Ephedra (Ma Huang) - Not All Bad The traditional Chinese herb ephedra is arguably the most problematic herbal remedy of the last few years, partly because of the deaths that have been reported in the U.S. These deaths could have been avoided if the herb was used according to traditional principles. Traditional systems of healing like Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has developed guidelines for safe herb use over thousands of years. That's enough time for a lot of experimentation and observation. Most herbalists recommend against the non-traditional use of ephedra in weight-loss and energy products. Especially when used with caffeine in tea, coffee, or soft drinks, the stimulating properties can be accentuated. According to the principles of herbalism, ephedra can be taken safely by some people, but not others. Length of use and the potency of the extract are also important when considering safety. Ephedra is used in Chinese herb products or teas to decongest and reduce fevers in people suffering from colds or flu. For this use it is extremely effective ... so effective that the over-the-counter decongestant product Pseudofed was derived from the herb. A new study shows that besides proven decongesting effects, ephedra has strong antiviral properties. Researchers from Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University in Japan found that tannins in ephedra inhibited growth of the influenza virus. C. Hobbs Source: Mantani, N. et al. 1999. Inhibitory effect of Ephedrae herba, an oriental traditional medicine, on the growth of influenza A/PR/8 virus in MDCK cells. Antiviral Res 1999 Dec 31;44(3):193-200. other health news
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