Ephedra And The FDA

On February 11, 2004, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially ordered that substances containing ephedra be taken off the market by April 12, 2004. The ban is applicable to the sale of all dietary supplements in the United States that contain ephedra. Manufacturers and retailers who violate the ban will incur stiff penalties, including civil and criminal charges.

Of course, the history of ephedra and the FDA goes back farther than this ruling. In December of 2003, the FDA announced a proposed ban on ephedra and issued several warnings regarding its use. The FDA based its recommendations on scientific research that suggests that products that contain ephedra raise blood pressure and increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Even with the federal ban on ephedra, there are several products still being sold in the United States that contain it. Instead of listing ephedra as an ingredient, a lot of manufacturers simply list it under one of its alternate names. Some of the other names used to denote ephedra include ephedrine, ma huang, sida cordifolia, and pinellia.

The Battle Is Far from Over

No matter what side of the issue you are on, the battle between ephedra and the FDA is far from over. In fact, on April 14, 2005, a U.S. District Court judge in Salt Lake City lifted the ban and sent it back to the FDA for further evaluation. The manufacturers of supplements that contain ephedra see this as a major victory in their fight to get their products back on the shelves. In the meantime, consumers have additional options--there are plenty of products that use all-natural herbal ingredients that can do the same things ephedra did without the side effects (synephrine, in particular).