The Bottom Line If someone dies and they are on a diet Ė be sure the blame Ephedra and Ephedrine based products as quick as you can! [extreme sarcasm]
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You have all seen the stories of people who fall over and die after taking "a dose" of a dieting supplement that contains ephedra or ephedrine. The media is so quick to jump on the bandwagon that they donít take the time to properly research the evidence; sadly, this goes double for the medical community. I have used a variety of weight loss products that contain a small amount of these two supplements as well as [in the past] products that contained a tremendous amount of it.

As you can tell, I am still here to talk abouit it. It seems that every time someone dies while they are exercising, in a team practice or doing anything sport related, the first thing that is asked is "Was he using ephedrine?" I am not saying that this stuff is not harmless however I think if more people learned to read the label on the bottle, followed the directions and consulted a physician Ė they might be alive today.

Since not everyone is familiar with what these two products are, Iíll give some basic information as well as some facts and product examples. If you are starting a diet, please consult a physical, get a complete physical and ask for suggestions. The bottom line is that you are the one who is making the decisions about what you are eating, how much you are exercising and what supplements, if any, you will be taking.

Could Millions of Chinese People Be Wrong?

I have a very interesting question for all those that have pointed the finger at both ephedra and ephedrine as major roles in the death of athletes. If this is true then how did the Chinese manage to use this for thousands of years without everyone falling over? Because they arenít a country of indulgence, vanity and compulsion. In America everyone wants to do it faster, longer, harder and with the smallest amount of effort Ė which is why more and more people are turning towards weight loss supplements. Taking a weight loss supplement is not going to make you lose weight Ė diet, exercise and time are the only three things that will get you to your goal.

Ephedra and ephedrine based products are available over the counter in most states and I have yet to see one that has been approved by the FDA [Food & Drug Administration]. Moreover, I have yet to see one of these products claims of dramatic weight loss backed up with any type of credible statistics. But Freak, you said you took these! Yes, I have in the past, currently do use them and will continue to. Why? Because I can read the label, donít have any major preexisting health conditions that could be impacted by the use of these products and I know when enough is enough. All that aside, the names of products change on almost a monthly level to avoid the crack downs by the FDA so by time I am done writing this review, chances are at least one of the products mentioned will be yanked off the shelves.

The Bottom Line

Instead of the gun ho, slap happy antics of members of the FDA constantly forcing manufacturers to yank products off their shelves Ė why not work together to promote these products in a positive light with adequate warnings?! Iíve yet to see a bottle of any product containing ephedra or ephedrine [or any by product of the two] come without strict warnings about using it. I have successfully used many products containing both compounds and have never felt that my life was in danger or that it was unsafe for adult use. Itís when people abuse a product that it takes on a bad name and gets a bum rap. Itís extremely easy to blame a supplement for a death than to take all the other factors into consideration -- pre-existing conditions, number of doses taken, general health of the person, family history etc. Anything taken in excess can be dangerous to your health. I donít see the FDA cracking down or banning cigarettes or alcohol and they are available everywhere. Walk in to any super market, grocery store or 7-11 and itís there for you to purchase. Sure you might need to be 18 or 21 to buy it -- but there isnít a limit. When was the last time you saw a store keeper or clerk refusing to sell someone of legal age as much liquor as they wanted?

Ephedra and ephedrine were available for years and were used by millions of people before it became the "big thing" Sadly, those that have used it for the correct applications are being forced to go underground to purchase it or being made to feel like they are a criminal when they use it. I hope that this has helped to bring you a little bit of information about this supplement witch hunt that is going on in America.