Origin and controversy

In recent years, the controversy surrounding ephedrine has risen again, a supposedly slimming herb, sold freely in some countries, with side effects that endanger health.

In truth, much better known than ephedra is the substance extracted from it: ephedrine, a powerful stimulant of the central nervous system. However, ephedra as a herb became famous in the United States, since it began to be sold commercially as a phyto-therapeutic product as a stimulant for loosing weight, many years ago.

What gave it notoriety was the controversy generated in the 1990’s surrounding its side effects, for which in 1997 gave way to a concrete proposal of north American health authorities for limiting ephedra doses and measures to restrict its use, which never materialized.

North American health authorities and producers of the phyto-therapy faced a harsh debate for establishing if the herb has or doesn’t have any health risk factors.

Even with good health it is convenient to visit a doctor.