Council, an industry organization in Washington, D.C. Public Citizen cites a rise in ephedra problems, but Siegner points out that more than 3 billion ephedra supplements are sold each year, making the 1,400 cases reported to the FDA over three years a low figure. And when you compare the number of AAPCC ephedra reports to the number of aspirin-related problems--2,621 in just one year--ephedra's 876 reports over three years is also low.

So will the FDA ban ephedra? FDA officials won't say when they will reach a decision. But Rob McCaleb, president of the nonprofit Herb Research Foundation in Boulder, Colo., says that historically the government has banned few herbs and that it's unlikely the agency will pull ephedra from the supplement market. "[Ephedra] can be safely used when taken as directed by normal, healthy people," says McCaleb.