Ephedrine: Be Still My Beating Heart

Ephedrin, derived from the Asian plant known as Ephedra (Chinese Ma Huang), is a non-selective agonist of adrenergic receptors. At large doses, ephedrine can lead to a variety of adverse health problems including increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, chest pains, myocardial infarctions, strokes, and ephedrine nephrolithiasis. More cases are being reported about harmful side effects from ephedrine as consumers are increasing the dosage they take to obtain results faster. The main cause for this growing epidemic are discussed and include the unregulated dietary supplement industry due to lack of oversight from the Federal Drug Administration