Ephedra

A shrubby desert plant called ma huang in traditional Chinese medicine, used for asthma and respiratory complaints for over five thousand years. Ephedra contains ephedrine, a compound that opens airwa...

• Long Traditional Chinese Medicine Use For Asthma, Bronchitis, And Respiratory Infections — Almost Always In Formulas With Balancing Herbs
• Ephedrine, Isolated From Ephedra, Was The Source Of Pseudoephedrine — The Same Decongestant In Over-The-Counter Cold Medications Today
• Opens Constricted Airways — The Basis For Both The Traditional Asthma Use And The Original Asthma Medications
• Pharmaceutical Ephedrine Remains In Legitimate Medical Use As An Injectable In Surgery For Blood Pressure Support

Note FDA banned dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids in 2004 after dozens of deaths — heart attacks, strokes, seizures, and arrhythmias Note The 2003 death of MLB pitcher Steve Bechler at age 23 from an ephedra-containing supplement helped trigger the ban