Ephedra Extract
Ephedra extract is the ephedra which is taken from the ephedra plant. The ephedra plant is a shrub which has properties that stimulate the system and has been used for medicinal purposes for many years by the Chinese, Native Americans, Mexicans, and Mormons. Ephedra has several names. It is called Chinese Ephedra, Ma Huang, Mormon Tea, Desert Tea, Squaw Tea, Herbal Ecstasy, and Epitonin. The different names are closely related to who used it and the different desert areas where it was found around the globe. It was used for the common cold, asthma, congestion of the bronchial tubes and the lungs, sinus congestion, cough, shortness of breath, weight loss, as an energy booster, or as a sports performance booster, plus other uses. Ephedra has been found a lethal ingredient when mixed with caffeine (guarana, kola nut, cocoa extract) or aspirin (willow bark, salicytes, salicylic acid) or sometimes just the ephedra alone was dangerous. Some products which contained ephedra also contained one or both of these ingredients as well. There has been many reports to the FDA about people suffering from serious health issues or death because of the products which contained ephedra so the FDA got ephedra banned in 2003. They had a list of over 800 reports of people who suffered from the use of ephedra products and some deaths. Some people disagreed with the Food and Drug Administration and wanted to get the ban on ephedra lifted so they filed a petition in 2004 with the courts to get the ban lifted. The court lifted the ban in 2005 and stated that they did not feel that the FDA had enough evidence that ephedra was dangerous if used in small amounts. The products were to contain no more than 10 mg of ephedra per dose. The FDA continued to receive evidence that ephedra was still causing heart attacks and strokes and other serious problems even in as little as 8 mg doses. They had some of the ephedra products tested and found that some of them did not contain the amounts of ephedra that was stated on the labels of the products. Some contained more and some contained less than was stated on the bottles. Some did not contain any ephedra at all. The FDA received over 1,000 reports of medical emergencies and at least 17 deaths from ephedra users and their families. This prompted the FDA to once again file the evidence in court and ephedra was banned for the second time in late 2006.
Many people have been compensated for their injuries and loss caused by ephedra products. Many more have filed claims and are awaiting results. If you have suffered from a product that contained ephedra or have lost a family member from it, you may be entitled to compensation. Discuss it with a good lawyer in your area.
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