Ephedra

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Ephedra

Dietary supplement is a product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and/or other ingredients intended to supplement the diet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has special labeling requirements for dietary supplements and treats them as foods, not drugs. Manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements and dietary ingredients are prohibited from marketing products that are adulterated or misbranded. That means that these firms are responsible for evaluating the safety and labeling of their products before marketing to ensure that they meet all the requirements of DSHEA and FDA regulations.

Ephedra Flowering Plant

Helpful Informational Links Dandelion Root Products The leaves and roots of the dandelion, or the whole plant, are used fresh or dried in teas, capsules, or extracts. Try the Dandelion Way Hoodia Kalahari Bushmen have traditionally eaten hoodia stems to reduce their hunger and thirst during long hunts. Alternative way to loose weight! Immune System Supplements Astragalus root is used to support and enhance the immune system. Astragalus has also been used for heart disease. Herbal Alternative Health

Ephedra

The medicinal herb Ephedra as an alternative herbal remedy for asthma, wheezing, nasal congestion - Ephedra is an evergreen shrub-like plant native to Central Asia and Mongolia. The principal active ingredient, ephedrine, is a compound that can powerfully stimulate the nervous system and heart.Common Names--ephedra, Chinese ephedra, ma huang

Latin Name--Ephedra sinica Picture of Ephedra

What Ephedra Is Used For

• Ephedra has been used for more than 5,000 years in China and India to treat conditions such as colds, fever, flu, headaches, asthma, wheezing, and nasal congestion.
• It has also been an ingredient in many dietary supplements used for weight loss, increased energy, and enhanced athletic performance.

How Ephedra Is Used

The dried stems and leaves of the plant are used to create capsules, tablets, extracts, tinctures, and teas.

What the Science Says about Ephedra

• An NCCAM-funded study that analyzed phone calls to poison control centers found a higher rate of side effects from ephedra, compared with other herbal products.
• Other studies and systematic reviews have found an increased risk of heart, psychiatric, and gastrointestinal problems, as well as high blood pressure and stroke, with ephedra use.
• According to the FDA, there is little evidence of ephedra's effectiveness, except for short-term weight loss. However, the increased risk of heart problems and stroke outweighs any benefits.
• In recent years, the safety of ephedra-containing dietary supplements has been questioned by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and the medical community as a result of reports of serious side effects and ephedra-related deaths. In response to accumulating evidence of adverse effects and deaths related to ephedra, the FDA banned the sale of ephedra-containing supplements on April 12, 2004. A suit by an ephedra manufacturer was upheld by a Federal District Court judge in Utah on April 14, 2005. The FDA appealed this ruling, and on August 17, 2006 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit upheld the FDA's ban of ephedra. The sale of ephedra-containing dietary supplements is currently illegal in the United States because of the high risk of ephedra-related adverse events. >>this article copied verbatim from wikipedia>>

Ephedra biochemistry

The alkaloids ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are the active constituents of the plant. Pseudoephedrine is used in over-the-counter decongestants. Derivatives of ephedrine are used to treat low blood pressure, but alternatives with reduced cardiovascular risk have replaced it for treating asthma. Ephedrine is also considered a performance-enhancing drug and is prohibited in most competitive sports. Some species in the Ephedra genus have no alkaloid content and are therefore essentially inert; however, the most commonly used species, E. sinica, has a total alkaloid content of 1–3% by dry weight. Ephedrine constitutes 40–90% of the alkaloid content, with the remainder consisting of pseudoephedrine and the demethylated forms of each compound. >> This article copied verbatim from wikipedia >>

Side Effects and Cautions about Ephedra

In 2004, the FDA banned the U.S. sale of dietary supplements containing ephedra. The FDA found that these supplements had an unreasonable risk of injury or illness--particularly cardiovascular complications--and a risk of death. The ban does not apply to traditional Chinese herbal remedies or to products like herbal teas regulated as conventional foods.

• Between 1995 and 1997, the FDA received more than 900 reports of possible ephedra toxicity. Serious adverse events such as stroke, heart attack, and sudden death were reported in 37 cases.
• Taking ephedra can also result in nausea, anxiety, headache, psychosis, kidney stones, tremors, dry mouth, irregular heart rhythms, heart damage, high blood pressure, restlessness, sleep problems, irritation of the stomach, and increased urination.
• Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding and children should avoid taking ephedra. Using ephedra may worsen many health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, sleep disorders, and diabetes.
• Ephedra use may lead to serious health problems when used with other dietary supplements or medicines.
• Combining ephedra with caffeine increases the risk of potentially serious side effects.
• Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

News About Ephedra

Ma Huang: Appropriate vs. High-Risk Uses

• Source:http://www.christopherhobbs.com/library/articles-on-herbs-and-health/ma-huang-appropriate-vs-high-risk-uses/

By Christopher Hobbs

To me one of the worst things about a cold is that feeling that I can’t breathe through my nose at night. Invariably, my sinuses will be clear all day, but as soon as I lie down, it’s as if someone stuffed a large cotton ball up each nostril. I try blowing my nose just right, I try turning this way, then that to get one nostril to drain and open up, but to no avail. Hours later, with little sound sleep, I reach for an herbal formula with the Chinese herb called ma huang, which I know will shortly open things up.

Of course, I could have gone to the drug store and bought one of the many over-the counter (OTC) preparations like SudafedÆ or PrimatineÆ that contain the same active ingredient as ma huang, ephedrine, but then I would have gotten a few other things that I might have to lie awake and worry about, like FD&C Blue dyes Nos. 1 and 2, Red No. 3 parabens and black ink.

Ma huang (Ephedra sinensis) is an important medicinal herb from China used for over 3,000 year in teas and other preparations to help with symptoms of asthma, colds and flu, and allergies. It has also found worldwide acceptance as an effective component of many herbal formulas, over-the-counter (OTC) medications, and as a source for the purified drugs ephedrine and pseudoephedrine used widely for upper respiratory tract ailments (such as allergies and asthma).

The broom-like stems of the herb are harvested by the tons in China and shipped to ports all over the world. Although there are several American species (known as Mormon Tea and used traditionally as a blood purifier), such as E. nevadensis, it is important to note that they contain little or no ephedrine.

The most common use of ma huang in traditional medicine is to relieve symptoms from the first stages of what we call “the common cold,” in western countries, especially the type that is due to exposure to cold, damp, and wind. It is also invaluable for helping to relieve the wheezing and breathing difficulties associated with some types of asthma and allergies.

A TCM herbalist or acupuncturist will always prescribe ma huang in combination with other herbs to help counteract possible side effects such as nervousness, sleeplessness, heart palpitations, high blood pressure, and directing energy away from the digestive organs.

The main active ingredient of ma huang, ephedrine, falls into a therapeutic category of “Adrenergic bronchodilators.” (Opens up the bronchial tree by stimulating the sympathetic nervous system) and is the only adrenergic bronchodilator that is available without a doctor’s prescription. Ephedrine can shrink congested mucous membranes, helping to dry up the watery discharge and open the stuffed nasal passages which so often accompany the common cold or some flu.

The alkaloid acts in similar ways to the body’s own stimulant, adrenaline, but is milder and longer-lasting and, unlike adrenaline, works orally.

Pseudoephedrine, a natural variant of ephedrine from ma huang, is found as a main ingredient in such well-known products as Sudafed, Actifed, Contac, Robitussin-PE, Sinutab, and others, because it causes less of a blood-pressure rise than ephedrine, while maintaining a similar strength for bronchodilation. In current medical practice in the United States, ephedrine is approved for the following conditions:

• “Symptoms of bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema and other lung diseases”

• cough, wheezing, shortness of breath, and troubled breathing (increases the flow of air through the bronchial tubes by dilating them).

• Narcolepsy (“uncontrolled desire for sleep, or sudden attacks of sleep”).

Presently, there is a controversy “brewing” over ma huang. The problem is that some herbal product manufacturers tend at times to disregard the traditional use of ephedra. A number of popular weight-loss and energy products include pure ephedra concentrates, which stimulate the nervous system and metabolism (by stimulating the thyroid gland). There is evidence that the herb works for these purposes, but there are possible dangers… side effects such as a weakening of the digestion, blood pressure increases with an extra demand on the heart, as well as sleep disturbances, nervousness, and anxiety. Some manufacturers do try to add tonic herbs to help counteract these effects.

David Litell from Excell Products, a popular line of “human energy” products containing ma huang said that some of the formulas blended with tonic herbs “are good enough to use on an as needed basis” and that “….ma huang formulas give many people what they want [in the way of extra energy] without draining their reserves.”

He adds that when blended with tonic herbs, ma huang is safer to use than other popular (and legal) stimulants like coffee, kola nut, or guarana, all of which contain caffeine.

However, the uncontrolled and possibly uneducated sale of ma huang is concerning many licensed practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) who worry that the herb (and perhaps others) will become unavailable to them for use in their clinics because of restrictions by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Harvey Kaltsis, the President of the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AAAOM) told me that if ma huang is used in commercial formulas for weight loss or energy products, the contraindications should be on the bottle, and it should be properly formulated with other herbs that help counteract its possible side-effects.

“Ephedra should be determined by a TCM differential diagnosis to be appropriate for the person who is using it. Because ephedra is warm in nature, it is inappropriate for people with high blood pressure, spontaneous sweating, and other heat conditions because it will aggravate them.”

Michael Tierra, author of The Way of Herbs is a licensed acupuncturist and western herbalist who feels that ephedra should not be taken long-term. He feels that it is also not appropriate for use in people who have “yin deficiency,” or stress-related adrenal weakness disorders like chronic fatigue.

Currently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has an import alert on ephedra extracts, and the herb was recently mentioned in testimony before a House Sub-Committee hearing on dietary supplements (Proxmire hearings) as a substance about which unsubstantiated claims and documented hazards had occurred in the marketplace. They state that serious side effects have been reported to them from products containing ma huang.

Traditional contraindications for ephedra include general weakness, poor digestion, high blood pressure, nervousness, sleeping difficulties, cardiac arrythmias, and heart disease. It may also contract the uterus, which means it should not be used during pregnancy.

As an OTC and pharmaceutical drug, a number of cautions must be included in labels and instructions for products containing ephedrine, including tremors, nervousness, insomnia, hypertension, heart palpitations, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, and prostatic enlargement. Ephedrine is classified by the FDA for pregnancy in category C (no studies on adverse effects on the fetus exist for humans or animals). It passes through mother’s milk to the infant and should not be taken during breast-feeding. It should not be taken with monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors (such as isocarboxazid, phenelzine, or tranylcypromine or possibly the herb St. John’s wort—Hypericum perforatum) which can potentiate the stimulating effects of ephedra.

Despite the number of side effects listed for purified ephedrine in therapeutic doses, studies show that the whole herb ma huang has a very low toxicity and potential for side effects, when used properly (Tang). Animal studies also have failed to demonstrate carcinogenic or mutagenic potential for ephedrine, and the alkaloid is rapidly eliminated from the human body (88% of an oral dose is excreted in the urine within 24 hours, 97% after 48 hours). Traditional Uses

Herbalists have been saying for years that ma huang should not be used out of the context of a system of medicine that considers its possible side effects as well as clearly defining what kind of person can safely take the herb and for what kind of conditions. Some herbalists feel like manufacturing and advertising products containing ma huang for energy or weight loss are irresponsible and can do nothing but hurt the industry in the long run. This may not have been an easy controversy to clear up without outside intervention, because ephedra makes fantastic profits for manufacturers promising quick energy and slimmer torsos.

Manufacturers of diet and energy products containing ma huang say that ephedra really works to burn fat by stimulating the thyroid gland, a major player in determining the rate of metabolism. They add that when blended with “tonic” herbs that help to counteract its side effects, ma huang is safer to use than other popular (and legal) stimulants like coffee, kola nut, or guarana, all of which contain caffeine.

In TCM, it is known as “Ma Huang,” which means, literally, “hemp yellow,” because of its color. Botanically, it is more closely related to the conifers like pine and firs than to familiar flowering plants such as the mints or dandelions.

The broom-like stems are harvested by the tons in China and shipped to ports all over the world. Although there are several American species (known as Mormon Tea and used traditionally as a blood purifier), such as E. nevadensis, they contain little or no ephedrine or its natural variants.

For coughs and wheezing, it is often combined with apricot seed; for retention of fluids (such as around the eyes) with symptoms of flu or colds, it is combined with ginger; and to counteract its tendency to aggravate inflammation or “heat” during colds and flu, combined with gypsum (Shi Gao) and scullcap root (Huang Qin). Traditionally, the contraindications (times when it is inappropriate to take ma huang) are listed as:

• people who are weakened by excessive sweating (ma huang increases sweating

• to help “push out” the virus pathogen)

• people who have colds in the summer during hot weather, or colds and

• flu with steady fever (no chills), or more-deeply seated ailments such

• as bronchitis accompanied by thick yellow mucus,

• people with high blood pressure

• people who are nervous or

• people who have trouble sleeping

• people with cardiac arrhythmia.

• people with heart disease

Medical Cautions

Additionally, western medicine gives these cautions for the use of ephedra:

• tremor, nervousness, insomnia, transient hypertension, and heart palpitations.

• Allergic reactions are rare, but do occur

• Ephedrine-containing products should be used cautiously with people with heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, or hyperthyroidism.

• Urinary retention can occur in men with prostatic enlargement.

• Ephedrine is classified by the FDA for pregnancy in category C (no studies on adverse effects on the fetus exist for humans or animals).

• Ephedrine passes through mother’s milk to the infant and should not be taken during breast-feeding.

• Can trigger anxiety attacks

• Can cause tremors and is contraindicated for people with epilepsy

• Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors (such as isocarboxazid, phenelzine or tranylcypromine or possibly the herb St. John’s wort—Hypericum perforatum) can potentiate the stimulating effects of ephedra.

• Studies with animals show that ephedrine has a low toxic potential and is not carcinogenic or mutagenic (Tang).

• In humans, 88% of an oral dose is excreted in the urine within 24 hours, 97% after 48 hours

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Doctors' alert on herb-drug interaction

• Source:http://health.asiaone.com/health/health-news/doctors-alert-herb-drug-interaction

By Joan Chew, The Straits Times

The spotlight was cast on the safety of Chinese herbal medication last month following the death last year of a 58-year-old woman who took cordyceps the week before an operation to remove a benign brain tumour.

She had failed to inform her doctors about her use of cordyceps, which is believed to lead to the extensive bleeding in her brain.

The case has prompted doctors and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) physicians to urge the public to be upfront about their use of medications, including herbs and herbal products.

The interaction between a herb or herbal product and a drug in the body "may augment the action of the drug, reduce the effectiveness of the drug or cause unexplained side effects", warned Ms Lim Ching Hui, senior principal pharmacist at Singapore General Hospital.

She gives four examples of herb-drug interactions that people should be aware of:

• Herbs with high mineral content - such as Gypsum fibrosum (shigao), Concha arcae (waleng zi) and Concha ostreae (muli) - may prevent the oral absorption of the fluoroquinolone class of antibiotics.

The oral and intravenous forms of these antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections of the lungs, respiratory tract, urinary tract, gastrointestinal tract, abdomen, and bones and joints, among other uses.

• Polyphenols in green tea can inhibit the effects of the anti- cancer drug bortezomib, which is used for the treatment of myeloma, a type of blood cancer.

This observation is based on experiments conducted in the test tube and on mice.

It is therefore not advisable for patients receiving bortezomib to consume green tea extracts or drink green tea in large amounts.

• Patients taking a class of drugs called tyrosine kinase inhibitors for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia, lung and kidney cancers are advised to avoid grapefruit.

Grapefruit contains a group of chemical compounds known as furanocoumarins which can inhibit the enzyme CYP3A4 that metabolises this class of drugs, causing accumulation of these drugs in the body.

• Ephedra sinica (mahuang) is the herb from which the drug ephedrine is derived.

Ephedrine is usually used in cough and cold medicines.

Taking Ephedra sinica and other herbs with similar properties has the potential to stimulate the brain, increase heart rate, narrow blood vessels and increase blood pressure, and cause sweating.

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TCM cancer treatment goes through final clinical trials in US

• Source:http://shanghaiist.com/2015/06/29/tcm-cancer-treatment-goes-through-final-clinical-trials.php
• By Sharon Choi

Kanglaite Injection (KLT), a drug that contains anti-cancer substances extracted from coix seed, has recently been cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to undergo phase III clinical trials.

KLT first underwent trials in 2001, making it the first traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to go through the FDA approval process. During the second phase, the drug proved to prolong pancreatic, lung and liver patients' lives by 1.9 months when used with chemotherapy, exceeding the success rate of existing Western cancer treatments.

On Saturday, Li Dapeng, the developer of the herbal remedy and a researcher at Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, announced that phase II was completed.

"After promising results from the phase II clinical trials, they are permitting us to move on to the third and final phase, where a larger number of volunteer cancer patients will be involved," Li was quoted as saying in an ECNS report. "If everything goes smoothly, KLT will hit the U.S. market in three years."

Li plans to enroll 750 patients for phase III, which is expected to take around three to four years to complete. Even though the trials require almost 16 years and millions of yuan, Li says it's worth the effort and time.

KLT was approved in China in 1995 and has since become the most popular anti-cancer drug in the country. If KLT passes the third phase of clinical trials, it will become the third medicine derived from TCM to enter Western pharmacies, following Mahuang, or Ephedra sinica, for asthma and Qinghao, Artemisia annua, for malaria.

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Ephedra

• Source:https://www.verywell.com/what-is-ephedra-side-effects-and-safety-concerns-89187

By Cathy Wong, ND

What You Need to Know

What is Ephedra?

Also known as: Ephedra sinica, ma huang, Chinese ephedra, Sida cordifolia, epitonin, ephedra

Ephedra sinica is an herb with a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine for asthma, bronchitis, allergies and cold and flu symptoms.

During the 80s, ephedra became popular outside of traditional Chinese medicine for weight loss and to enhance sports performance. Its popularity continued to grow, and it was found in many nutritional supplements marketed for weight loss and performance enhancement until supplements containing ephedra were banned by the U.S.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2006.

The primary active ingredients in ephedra are believed to be the alkaloids ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, which are thought to increase heart rate, constrict blood vessels (which increases blood pressure), dilate bronchial tubes (which makes it easier to breathe) and have thermogenic properties (increases body heat and metabolic rate).

A synthetic form of pseudoephedrine is found in over-the-counter decongestants and cold medicines, and synthetic ephedrine is used to treat asthma (but it has largely been replaced by newer medications). Synthetic ephedrine and pseudoephedrine have also been used to make the illicit street drug methamphetamine, as reported by The New York Times. Ephedra in the United States

Dietary supplements containing any amount of ephedra alkaloids have been banned in the United States since 2006.

In Canada, ephedra is authorized by Health Canada for use only as a nasal decongestant.

Nutritional supplements with ephedra can't contain stimulants, such as caffeine, that might heighten the effect of the ephedra. Also, they can't exceed 400 mg per dose or 1600 mg per day of ephedra, or 8 mg ephedrine per dose or 32 mg per day of ephedrine. Products with implied or unproven claims for weight loss, appetite suppression, body-building effects or increased energy are not permitted. Why Do People Use Ephedra?

1) Weight Loss

Ephedra is used in weight loss supplements. Proponents claim that it may help promote weight loss and suppress appetite.

Prior to the ban on ephedra supplements, many dietary supplements marketed for weight loss also contained caffeine-containing herbs, such as green tea, yerba mate and guarana. The ephedra/caffeine combination, however, is now widely believed to heighten the potential health risks and is not recommended.

2) Sports Performance

Ephedra is similar in structure to amphetamine, so it has been used to increase athletic performance in strength and endurance sports, increase alertness and aggressiveness on the field, and reduce fatigue in sports such as ice hockey, baseball, football, and cycling. There isn't good evidence, however, that it can improve sports performance, and is not recommended for this purpose given the potential side effects.

Ephedra is banned by many sports associations, including the International Olympic Committee, the National Football League (NFL) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

3) Asthma and Other Respiratory Disorders

Ephedra has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine as a folk remedy for asthma, bronchitis, allergies, fever, chills and cold and flu symptoms, such as nasal congestion.

Caveats

Side effects of ephedra may include:

• nausea

• headache; dizziness

• irritation of the stomach; diarrhea

• anxiety; psychosis

• kidney stones

• tremors

• dry mouth

• irregular or rapid heart rhythms; heart damage

• high blood pressure

• restlessness; nervousness; sleeping problems

• decreased appetite

• flushing; sweating

• increased urination

Use of ephedra has also been associated with stroke, seizures, psychosis and death.

A study commissioned by the National Institutes of Health reviewed 16,000 adverse event reports and identified two deaths, nine strokes, four heart attacks, one seizure and five psychiatric cases involving the use of ephedra where there were no other possible factors that could have contributed to these results.

The NIH-commissioned study also concluded that ephedra was associated with higher risks of mild to moderate side effects such as heart palpitations, psychiatric and digestive effects, and symptoms of hyperactivity of the autonomic nervous system (tremor, insomnia), especially when combined with caffeine or other stimulants such as kola nut, green tea, guarana or yerba mate.

Many of the side effects of ephedra have been attributed to overdose, abuse and combining it with other stimulants that heighten its effect, such as caffeine. Side effects of ephedra, however, can vary and don't always depend on the dose. Serious adverse effects may also occur in susceptible people at low doses.

The risk of side effects and adverse effects appears to be greater in people with preexisting conditions, such as heart disease, high blood pressure; heart rate disorders; thyroid disease; hypoglycemia; glaucoma; anxiety; glaucoma; pheochromocytoma; diabetes; kidney disease or kidney stones; mental illness or a history of mental illness; enlarged prostate; cerebral insufficiency and a history of seizures, stroke, or transient ischemic attacks. People with these health conditions should avoid ephedra. People with allergies to ephedra, ephedrine, or pseudoephedrine should also avoid ephedra.

Ephedra is believed to increase the risk of heat stroke because it increases metabolism and impairs the body's ability to lose heat.

Ephedra shouldn't be taken two weeks before or after surgery. It shouldn't be used by pregnant or nursing women or children. People with anorexia nervosa or bulimia should avoid ephedra because it affects appetite.

Supplements haven't been tested for safety and due to the fact that dietary supplements are largely unregulated, the content of some products may differ from what is specified on the product label. Also keep in mind that the safety of supplements in pregnant women, nursing mothers, children, and those with medical conditions or who are taking medications has not been established.

Remember, products containing ephedra were banned by the FDA in 2006.

Potential Interactions

Based on known interactions between the active ingredients of ephedra, ephedrine, and pseudoephedrine, the following medications could theoretically interact with ephedra:

• Aerolate, T-Phyl, and Uniphyl (theophylline) -- a medication used for asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis

• Amphetamines, such as those used for narcolepsy or attention deficit hyperactivity, such as Adderall (dextroamphetamine)

• Antidepressants, particularly monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), such as Marplan (isocarboxazid), Nardil (phenelzine) and Parnate (tranylcypromine), due to an increased risk of high blood pressure and stroke; tricyclic antidepressants, such as Elavil (amitriptyline) and :• Pamelor (nortriptyline)

• Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid

• Blood pressure medicatio;

• Diabetes medications, such as insulin, Glucophage (metformin), Diabeta, Glynase, Micronase (glyburide

• Narcotics, such as codeine

• Pitosin (Oxytocin) or Secale Alkaloid Derivatives

• St. John's Wort

• Stimulants -- Ephedra should not be combined with other substances with a stimulant effect, such as caffeine and Sudafed (pseudoephedrine hydrochloride), as it may have an additive effect. Herbs known to contain caffeine include green tea, kola nut, guarana and yerba mate, while bitter orange is a stimulant.

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Ephedra Ban

• Source:https://www.verywell.com/ephedra-herbal-remedy-ban-89093

By Cathy Wong, ND

Ephedra was a popular herbal remedy for weight loss and sports performance enhancement in the United States up until it was banned in 2006 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Here is a brief history of ephedra regulation:

1997: The FDA proposed a ruling that would ban supplements containing 8 mg or more of ephedrine alkaloids from being sold and would also require stricter labeling of ephedra supplements.

Members of the supplement industry created a public relations group to oppose the changes.

2000: The FDA withdrew the proposed changes and restrictions. A review published in the New England Journal of Medicine, however, reported a number of cases of severe side effects resulting from ephedra use.

2001: Minnesota Vikings football player Korey Stringer died as a result of heatstroke. Ephedra use was considered to be a possible cause in his death.

2003: A report was prepared by the non-profit think tank the RAND Corporation for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Their ephedra study reviewed clinical trials and adverse events reported to the FDA and to a manufacturer, Metabolife. The report said that a number of serious adverse events were "strongly tied to ephedra use within 24 hours without other plausible explanations", including three deaths, two heart attacks, two strokes, one seizure and three psychiatric incidents.

Ephedra has been linked to other adverse events and deaths, but the estimates vary greatly.

A study published in the medical journal Annals of Internal Medicine in 2003 found that products containing ephedra accounted for 64% of all adverse reactions to herbs reported in the United States in 2001, even though ephedra sales made up less than 1% of herbal supplement sales in the United States.

On February 17, 2003, 23-year-old Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler died of heatstroke in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after collapsing the day before during a workout at Fort Lauderdale Stadium. The local medical examiner reportedly said that the ephedra Bechler had been taking to lose weight may have contributed to his death.

Bechler's highly publicized death is believed to have been a key factor in the FDA's announcement on December 30, 2003 that it was planning to ban dietary supplements with ephedra because of the health risks.

The FDA also issued a consumer alert, advising consumers to stop buying and using ephedra. Although ephedra dropped sharply, 14% of people using non-prescription weight loss supplements in the United States continued to take ephedra or products containing ephedrine.

2004: On February 6, 2004, the FDA issues their final rule banning the sale of all dietary supplements containing ephedra in the United States, saying that they posed an "unreasonable risk of illness or injury".

The rule became effective 60 days after it was issued.

2005: On April 14, 2005, Judge Tena Campbell of the Federal District Court in Utah overturns the FDA's universal ban on ephedra products as a result of a suit brought by the supplement manufacturer Nutraceutical Corporation, which marketed a lower-dose ephedra product.

The judge ruled that the FDA had come to their decision by doing a risk-benefit analysis, considered inappropriate for supplements under a 1994 law (called the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA)). Also the DSHEA required dose-specific findings to justify a ban and that the FDA had insufficient evidence to conclude that products with 10 mg or less a day of ephedrine alkaloids posed a risk. As a result, products with 10 mg or less of ephedra alkaloids were allowed back on the market.

2006: On August 17, 2006, a federal appeals court upheld the FDA ban on ephedra, overturning the 2005 ruling that allowed the sale of products containing 10 mg or less of ephedra.

The court ruled that the 133,000 page administrative record, which included 19,000 adverse events reports, compiled by the FDA was sufficent to support the inital finding that supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids at any dose posed an unreasonable risk of illness and injury and that the risk-benefit analysis was required.

The FDA stated that no dose of dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids was safe and that the sale of these products in the United States was illegal and subject to enforcement action.

Up until this ruling, many herbal supplement companies marketed low-dose ephedra products containing 10 mg or less of ephedra alkaloids.

2007: Nutraceutical Corporation filed a petition for rehearing in front of the tenth circuit of the US Court of Appeals, however the United States Supreme Court declined to hear the petition.

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Ma Huang: Setting the Record Straight

• Source:http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/archives2003/jul/07jiang.html

By Yong Ping Jiang, DOM, PhD

The "Ask Dr. Jiang" column is designed to explore corners of Chinese medicine that may not be easily understood by American practitioners or are underrepresented in American clinical health literature.

Dear Dr. Jiang:

I am concerned about the future of ma huang and my ability to use it in my practice. Even if it is not taken off the market, many of my patients are afraid to take it after all the negative publicity it has received. Are there any effective substitutes for ma huang?

Concerned About Losing Ma Huang Los Angeles, California

Dear CALM:

Chinese doctors have been using ma huang for over 2,000 years. Let's face it: if there were other herbs that worked as well, they would already be using them. Ma huang continues to be used because it possesses powerful and unique qualities, and if a patient really needs these qualities, any substitute will produce less than satisfactory clinical results. We all have to live in the real world, however, and ma huang won't work if a patient is unwilling to take it, or if the law prevents you from prescribing it.

Before we can discuss possible ma huang substitutes, I need to set the record straight on ma huang itself. There are a number of misunderstandings that have developed in recent years, even among practitioners of Chinese herbal medicine. Let's take a look at them.

Misunderstanding #1: Ma huang increases energy.

This idea has no theoretical or clinical basis in Chinese medicine, and it cannot be found anywhere in the classical or modern Chinese literature. Ma huang's warm acrid qualities powerfully move the qi, and the "energy" people claim to enjoy is a result of that movement. Ma huang can indirectly increase energy in a patient who suffers fatigue due to excess cold from cold damage, but in this case, the fatigue is the result of excess, not deficiency. The results come from dispersing evil qi and allowing the right qi to reassert itself. In this and all other cases, ma huang is a reducing herb. It does not tonify.

Misunderstanding #2: Because ma huang is a warm herb, it should not be used in case of fever.

In fact, most of the ma huang formulas in the Shang Han Lun are designed for use in febrile presentations. This misunderstanding is perhaps the result of confusing Eastern and Western medical perspectives. Since there is no such thing as a fever due to wind cold in Western medicine or even in Western herbalism, some Western practitioners have assumed that ma huang's warm properties make it contraindicated in all fevers. As long as the febrile patient's symptoms match the indications of the formula, ma huang can and should be used in treatment.

Misunderstanding #3: ma huang should not be taken for more than a few days.

Wrong again. The length of treatment will depend on the formula being used; the condition being treated; the dosage; and the patient's overall constitution. If a formula like xiao qing long tang is being used to treat acute asthma due to wind cold, it should of course be discontinued after the acute symptoms of wind cold have abated. However, in the case of gui zhi shao yao zhi mu tang and wu tou tang, both of which are used to treat chronic wind-cold-damp bi patterns, administration can continue for several weeks or even months, since dampness takes a long time to expel.

Misunderstanding #4: All formulas containing ma huang are contraindicated in heat patterns and deficiency patterns.

This misunderstanding is a result of confusing ma huang as an isolated herb and ma huang as a constituent in a formula that contains other herbs. As an isolated herb, ma huang is warm, acrid and bitter. It is used to dispel cold excess, especially wind cold, and is therefore contraindicated for heat or deficiency, but Chinese medicine never prescribes ma huang as an individual herb; it is always used in a formula. In addition, many formulas containing ma huang are used to treat precisely the patterns for which ma huang by itself would be contraindicated. Ma xing shi gan tang, for example, is used to treat heat obstructing the lungs. Yue bi jia ban xia tang (yue bi tang with the addition of ban xia) is used for phlegm heat obstructing the lung. While both of these formulas take advantage of ma huang's ability to move lung qi and calm wheezing, they contain enough shi gao to counterbalance ma huang's warm quality.

Likewise, ma huang xi xin fu zi tang is used to treat wind-cold occurring in patients with underlying yang deficiency. In modern China, a pill made from this formula is sometimes taken as a long-term treatment for congestive heart failure in patients with heart yang deficiency. Yang he tang is used for yin sores due to phlegm blocking the channels and blood deficiency. Both of these formulas, while treating an underlying deficiency pattern, require ma huang to facilitate the movement of qi.

In summary, ma huang is a safe and effective herb as long as it is used according to the rules of Chinese medicine, which have been founded on direct clinical experience in the treatment of thousands of patients over many generations. When these rules are abandoned, as they have been in the United States, it is not difficult to see why so many adverse reactions have occurred. Not only is ma huang taken to "increase energy," something it cannot possibly do; and not only is it being taken without regard to pattern diagnosis or underlying constitutional needs, it is being taken as an isolated herb, rather than as part of a balanced formula. Most astonishing of all, it is being taken in raw powdered form, without any cooking or processing. According to the instructions in the Shang Han Lun, ma huang is supposed to be decocted first, and the foam removed, before adding other ingredients. This additional cooking, and perhaps also the removing of the foam, changes the chemistry of the decoction and removes any harsh or toxic qualities.

Now, to answer your question about ma huang substitutes. The only traditional substitution for ma huang that I'm aware of is the combination of fang feng and jing jie, but this substitution is only prescribed in the treatment of very weak patients; it wouldn't be used to treat patients who match the normal confirmation for ma huang use. I need to warn you, therefore, that the suggestions I'm about to offer are based primarily on theory, since there is no Chinese clinical experience in arbitrarily substituting other herbs when the patient really needs ma huang. Although the following substitutions are safe, no one can honestly say how effective they will be.

When considering substitutes, you will need to determine which qualities of ma huang you are seeking to replace. If you are trying to treat wind-cold-damp bi patterns, for example, try substituting qiang huo and du huo, both of which expel wind cold and wind dampness. These herbs might be substituted for ma huang in formulas such as ma xing yi gan tang, ma huang jia zhu tang or ge gen tang. In the case of wu tu tang, you can try substituting gui zhi, but in the case of gui zhi shao yao zhi mu tang, you might be able to remove the ma huang without replacing it at all, since that formula already contains gui zhi in addition to several other warm acrid herbs.

If you are using ma huang to treat external invasion with lung obstruction, you can try substituting zi su ye. This substitution might be made, for example, in ma huang tang. Since zi su ye is much weaker than ma huang, I would advise that you use it at a higher than usual dosage. If you are treating phlegm cold, as in the case of xiao qing long tang and she gan ma huang tang, in addition to zi su ye add xuan fu hua. If you are treating phlegm heat, as in the case of yue bi jia ban xia tang or ding chuan tang, substitute qian hu.

If you are using yang he tang to treat yin sores, you can try substituting bai zhi, since this herb releases exterior cold and expels pus. If you are using yang he tang to treat crane's knee wind (water swelling in the knees), use qiang huo or du huo as substitutes for ma huang.

If you are treating external cold with internal deficiency, as in the case of ma huang xi xin fu zi tang or ma huang fu zi gan cao tang, you might try using several other warm acrid herbs as substitutes, such as qiang huo, jing jie and fang feng.

This is the best I can do with a very difficult subject, CALM. Let us hope that we can educate the public, as well as government regulators, on the importance of keeping ma huang available for legitimate medical use.

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Ephedra Tea Benefits

• Source:http://healthytea101.blogspot.com/2015/01/ephedra-tea-benefits.html

(Healthy Tea 101)

Ephedra Tea Benefits have been recognized in the annals of Chinese traditional and herbal medicine as being particularly potent in the treatment of various respiratory ailments. However, there is also currently some controversy regarding the consumption of ephedra in large doses as there have been adverse findings on its side effects and reactions with other medication.

Ephedra is a plant known in China as Ma Huang and has been traditionally used to stop "leakages" that contribute to the loss of energy and vigor. It has been used in China for 5,000 years to treat asthma and upper respiratory infections.

The stems of ephedra have pungent and bitter taste that have diaphoretic, diuretic, pectoral, vasoconstrictive and vasodilative properties.

The main chemical constituent in ephedra is ephedrine. Ephedrine is a potent chemical that works by stimulating the nervous system, dilating bronchial tubes, elevating blood pressure, and increasing heart rate.

Due to these effects, ephedra became a favorite of athletes as it is believed that the herb enhances athletic performance. But several incidences of adverse effects on health and even death that may have been caused by excessive consumption of ephedra and ephedra supplements led the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban the sale of ephedra supplements in the United States in 2004. Currently, ephedra and ephedrine products are heavily regulated and those buying large quantities in frequent durations face penalties.

Nonetheless, ephedra remains widely used by athletes. A survey of college hockey players in 2006 found that nearly half had used ephedra in the belief it would enhance athletic performance.

Ephedra tea can be made by placing about 10 grams of ephedra herb in 2 cups of water and let it boil for 10 minutes. Filter out the herbs before drinking the ephedra tea.

The following are the health benefits attributed to ephedra and ephedra tea.

Ephedra Tea may help alleviate such respiratory ailments as asthma, colds, coughs and hay fever.

Ephedra Tea may help expel exterior pathogens and regulate the proper functioning of the lungs.

Ephedra Tea, taken in a regulated and supervised manner, may be effective for short-term weight loss.

Ephedra Tea may help in alleviating various allergic symptoms.

Ephedra Tea, taken in a regulated and supervised manner, stimulates the central nervous system may help boost energy and enhance alertness.

Ephedra is best not used as a stimulant. Its long-term use is not recommended. It is always best to seek the advice of qualified health practitioners when using ephedra, especially those that have high blood pressure, heart or thyroid diseases, diabetes, prostate problems and other conditions. Pregnant and nursing women are advised against using ephedra, ephedra tea or other products with ephedra.

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Physicians Recommend Ephedra To Battle Weight Problems and Improve Patient Health

• Source:http://newhope.com/supply-news-amp-analysis/physicians-recommend-ephedra-battle-weight-problems-and-improve-patient-hea

(Ephedra Education Council)

Letter from More than 20 Physicians to HHS Secretary Urges Continued Ephedra Sales, Federal Labeling Standards

WASHINGTON (Jan. 30, 2003) ­– More than 20 board-certified physicians have announced their support of Ephedra dietary supplements. In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson released today, the physicians call for the continued sale of legal Ephedra supplements, and for federal labeling standards.

Noting that obesity has been declared a national epidemic by the Surgeon General, the common letter sent by each of the physicians says, “Ephedra is one of the few options available to my patients who need to lose weight and who have been unsuccessful in doing so through exercise and diet alone.”

The physicians cited their patients’ struggles with obesity and their need for continued access to safe and beneficial Ephedra products. The specialists said that review of current scientific data, including the often-noted Harvard/Columbia clinical study, combined with their own patient observations, lead them to conclude that Ephedra supplements are safe and beneficial when used according to industry or physician recommendations.

As the letter says, “I have seen positive and sometimes dramatic effects in my patients” who have taken Ephedra, adding, “In addition to witnessing successful, long-term weight loss…I have seen their overall health improve, as measured by healthier cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure.”

The letter urges continued availability of the products, but with appropriate label instructions. “Prohibiting the sale of legally marketed Ephedra products would have a negative impact on public health, and on the personal health of my patients. I urge you to support product labeling initiatives that specify serving limits and direct certain consumers to consult with health professionals before taking Ephedra.”

The letter concludes, “I applaud your efforts to prevent marketers from advertising and selling illegal and harmful Ephedra products, such as Yellow Jacket and herbal XTC, as alternatives to street drugs.”

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Ephedra still legal for practitioners of Chinese medicine

• Source:http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/health/article/Ephedra-still-legal-for-practitioners-of-Chinese-1138523.php

By JULIE DAVIDOW (SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER)

Liz Walters used to spend every spring struggling to catch her breath. Scarred by a childhood illness, her lungs worked overtime when the season's fresh pollens filled the air.

Two different inhalers and antihistamines never completely cleared the wheezing and pressure from her chest. Then, seven years ago, at the suggestion of her acupuncture instructor, she tried a Chinese herbal remedy for breathing problems.

Minor Blue-Green Dragon, a tiny pill containing eight ingredients, including the herb ma huang, finally worked.

"It stops me from feeling like I have someone sitting on my chest," said Walters, now a licensed acupuncturist who prescribes ma huang, also known by its Latin name, ephedra, in her practice on Whidbey Island.

Walters, 51, takes the pills twice a day between March and May when her symptoms peak.

Even after the Food and Drug Administration's ban on ephedra goes into effect next month, practitioners of Chinese medicine will still be allowed to dispense and prescribe the herb as they have for thousands of years.

The government's prohibition is intended to clear store shelves and halt Internet sales of dietary supplements that contain ephedra, especially in weight-loss products. The supplements have been linked to increased blood pressure and heart rate, which can lead to stroke, heart attack and sudden death.

However, the prohibition exempts traditional Chinese remedies, which are not marketed as dietary supplements and therefore are not covered by the rule.

"I think the FDA saw that clearly the problem was coming from these big companies that were selling it as a weight-loss supplement in the mass market, not from some acupuncturist," said Eric Yarnell, a naturopath and adjunct professor at Bastyr. "They don't really intend to go after people who are using it responsibly."

When mixed with other botanicals in teas, ground into powder, or cooked with honey, the twiggy herb helps patients sweat out fevers and breathe easier during colds and asthma attacks, advocates say.

A bronchial dilator with stimulant effects, ma huang is considered a powerful herb. To minimize side effects, it's used in small doses in combination with other ingredients, said Allen Sayigh, manager of the herbal dispensary at Bastyr University and the Seattle Institute of Oriental Medicine.

A formula that helps break fevers, for example, includes ma huang, cinnamon twigs, apricot kernels and licorice root.

"That prescription has been around for close to 2,000 years," Sayigh said. "You might only have to take one or two doses of tea, curl up, break a sweat and be on the road to recovery. It'd be nothing like taking a dietary supplement for weeks or months on end."

Ma huang has not traditionally been used to boost energy or for weight loss -- nor should it be, many herbalists say. Like caffeine, ma huang can ultimately leave you drained. "(In traditional Chinese medicine) there are ways to deal with weight loss but they involve harmonizing the whole metabolism," said Sayigh.

Many herbalists are happy to see weight-loss products that distill the herb's most powerful alkaloid taken off the market, while preserving ma huang's traditional uses.

"It seems they've done enough of an investigation to realize it has value as an herb," said Alison Roth, a Seattle herbalist.

Still, high insurance costs have led some distributors to stop selling the herb altogether.

Tierney Salter, owner of an herbal remedy shop and manufacturer in Seattle, said her source of American ephedra, which does not contain the stimulating ephedrine alkaloid and is not covered by the ban, can no longer afford the insurance rates associated with selling any form of ephedra.

Salter mixes American ephedra, or Mormon tea (which thrives in the high deserts of Utah), in a drink to ease congestion. She also sells the whole herb alone.

"Because the public is being told ephedra is bad for you, are you as a small herb shop going to want to take on the risk of someone reporting an adverse reaction to it?" said Salter, standing in front of an empty canister of American ephedra.

Several shop owners in Seattle's Chinatown are also no longer sell ma huang, even as a whole herb.

Adon Mar, owner of Pacific Herb and Grocery, ran out of ma huang during the height of the cold and flu season and hasn't been able to restock. "The distributor doesn't have it. They said they have a hard time getting it now," said Mar, who added he would carry the herb again if he can find it.

"We've been using it for a long time and it's very effective," Mar said.

Across the street, Feng Shan Zhu, an acupuncturist and herbalist who practiced in China for nearly three decades before moving to Seattle in 1996, said he's never carried ma huang in the United States. "I know in America the law is very powerful so I'm careful," said Zhu, who said he prescribed ma huang regularly in China to treat coughs and fevers.

A couple of American women, however, have come to his office looking for the herb, he said. "They say, 'Doctor do you have any ma huang? I want to use it to get my energy up.' "

Mayway Corp., an Oakland, Calif., company that distributes herbs grown in China, will continue to sell ma huang, "unless insurance rates become too outrageous," said Laura Stropes, the company's herbalist.

"Ma huang is a very important herb in Chinese medicine," said Stropes. "There's not really any substitute for it."

Other stores that carry herbs and supplements say there's been a run on products with ephedra since the FDA first announced it would seek a ban in December.

At Salter's store, one customer recently bought five 4-ounce bottles of liquid ephedra extract -- a large amount for someone in search of a cough or cold remedy. Salter said she's never carried weight-loss products that contain ephedra, but she can't be sure how her customers plan to use the ma huang she sells.

At VitaminLife in Redmond, the last bottles of ephedra capsules are rapidly disappearing. Since January, the store has sold 360 bottles of one ephedra product, which unlike traditional Chinese remedies, contains only one herb.

"We've had a huge rush on sales," said Terri Marello, the store's manager. "We've probably quadrupled in the last two months." VitaminLife stopped selling weight-loss products with ephedra six months ago, but continued to sell other dietary supplements because, "A lot of people legitimately use that for respiratory purposes."

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From the Ground Up: Mormon Tea

• Source:http://www.lcsun-news.com/story/life/sunlife/2016/05/01/ground-up-mormon-tea/82398030/

By Deborah Brandt

The English name, Mormon Tea, caught on when Mormon settlers were making their way West. They found that they could brew a tasty tea from the stems, and it became a popular thirst quencher when crossing the desert.

Mormon Tea is a common desert plant in our area. It is found throughout the Las Cruces desert and hills, enjoying the company of mesquite and other native plants around us. It is traditional in native medicine of southern New Mexico; in Spanish it is called canutillo or popotillo. This medium sized shrub has no actual leaves. Its jointed green wand-like stems that are approximately the diameter of a standard pencil lead characterizes it. Each jointed stem is about 4 to 6 inches in length. In the spring, each branch node develops rusty colored pollen.

The English name, Mormon Tea, caught on when Mormon settlers were making their way West. They found that they could brew a tasty tea from the stems, and it became a popular thirst quencher when crossing the desert.

Mormon Tea is in the Ephedra species. It is related to Chinese Ephedra, Ma Huang. Ma Huang is on the FDA no-no list because it contains the stimulant ephedrine, which has been abused by some seekers of methamphetamine-type highs. Ma Huang is a good medicine, but like all things if used by the wrong person for the wrong reason it becomes dangerous.

Our native cousin, Mormon tea does not contain ephedrine. You cannot get high or harm yourself with it. Unlike Ma Huang it won’t elevate blood pressure nor will it cause anxiety or heart palpitations. It probably contains trace amounts of pseudoephedrine, as you would find in cold and sinus medication such as Sudafed.

This gives you an indication of its medicinal use. Particularly during allergy season it can decrease your need for allergy medication. It is a sinus passage decongestant and mild bronchial dilatator. So, for a stuffy nose and mild allergic asthma it will help open up your airways. It contains some tannins, too, which are astringent. Astringents tighten and tone boggy tissue. It works best if you start drinking the tea a couple weeks before allergy season sets in. It can also help relieve the symptoms of colds. It probably should not be used in pregnancy because of the tannins.

Traditionally popotillo is used for kidney and bladder problems. It is calming to urinary tract irritation. It is widely used as a "kidney flush." Popotillo is a mild diuretic; it increases the flow of urine, thus “flushing” the kidneys. It is used when the urine appears to be too concentrated. The concept is to flush out bacteria and stagnation that are causing congestion and inflammation/infection. It is not antibacterial. It is helpful for reducing irritation of the mouth, esophagus and stomach as well.

Late spring is the best time to snip the new branch growth, although it is OK to pick it other times of the year, too. Snip the last 8 to 10 inches of green "sticks." This can be easier said than done, as the little branches are fibrous, so be sure your clippers are sharp. Cut into inch-sized lengths and dry in a paper bag, in a dark, dry place for a couple weeks. For tea, place five to six little inch-sized stems in a pan, add about 12 ounces of water and bring to a boil and simmer a few minutes before straining into a cup. Do this two to three times a day as needed.

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Ephedra Shrubs have a Long Medicinal History

• Source:http://mvprogress.com/2013/04/03/ephedra-shrubs-have-a-long-medicinal-history/

By VROBISON , By BRUCE LUND

This spring is turning out to be a good wildflower season! Walk in the desert in this first week of April and you’ll find bright yellow flowers of the Desert Marigold, Bead-Pod Mustard, Gold-Poppy, and tall Yellow Cups (aka, Sundrops); white Prickly Poppies with their golden centers, tiny Desert Stars just an inch high and Desert Chicories; stands of purple Phacelias flourishing on gravel banks and the first shocking pink flowers of the Beavertail cactus popping up across the desert.

While the big showy flowers get all the photographs, many other intriguing plants get overlooked because they are wind-pollinated with diminutive flowers. Instead of putting their energy into producing a few big showy flowers to attract pollinating insects, these plants focus their energy into producing huge numbers of tiny flowers stripped down to the bare male and female parts needed for pollination. Our half dozen shrubby Ephedras are a prime example of this wind-pollination lifestyle, and it gets better because they carry flower specialization one step further: for even more energy efficiency, each plant produces only male or female flowers.

At the height of pollen production, the huge numbers of male flowers color their Ephedra shrubs a bright yellow, and then fade to a rusty color as the pollen matures and are carried off by the wind. But you really should take a close look and see how the individual male flowers are compacted into clusters that look like miniature pine cones, and how, as each individual flower cone matures, they send out stalked stamens with swollen tips covered with tiny yellow pollen grains that give each cone a fuzzy look.

In contrast, female flowers look more like traditional flowers with petals (although these are actually a cluster of scales that happen to look like petals). In the center of each flower are one to four unfertilized seeds with tiny stigmas sticking up at the top of each seed (this can be hard to see) which are the landing sites upon which the male pollen has to land. Since the chance of a microscopic pollen grain hitting a tiny stigma is infinitesimal, male flowers produce huge amounts of pollen to achieve pollination. It’s sort of like buying a million tickets to win a lottery vastly improves – but does not guarantee – your chances of winning.

Ephedra’s intense wind pollination effort passes quickly with the male flowers drying up and dropping away in a week or two.

It’s different with the female flower where the ‘petals’ dry and drop away as well, but exposing the mature seeds along the stems. Besides being potential future plants, these are also nutritious packages of energy and eagerly sought by kangaroo rats, ground squirrels, birds, and even people. Of course, many seeds get dropped in transport from plants to dens, being a way of spreading new plants across the landscape.

When a plant has a long list of common names, it indicates a long history of human use for food, medicine, and/or structural uses, and Ephedra has a LOT of names including: Mormon Tea (used as an acceptable substitute for tea and coffee by pioneering Mormons), Cowboy Tea, Brigham Tea (Brigham Young supposedly liked this tea), Ma Huang (the Ephedra species with by far the strongest concentration of Ephedrine comes from China and has been used there for thousands of years), Whorehouse Tea (served in certain Nevada establishments because it was believed to be a treatment for venereal diseases), Squaw or Indian Tea (used by Native Americans), Joint-fir (from the structure of the stems that resemble – with a lot of imagination – the leaves of fir trees), and many more.

So why do Ephedras have such a long history of human use? However it happened, records dating back 5,000 years show that early peoples in China discovered that drinking teas made from Ephedra gave an energy boost and had other medicinal effects. Today we know the 40 or so species of Ephedra found in arid areas around the Earth produce a chemical we call ephedrine, and that it is a nerve stimulant (similar to the effect of caffeine in coffee or tea) plus diuretic and decongestant qualities. It makes sense that the Chinese were the first to discover this as they have the one species that has, by far, the highest concentration of ephedrine and other chemicals. So while other species around the world have some level of active ingredients, only the Chinese species packs a wallop while our species basically gives a tea some flavoring and a tiny energy boost at best.

But don’t take it from me – if you’re curious to learn more about the medicinal facts and myths about ephedra, take a look on-line where you will find thousands of sites.

In the meantime, get out quickly if you want to see Ephedra in flower as it will pass in a couple of weeks.

Bruce Lund is a retired biologist and has a lifelong love of nature instilled by his grandparents and some remarkable teachers. He has lived with his wife, Flo, in Moapa since 1997.

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Chinese Herb Ma-Huang Can Be Made Into A Tea, Or Used In Extract Form; Powdered Ma-Huang Is Rarely Used

• Source:http://www.zelangchina.com/news/?458.html

(Zelang)

Chinese Herb is a broad range of medicine practices sharing common concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage (Tui na), exercise (qigong), and dietary therapy.

Ma-huang (mahuang): The stem-like leaves when taken in a dose of several grams stimulate perspiration, open the breathing passages, and invigorate the central nervous system energy. It has been shown that most of these effects are due to two alkaloid components, ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, both of them having been made into modern drugs (for asthma and sinus congestion, respectively). In addition, the stimulating action of ma-huang has led to its use as a metabolic enhancer (burns calories more quickly) for those who are trying to lose weight. Ma-huang also has anti-inflammatory actions useful in treating some cases of arthralgia and myalgia. Ma-huang can be made into a tea, or used in extract form; powdered ma-huang is rarely used. Dosage range is 1-9 grams/day, usually in two or three divided doses. Caution: the stimulant effect of ma-huang can cause insomnia and agitation; persons with very high blood pressure may find this symptom worsened by use of ma-huang.

Chinese Herb is primarily used as a complementary alternative medicine approach. Chinese Herb is widely used in China and it is also used in the West. We might try Chinese Herb to keep fit.

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Facts & Findings with Dr. Plant: Ephedra nevadensis

• Source:http://www.drinklifein.com/media-center/zija-news/20150325/facts-findings-dr-plant-ephedra-nevadensis

(Zija News, Drink Life In)

Dr. Plant helps us better understand Ephedra nevadensis: What is it, and is it okay to consume?

When we hear Ephedra we think back to about 15 years ago when the media and government spoke about its dangers. I want to explain a little bit about Ephedra nevadensis and how this is completely different than the Ephedra that was banned ~15 years ago.

When news agencies spoke about Ephedra 15 years ago, they were referring to a compound called "Ephedra Alkaloids" (see picture). That compound is found in a botanical called Ma Huang. Thus the compound Ephedra was mentioned because it was the active ingredient, but the actual name of the botanical it is found in is called Ma Huang.

Ephedra nevadensis on the other hand is a botanical name, and isn't referring to the compounds. In fact, numerous studies have shown that Ephedra nevadensis does not contain any Ephedra Alkaloids, and is therefore both safe and legal to sell. It just happens to have the unfortunate circumstance of having a name similar to that which was found to be a buzz word 15 years ago. It is like the unfortunate circumstance of people who have the name Katrina or Andrew, and then a hurricane is given the same name.

In short, Ephedra nevadensis is safe and legal to consume. It in no way contains Ephedra alkaloids, the compound found in the botanical Ma Huang.

A little highlight on the botanical: It grows in the deserts of the western U.S., and has been consumed for hundreds/thousands of years to help remove the buildup of mucus in our airways. Thus by supplementing with Ephedra nevadensis individuals may often feel an increase of energy because they are more effectively able to get the oxygen their body needs by clearing the congestion/pollution that has built up in their airway, which limits oxygen intake. You can find Ephedra nevadensis in products like Zija's XM+ Energy Mix and XM3 Energy Drink.

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Herbalists can still prescribe ephedra

• Source:http://www.drsteelsmith.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=39&Itemid=2

(Steelsmith Natural Health Center)

Herbalists can still prescribe ephedra Q. I’ve heard that any day now the herb ephedra will become unavailable in the United States. Since I’ve used it for many years to help control my asthma, is there any way that I will still be able to obtain it?

A. The FDA recently issued a ruling prohibiting the sale of ephedra, also known as ma huang, in products marketed as dietary supplements as of April 12, 2004. However, there’s good news: you will still be able to use ephedra as long as it is prescribed within the scope of traditional Chinese herbal medicine.

The FDA ruling is in response to some reported overuse and abuse of ephedra, which was often advertised to promote weight loss.

The doses people were able to purchase over the counter were considered potentially dangerous.

Excessive intake of the herb can cause a range of side effects, including insomnia, anxiety, strokes, increases in blood pressure and heart rate and heart attacks.

According to the FDA, a number of deaths in the United States were linked to overuse of ephedra.

In Chinese herbal medicine, ephedra has been used safely and effectively for thousands of years in the treatment of colds, flus, and asthma.

It has traditionally been prescribed in small doses, combined with other herbs, to achieve a variety of medicinal effects.

For instance, one common Chinese herbal formula which first appeared in a medical classic known as Shang Han Lun during the Han dynasty (202 B.C.-220 A.D.), contains eight different herbs, with ephedra only 5 percent of the formula’s total composition.

The other herbs in the formula help ease coughing, clear heat in the lungs, and eliminate mucous.

The new FDA regulations will help protect the public from taking too much of an herb that in smaller doses can have potent medicinal benefits, and in large doses can be harmful to your health.

The ephedra controversy demonstrates that herbs can be misused when removed from an ancient system of medicine and marketed by companies more interested in profits than public health.

Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine, such as licensed acupuncturists, who are trained to know how and when to use this powerful herb, will be able to continue prescribing it in appropriate doses for specific conditions.

Article was originally printed in the Honolulu Advertiser, honoluluadvertiser.com

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Health Benefits of Ephedra

• Source:https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/herbs-and-spices/ephedra.html

(Organic Facts)

Some of the most impressive health benefits of ephedra include its ability to boost energy, help with weight loss, eliminate fatigue, increase cognition, boost the immune system, strengthen respiratory health, boost heart rate and blood pressure, and eliminate excess water.

Ephedra

Ephedra sinica is the scientific name of the plant from which the substance known as ephedra is derived. Commonly known by dozens of names around the world, perhaps most famously as ma huang in China, this medicinal extract has been use for more than 2,000 years. It has recently come into popularity once again due to its potential for the weight loss and bodybuilding community, but there are many medicinal applications of ephedra that make it a valuable asset for anyone looking to boost their overall health. Ephedra can be consumed as a tea by brewing the plant, but the most popular way of consuming this herb is now through pill supplements. However, due to its possible “drug-like” effects, it has been banned in many countries, and is not allowed to be used in many professional sports. If smoked, this plant can have hallucinogenic or narcotic effects, but this can also be quite dangerous. Depending on your country of residence or profession, be careful with how you use or acquire ephedra or ephedrine.ephedra

There is a great controversy about the use of ephedra, and some specialists actually suggest that it can be dangerous. However, for more than two millennia, healthy small doses of ephedra have been effectively used as a traditional remedy for a wide range of disorders and health concerns. Now, let’s take a closer look at some of these health benefits of ephedra.

Health Benefits of Ephedra

Boost Energy Levels: The main use of ephedra in popular culture is as an energy booster, but that name can be slightly deceptive. Ephedra and its active compound ephedrine, stimulate the heart and increase blood flow, which energizes the body and keeps muscles fresh with blood and oxygen. This can also be dangerous, however, as it can potentially put strain on the heart if a person is already suffering from certain heart conditions.

Weight Loss: The huge rise in popularity of ephedra is related to its effects on weight loss and working out. When people are looking for a fast way to lose weight, even if they aren’t particularly active, ephedra presents a unique solution. It stimulates the metabolism, which increases fat-burning. Some people use ephedra without any physical component, which can put additional strain on the body’s system. However, the supplement’s popularity hasn’t waned in certain countries, despite the controversy.

Eliminates Fatigue: If you suffer from chronic fatigue or are someone who experiences insomnia, resulting in exhaustion the next day, an ephedra supplement can help to temporarily increase your energy levels and prevent fatigue from keeping you active and engaged with your day. This should only be used in small amounts, and not in the same way as you might turn to a daily cup of coffee.

Increases Cognition: There have been certain studies that have linked ephedra to increased cognition. This is mainly due to the increased blood flow to the brain and other important organs, optimizing neural processing and keeping our brains “fresh”. The benefits of this drug on cognition must be balanced against the other potential dangers, and again, should not be a regularly consumed supplement.

Immune System: When it comes to the common cold and the flu, a cure always seems to be just out of reach. There are certain steroidal properties to ephedra that make it an effective booster for the immune system. While this shouldn’t be used as a constant preventative medicine, some people and studies have argued that taking ephedra in the onset stages of illness can help prevent full-blown sickness or quicken healing time.

Respiratory Health: Ephedra can help to reduce inflammation of mucous membranes in the body, particularly in the respiratory tract, which makes it quite effective in preventing asthmatic attacks and wheezing. By allowing for clear passage of air to the lungs, ephedra can alleviate these common respiratory conditions that affect millions of people.

Blood Pressure: Although most people are concerned about lowering their blood pressure, there are those that suffer from hypotension, which can be just as dangerous in its own way. By adding ephedra to your herbal remedy regimen, you can successfully boost your heart health and blood pressure. You should always speak to a medical professional before using an herbal remedy to affect something as important as cardiovascular regularity.

A Final Word of Warning: There is such controversy around the use of ephedra that it is best to do your due diligence and then speak candidly with a medical professional. In some applications, it is appropriate, but not in others. Do not attempt to make that decision for yourself, as the side effects can be quite serious. Negative responses to ephedra include headaches, nervousness, vomiting, heart attacks, and even death in the most extreme cases.

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Benefits and side-effects of herbal medicines

• Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/Benefits-and-side-effects-of-herbal-medicines/articleshow/49151051.cms

By Altaf Patel (Mumbai Mirror)

I don't belittle medicines that I don't have the knowledge of, and I am always interested in patients who find relief from an alternative branch of medicine. One of the reasons being, I attempt to understand how a particular medication has helped.

However, the one thing that I'm skeptical about, and which I dissuade my patients from following, is metal therapy. I have seen people suffering from kidney failures, and a few even expiring, so that's one `therapy' that I wouldn't advise anyone to follow.

Several of my patients often ask me about the benefits/side-effects of herbal medicines. Let me tell you, herbal treatment is not alien to doctors practicing allopathy. I'll give you an example.

There is a medication called Sarpagandha (Rauvolfia serpentia, or the Indian snakeroot). It is a species of a flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae, and the extracts of this plant has a compound called reserpine, which is used in anti-hypertensive medications. It is said that Mahatma Gandhi used reserpine as a tranquiliser.

I have in the past used this compound to treat patients (it has now been replaced by better medications). The point I'm trying to make is, such compounds cannot be simply called herbal medication. Rather, they should be termed `integrative medicine', the interface between herbs and allopathy.

Simply put, herbal medicines are compounds extracted from herbs. They have been in existence since ancient times. It is worth noting that 25% of the medical molecules available in the US have their origins in herbs, and at least 7,000 medical compounds have their origins in plants. Modern molecules such as quinine, aspirin and digitalis -the latter is derived from foxgloves and used to treat heart failure -come from herbal parenthood.

The extracts of several herbs are put into capsules and claimed that the tablets will act on the body the same way as the natural substance. This may not be true.

Among the herbs available in tablet form, and prescribed fairly often, is the St John's-wort, which is hypericum perforatum, a flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae, a medicinal herb with antidepressant activity, and potent anti-inflammatory properties. Till a few years ago, the general perception was that the medication being herbal, it was wellsuited to treat such conditions in pregnant women, where pharmacological molecules may be contraindicated because of their effects on the foetus. This, however, does not appear to be correct.

There have been several concerns about using St John's-wort, and it appears that it does interfere with some of the allopathic medications.

Another interesting herb which I have come across is Ma huang, which is known in English as ephedra. It is a medicinal preparation from the plant Ephedra sinica, and is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing drug, and also for weight loss. In recent years, ephedra-containing supplements have been found to be unsafe, following which the US Food and Drug Administration banned it.

Then there is the hugely popular Malabar tamarind, or GARCINIA CAMBOGIA, a weight loss supplement that people from across the country vouch for. It is also said to stabilise blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

The Journal of Obesity in 2011 reviewed it, and said that people who used it did lose about 2lbs (about 0.9 kg) more compared to those who didn't. In 2009, the FDA had cautioned the doctors against its usage because of liver problems, but it couldn't be established that the medication caused such ailments.

A study in food and chemical toxicology stated that high doses of the herb can cause testicular atrophy. Anecdotal experiences do suggest it to be useful in weight loss but medical literature is sparse on the subject, and I will not comment on it.

People willing to spend a lot of money on the `miracle pill' for weight loss, but they don't want to exercise or control their diet. As a result, the search for such a pill continues. The fact that it's herbal, therefore it's safe, is far off the truth.

One must remember that many medicinal molecules are derived from herbs, and when they become pharmacological, they are subject to extensive scrutiny by various organisations. Herbal medicines come under the umbrella of nutraceuticals, and there is an impression that all of them are safe for consumption, which may not be true. One must remember that the philosopher Socrates was put to death by making him drink a liquid derived from herbs.

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Ephedra Shrubs have a Long Medicinal History

• Source:http://mvprogress.com/2013/04/03/ephedra-shrubs-have-a-long-medicinal-history/

By BRUCE LUND

This spring is turning out to be a good wildflower season! Walk in the desert in this first week of April and you’ll find bright yellow flowers of the Desert Marigold, Bead-Pod Mustard, Gold-Poppy, and tall Yellow Cups (aka, Sundrops); white Prickly Poppies with their golden centers, tiny Desert Stars just an inch high and Desert Chicories; stands of purple Phacelias flourishing on gravel banks and the first shocking pink flowers of the Beavertail cactus popping up across the desert.

While the big showy flowers get all the photographs, many other intriguing plants get overlooked because they are wind-pollinated with diminutive flowers. Instead of putting their energy into producing a few big showy flowers to attract pollinating insects, these plants focus their energy into producing huge numbers of tiny flowers stripped down to the bare male and female parts needed for pollination. Our half dozen shrubby Ephedras are a prime example of this wind-pollination lifestyle, and it gets better because they carry flower specialization one step further: for even more energy efficiency, each plant produces only male or female flowers.

At the height of pollen production, the huge numbers of male flowers color their Ephedra shrubs a bright yellow, and then fade to a rusty color as the pollen matures and are carried off by the wind. But you really should take a close look and see how the individual male flowers are compacted into clusters that look like miniature pine cones, and how, as each individual flower cone matures, they send out stalked stamens with swollen tips covered with tiny yellow pollen grains that give each cone a fuzzy look.

In contrast, female flowers look more like traditional flowers with petals (although these are actually a cluster of scales that happen to look like petals). In the center of each flower are one to four unfertilized seeds with tiny stigmas sticking up at the top of each seed (this can be hard to see) which are the landing sites upon which the male pollen has to land. Since the chance of a microscopic pollen grain hitting a tiny stigma is infinitesimal, male flowers produce huge amounts of pollen to achieve pollination. It’s sort of like buying a million tickets to win a lottery vastly improves – but does not guarantee – your chances of winning.

Ephedra’s intense wind pollination effort passes quickly with the male flowers drying up and dropping away in a week or two.

It’s different with the female flower where the ‘petals’ dry and drop away as well, but exposing the mature seeds along the stems. Besides being potential future plants, these are also nutritious packages of energy and eagerly sought by kangaroo rats, ground squirrels, birds, and even people. Of course, many seeds get dropped in transport from plants to dens, being a way of spreading new plants across the landscape.

When a plant has a long list of common names, it indicates a long history of human use for food, medicine, and/or structural uses, and Ephedra has a LOT of names including: Mormon Tea (used as an acceptable substitute for tea and coffee by pioneering Mormons), Cowboy Tea, Brigham Tea (Brigham Young supposedly liked this tea), Ma Huang (the Ephedra species with by far the strongest concentration of Ephedrine comes from China and has been used there for thousands of years), Whorehouse Tea (served in certain Nevada establishments because it was believed to be a treatment for venereal diseases), Squaw or Indian Tea (used by Native Americans), Joint-fir (from the structure of the stems that resemble – with a lot of imagination – the leaves of fir trees), and many more.

So why do Ephedras have such a long history of human use? However it happened, records dating back 5,000 years show that early peoples in China discovered that drinking teas made from Ephedra gave an energy boost and had other medicinal effects. Today we know the 40 or so species of Ephedra found in arid areas around the Earth produce a chemical we call ephedrine, and that it is a nerve stimulant (similar to the effect of caffeine in coffee or tea) plus diuretic and decongestant qualities. It makes sense that the Chinese were the first to discover this as they have the one species that has, by far, the highest concentration of ephedrine and other chemicals. So while other species around the world have some level of active ingredients, only the Chinese species packs a wallop while our species basically gives a tea some flavoring and a tiny energy boost at best.

But don’t take it from me – if you’re curious to learn more about the medicinal facts and myths about ephedra, take a look on-line where you will find thousands of sites.

In the meantime, get out quickly if you want to see Ephedra in flower as it will pass in a couple of weeks.

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Ephedra: A beneficial and controversial herb

• Source:http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/08/07/ephedra-beneficial-and-controversial-herb.html

By Chris Kilham

One of the great medicines of all time, ephedra (Ephedra sinica) has been in use for as long as 5,000 years. Known as Ma Huang in traditional Chinese Medicine, ephedra is native to Central Asia. The evergreen shrub has been used in traditional medicine to alleviate colds, bronchial and sinus congestion, flu, headaches and asthma.

The plant naturally contains two alkaloids known as ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, as well as smaller amounts of related alkaloids. Pseudoephedrine is the sole active ingredient in the popular decongestant drugs Sudafed and Actifed. Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are active compounds in over 700 over-the-counter drugs sold in the United States today. Ephedra the plant is listed in the pharmacopeias of several countries, and its compounds are listed drugs in the official compendia of many nations.

Ephedra viridis, a species found in the American southwest, is known as Mormon tea, Brigham’s tea, Squaw tea, Whorehouse tea and Cowboy tea. This species also contains the alkaloids ephedra, pseudoephedrine and related compounds, though in lower concentration than the Asian species. Used traditionally by Paiute, Kawaiisu and other native tribal groups, the plant received its name ‘Mormon tea’ due to its use as a stimulant beverage by people of the Mormon faith. Mormons avoid caffeine in all forms but nonetheless embrace the stimulating properties of ephedra. Native people historically used the tea to treat colds, fever, headaches, and bowel and stomach disorders. Mormons learned the use of this plant from people of southwestern regional tribes. The name ‘Whorehouse tea’ refers to the drinking of the tea in the former well-known brothel Katie’s Place in Elko, Nevada during the gold rush of the 1900s.

Used in quantities of 8 milligrams of total alkaloids or less, ephedra is a highly beneficial decongestant and is reliable for relieving congestion due to seasonal allergies. Its popularity is justified by its rapid effectiveness. During a cold, ephedra-based preparations can quickly open up blocked breathing passageways.

When used in greater concentrations, ephedra can cause problems – such as a rapid heart rate. Ephedra and extracts of the plant became popular as recreational stimulants and sports-enhancing agents in the late 1980s, and additionally as thermogenic diet aids in the 1990s. The use of ephedra for calorie-burning and appetite-suppressing diet purposes spawned a lucrative supplement industry with sales in the $100 million per year.

Employed sometimes in very large amounts, use of the herb led to numerous reported cases of adverse cardiovascular and nervous system problems – and even deaths. This overuse of ephedra for non-traditional purposes affirmed the age-old adage that the difference between a medicine and a poison is the dose.

In 2004, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the sale of ephedra-containing dietary supplements in order to stem the tide of adverse reactions. This action was hotly disputed by companies in the dietary supplement industry, for whom ephedra supplements had been immensely profitable best-sellers. In 2005 the ban was briefly overturned by a Utah District court judge, but in 2006 it was reinstated by the 10th U.S Circuit Court of Appeals. This put an end to the wrangling over ephedra’s legal status.

The ban on the sale of dietary supplements containing ephedra remains in effect today. Additionally, ephedra alkaloids are banned by the USADA, the hyper-vigilant U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Detection of ephedra derivatives will disqualify competitive athletes in many fields of sports.

Though ephedra has been embattled due to its wholly improper use in large quantities, its moderate use remains highly popular and very safe. In the U.S., billions of dollars-worth of ephedra-based remedies sell in drug stores, and there is no indication that this will be curtailed. Effective and time-tested, ephedra remains one of nature’s highly valuable medicines.

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Pen In Hand: Ephedra, the first tea of Tehachapi

• Source:http://www.tehachapinews.com/lifestyle/2015/06/27/ephedra-the-first-tea-of-tehachapi.html

By Jon Hammond (Columinst)

A small dark green shrub flourishes in the Tehachapi Mountains, growing among California junipers, yuccas, and other drought-tolerant plants in drier locations. Its genus name — Ephedra — became associated in more recent years with cold medication and diet pills, but Tehachapi Indian people have used it to make tea for many hundreds of years.

This is a plant with a hundred different names: Indian tea, Mormon tea, sheepherders tea, Spanish tea, cowboy tea and many others. The local Nüwa (Kawaiisu) people call it “Tu-tu-PIV-eh” while botanists refer to the most common species in this area as Ephedra viridis or “Green Ephedra.”

This handsome little shrub is widespread in Sand Canyon, Old West Ranch, the back road to Keene and other places. Once you know what it looks like, it’s easy to spot – it has a distinctive dark olive green color and reed-like segmented stems that almost look like green pine needles. I even see it from Highway 58 every time I drive to Bakersfield — there's a place a few miles west of Tehachapi, which I call "the Narrows" because at that point the canyon walls are tall and steep and very close to the freeway, where Ephedra grows along the slope right above the roadway.

With all of Ephedra’s assorted names, it is obvious that many different kinds of people have made tea from this plant. The Nüwa word for any kind of tea is "cha'a," which is remarkably similar to the word for tea in many other languages worldwide, such as Chinese (cha') or Hindi (chai). Ephedra has been used as a remedy to treat colds, asthma, coughs, chills and other ailments, but it has also been consumed for centuries as simply a stimulating tea. Members of the LDS church drank it historically as a replacement for coffee and tea because it contains no caffeine, which church members avoid, and several species can be found in Utah.

Ephedra contains an alkaloid called ephedrine which is similar in structure to adrenaline. Ephedrine and its synthesized version pseudoephedrine are common ingredients in over-the-counter cold medicine and allergy medications. Because it tends to increase metabolism and suppress appetites, ephedrine has been used in diet pills. About 10 or 15 years ago, Ephedra got a lot of negative publicity because several deaths involved the over-usage and abuse of ephedrine, including a professional football player who took massive doses in an attempt to lose 30 pounds in two weeks.

As a result, Ephedra got a bad reputation and its usage was curtailed, which seems unnecessary, considering it has been safely used for thousands of years by many cultures, including the Chinese. The key is to consume it in moderation and not in ridiculous quantities. It has a mild and nutty fresh flavor without bitterness, so that it doesn't need honey or sugar. I gather some of the younger shoots — it’s an evergreen plant so the stems are always available, but look for the brightest green ones — wash them off, cut off the dark woody stems and discard them, and then boil the green stems for about 10 minutes and they produce a delicious cup of tea. You can serve it hot for one of Tehachapi’s cold winter nights or over ice for our warm summer days.

My grandfather was a shepherd in the surrounding area, primarily the Mojave Desert, in the late 1890s and early 1900s, and he and the shepherds would gather Ephedra and make tea at night. Those who drink this tea today are sharing a beverage that has been heated over the campfires of Indians, Spaniards, miners, shepherds, explorers and others in the American West for centuries.

Have a good week.

Pictures of the herb Ephedra

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  Ephedra Berries

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  Ephedra bush

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