For more than 5,000 years, the Chinese have made extensive use of ma huang , primarily for respiratory conditions. In the United States, ma huang and a variety of dietary supplements that contain ephedra alkaloids are widely promoted and used as a means of losing weight and increasing energy.
Alkaloids are chemical substances that contain nitrogen.
Some of the more familiar members of the alkaloid family include caffeine, cocaine, morphine, and nicotine. As you ve probably already guessed, alkaloids may not be the safest of ingredients, a suggestion investigated in a recent study in The New England Journal of Medicine . The study revealed that cardiovascular and central nervous system side-effects were frequently attributable to use of dietary supplements containing ephedra alkaloids. The authors concluded that the use of substances that contain ephedra alkaloids may pose a health risk to individuals, and that a better understanding of the adverse effects of such dietary supplements is needed. These recommendations echo other recent advisements from the health care community on the safety of dietary supplements.