Doctor's Corner: Ephedra

The herb Ephedra remains highly effective in the treatment of respiratory complaints, and is recommended for those with allergies, asthma, or colds and congestion. Great for weight-loss

For five thousand years, Chinese medicine relied on derivatives from plants of the genus Ephedra to treat asthma and hay fever. Ephedra acts as a decongestant, aids in the proper elimination of fluids, and relieves bronchial spasms; these properties make it valuable to sufferers of allergies, asthma, colds, and other respiratory complaints.

Western medicine has used Ephedra as a bronchodilator and nasal decongestant, as well as to control urinary incontinence, since the 1920s. In time, Ephedra became an economic threat to its pharmaceutical competitors, and, somewhat predictably, also became the subject of scrutiny by international health authorities.

Ephedra can, as a side effect, raise blood pressure above its regular range, so the US FDA raised cautionary flags on the product, due to the possibility of causing harm in people with already-elevated blood pressure. Interestingly, studies reported that Ephedra’s side effects, if they occurred, only lasted a few days and never returned, while the benefits continued unabated. Drugs such as Dexfenfluramine and Phentermine continued being sold with greater health risks, but the risks were acceptable when under a doctor’s care.

In any event, any risks of Ephedra supplementation could be lowered by also supplementing with the amino acid L-Tyrosine. An essential building block for the production of Ephedra in the body, L-Tyrosine has been shown to boost the effects of Ephedra as much as 50%. Following this logic, this enables the dosage of Ephedra to be reduced by half, greatly reducing potential risk for anyone susceptible to Central Nervous System stimulation.

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