Reply #18: Nope. Big loss [View All]

[bain_sidhe]

**edited for formatting**

Ephedra-based weightloss products work better than the sh*t they sell for zillions of dollars. "Big Pharm" was behind the push to ban it in the first place. Ephedra has approximately 150 deaths linked to in in 20 years - most by people who misused it. OTOH, over the counter drugs like asprin cause almost 1000 deaths in one year

From NewsTarget (http://www.newstarget.com/001046.html):

There are 150 deaths apparently linked to ephedra. Over-the-counter pain medications kill 40,000 American each year by comparison. Prescription drugs kill another 100,000. Where is the FDA outcry on these drugs?

Second, there's the abuse issue. You can't possible be killed by ephedra unless you abuse it by taking too many pills at once in some sort of desparate weight loss attempt. Over-the-counter pain pills and prescription drugs, by comparison, kill people even when taken at the proper dosage So there's a tremendous difference in the risk of death with ephedra vs. prescription drugs, and yet the FDA chose to focus on ephedra.

From Dr. Murray (http://www.doctormurray.com/newsletter/2-8-2004.htm):

In the worst case scenario, over the last 20 years ephedra was linked to approximately 150 deaths (virtually all of which were related to excessive dosage or abuse). In contrast, approximately 2,000,000 people in the United States died from adverse drug reactions including over 140,000 deaths caused by aspirin and other NSAIDs.

Some people believe there was a wider purpose: From Common Ground (http://www.commongroundmag.com/2004/cg3103/ephedrawars3103.html):

Many see the FDA’s action to prohibit the sale of ephedra, or ma huang, as the opening salvo of an attack on all supplements — especially botanicals — and the landmark law that protects them, 1994’s Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA). They fear if the supplement act is overhauled or rescinded, millions of consumers may be denied access to what are overwhelmingly safe, effective, and inexpensive alternatives to prescription drugs.

I'm fairly up on this fight because I took ephedra for years. I took the "weight loss" dosage for about a year - and lost 60 pounds, and continued with a "maintenence" dosage for about three years after that, and kept it off until they banned it. I've only gained a few pounds back - but they're very unwelcome pounds, and I've only kept the amount so low by eating only one meal a day (I have a very low metabolism - even caffeine doesn't raise it much). Not only did I not have any ill effects, I also had far fewer sinus headaches than I used to get, and consequently, used far fewer sinus products and aspirin. Those have come back too.

I'm celebrating the judge's ruling.

:party: :woohoo: :party: :woohoo: :party: :woohoo: :party:

Hope it holds up!

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