Ephedra has been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years. However, in the last decade, ephedra products have been thrust into the media spotlight given to high profile lawsuits, the FDA all encompassing ban, and the recent ban reversal.

With all this media attention, you may be wondering what exactly the ephedra product is. Ephedra product is derived from a herbal plant called MaHuang. The main chemical compound in ephedra is ephedrine. Ephedrine is a chemical that simulates the nervous system, dilates bronchial tubes, elevates metabolism and increases heart rate.

People who use the ephedra product may do so for a number of reasons. They use ephedra product to help with asthma, colds, flu, for athletic training or to lose weight. Most users of an ephedra product may experience little to no side effects when taking the recommended dosage. When taking too high a dosage of ephedra based products, one may experience side effects such as: