Chinese Herbalists Laud U.S. Exemption for Ephedra

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http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews & storyID=4059659

 

Chinese Herbalists Laud U.S. Exemption for Ephedra

Tue December 30, 2003 08:37 PM ET

 

By Elinor Mills Abreu

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - When U.S. regulators said they would ban the use of

ephedra in weight-loss supplements on Tuesday they allowed an exemption for

practitioners of Chinese medicine who have been using the herb for thousands of

years to treat ailments ranging from asthma to fevers.

Synthetic ephedra-based weight loss pills sold over the counter can be harmful

when taken in large doses and by people who have heart ailments, high blood

pressure and other health problems, the FDA said.

But when taken properly under a health practitioners supervision, the herb --

also known as ma huang -- is good medicine, according to several trained Chinese

herbalists.

Ephedra can help people overcome asthma attacks, colds and other health

problems, practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine said on Tuesday after

U.S. health officials banned ephreda-based weight-loss pills citing risks of

stroke and heart-attack.

Ephedra " should not be in dietary weight loss products. That's not the proper

use of it, " said Robert Wright, a licensed acupuncturist who has a private

practice in Napa, California.

" It's commonly used for colds, in short-term, small-dose use, " he added. " It's a

great herb, when used properly by trained professionals. "

Ephedra " is one of the best things you can prescribe for someone who is having

an asthma attack, " said Suzanne Friedman, director of the Traditional Chinese

Medicine and Medical Qigong Clinic in San Francisco, where alternative medical

treatments like herbs and acupuncture are widely practiced.

" It's a very respected herb, one of the first, if not the first, herb you learn

in Chinese medical school, " she said. " When misused for weight loss or keeping

people awake or keeping them energized, that's a complete misuse of the herb and

it could lead to health problems. "

The herb, which stimulates the central nervous system and acts like a bronchial

dilator, has reportedly been in use for 5,000 years and has been traced back to

classical medical texts in the 1st or 2nd century, according to Charlotte Furth,

a history professor at the University of Southern California who specializes in

ancient Chinese medicine.

" If you look at the Ming dynasty texts on Chinese medicine, ma huang was

certainly a widely used drug, but the doctors warned against using it in large

quantities, " she said.

Ma huang was used to bring on a sweat in treating fevers, Furth said, adding:

" It's a very important drug. "

Ma huang, whose Latin name is ephedra sinica, comes from a cone-bearing shrub

indigenous to China that is also found in the Mediterranean, India, Iran and

western South America.

Extracts of ma huang have been used in over-the-counter drugs since the 1920s,

but attention has focused on health risks in recent years.

Even so, athletes have been known to take ephedra and related compounds because

they can increase energy and endurance by increasing the flow of blood to the

muscles.

Baltimore Orioles pitching prospect Steve Bechler died in February from heat

stroke. A medical examiner said the athlete's use of an ephedra supplement

contributed to his death.

Ephedra has been banned by the U.S. Olympic Committee.

 

 

 

 

 

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