Robyn Landis
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 It can be troublesome if an already nervous, hyped-up, anxious person with a rapid heartbeat and high blood pressure takes large amounts of a stimulating herb such as ephedra (ma huang) or yohimbe. But when a person who is already unhealthy misuses a product, neither the person's poor health nor the misuse is the fault of the product.
For example, it can be troublesome when an obese person whose arteries are so blocked that he or she may be minutes away from a heart attack sits down to a breakfast of eggs fried in butter with sausage, bacon, danish, and buttered toast. |
Robert S. McCaleb, Evelyn Leigh, and Krista Morien
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 Examples include kava, senna, ginseng, ephedra, and caffeine sources, such as cola and mate.
Other extracts are standardized to marker compounds. These constituents may not be the key to the plant's effectiveness, but there is usually evidence that if the extract contains enough of the marker compound, it will be effective. St. John's wort provides an excellent example. Extracts of this herb have well-researched antidepressant effects. Most St. John's wort extract is standardized to contain 0.3 percent hypericin. |
Robyn Landis
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| Scientific experts have testified to the FDA that ephedra should not be banned, but rather sold with label warnings and dose limits.
Consumers share the responsibility with the herb industry and health professions to act sensibly with regard to herb use. It may be that dieters ruined ma huang for the rest of us—taking too much for the wrong reasons, in the wrong context. Herbal "high" products are another misguided use (see later in this chapter for more on this). Good things can always be used for bad purposes. To blame the results of this kind of usage on the herb itself is illogical. |
Dr. Gary Null
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 When practitioners of natural medicine use ephedra for weight loss, they often use herbs like licorice and Panax ginseng and/or vitamin C, magnesium, zinc, vitamin B6, and pantothenic acid supplementation in order to support the adrenal glands.
M.T Murray, "The Rational Use of Thermogenic Formulas," American Journal of Natural Medicine 1, no. 4 (December 1994): 5-7.
EXERCISE
Obesity increases the risk of coronary heart disease. |
Robert S. McCaleb, Evelyn Leigh, and Krista Morien
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| Tincture: 15 to 30 drops in water, up to three times a day18
Standardization
Standardized ephedra formulations generally contain 6 percent ephedrine and pseudoephedrine.
References
1. Nicklas BJ, Rogus EM, Goldberg AP. Exercise blunts declines in lipolysis and fat oxidation after dietary-induced weight loss in obese older women. American Journal of Physiology 1997; 273: E149-E155.
2. Koeppl PM, Heller J, Bleeker ER, et al. The influence of weight reduction and exercise regimes upon the personality profiles of overweight males. Journal of Clinical Psychology 1992; 48(4): 463-1-71.
3. |
| The FDA has already approved pure ephedra alkaloids (the active stimulant compounds) as effective and declared them safe enough for sale without a prescription. This means that anyone in the United States can purchase ephedrine (in the form of Primatene, for example) and pseudoephedrine (as, for example, in Sudafed) at any pharmacy, grocery, or convenience store. The FDA portrayed the herbal source of these chemical compounds as a public health menace, but remained curiously silent about the pharmaceutical drugs, which are often far stronger sources of these potent stimulants. |
| There is much more research on the alkaloid berber-ine derived from goldenseal than on goldenseal itself, and although numerous studies exist for ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, few have examined the plant ephedra (ma huang) or its extracts.
The pace of medicinal herb research done by European scientists accelerated rapidly from the 1960s to the present. Today, most of the best herb research is performed in Europe, primarily because European modern medicine never abandoned the use of complex or "crude" plant drugs and their extracts. |
Marion Nestle
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 The "Silver" product implies special benefits for older adults. The ephedra package gives no information about its purpose; presumably, its buyers know what it is supposed to do for them. (Photo by Enrique Caballo, 2001) designer foods, functional foods, nutraceuticals, or—as I like to call them—techno-foods) as an unparalleled opportunity to achieve growth rates for food products as impressive as those for supplements. The new food products included not only the familiar vitamin-enriched breakfast cereals but also such innovations as tortilla chips supplemented with St. |
Robyn Landis
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| Ma huang, also known as ephedra, is a Chinese herb; there is also some that grows in American Southwest desert regions ("desert tea") that is not as powerful. It is the world's oldest known cultivated plant. Ephedrine is the plant compound that most closely resembles our own natural stimulant, epinephrine (adrenaline). It is also the compound from which the active ingredients of the OTC bronchial dilator Primatene (ephedrine) and the nasal decongestant Sudafed (pseudoephedrine) were synthesized. |
Bill Gottlieb
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 Those oral decongestants contain pseudoephedrine, which is made from the ephedra plant. In fact, at least one-fourth of all of the drugs that doctors prescribe contain active ingredients derived or synthesized from plant medicines, says Norman R. Farnsworth, Ph.D., director of the Program for Collaborative Research in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
How did primitive man discover that plants had medicinal properties? The first "herbalists" probably watched the animals, noticing which plants the beasts grazed on when they weren't feeling well. |
Christian Ratsch
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 A ruin at the peak of the mountain is thought to once have been a Zoroastrian fire temple (cf. ephedra spp.):
Concentrated magical essence has remained in this place, and an army of especially gifted genies dwells there. It is said that the "power" causes people who wish to approach the spot to shrink back. . . . Stories relate how those who climbed Kohi returned as madmen or cripples or wasted away. (I. Shah 1994, 153*)
We do not know what really transpired on this mountain. |
Michael Tierra
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 For colds and flus, combine angelica with other diaphoretic herbs such as ephedra, mint or lemon balm, garlic and a half part licorice to smooth out the action. |
| These include goldenseal, ginseng, licorice, lily of the valley and ephedra. Such persons should generally use only small amounts of stimulating substances and should use more of the antispasmodic, nervine and sedative herbs. However, two stimulants, cayenne pepper and garlic, also seem to be useful for reducing blood pressure.
Caution with Handling Herbs
When handling large amounts of poke root, for example when harvesting the roots, gloves must be worn because the roots contain substances that can pass through the skin and are toxic in large amounts. |
| It is a combination of both cinnamon and ephedra teas headed by pueraria root (Kudzu), which is a cooling herb with diaphoretic-antispasmodic properties of special benefit to the lungs and gastrointestinal tract.
Pueraria Tea
(Ko Ken Tang)
1. Pueraria—6 grams (diaphoretic-antispasmodic)
2. Peony alba—4 grams (antispasmodic, helps circulation)
3. Ginger—4 grams (warms the center)
4. Licorice—1.5 grams (harmonizes)
5. Jujube date—4 grams (tonifies the spleen-pancreas)
6. |
Ronald L. Hoffman, M.D.
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 A traditional Chinese herb, ephedra, is a mainstay of asthma treatment in Chinese medicine. Typical Western herbs include pleurisy root, yerba santa, and lobelia. Ginkgo biloba, commonly thought of as an antiaging nutrient, has specific antiinflammatory effects in asthma.
Acupuncture, the ancient Chinese healing art, has been proven in numerous studies to be helpful in mitigating the symptoms of asthma. In China, departments of pulmonary medicine, while adopting modern techniques of pharmacological management, are never without the attendance of skilled acupuncturists. |
Michael Tierra
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| Yang or energy tonics include the following: aconite, astragalus, don sen, ginseng, eleuthero, ephedra, fu ling, licorice, ho shou wu, pai shu, and salvia (dang shen). Yin or blood tonics include: dong quai, ho shou wu, lycii, rehmannia, peony, and tienchi.
There are also some herbs that are Yin-cooling, thus helping to detoxify the blood and remove inflammation and heat from the internal organs and body in general. These include: bupleurum, honeysuckle, chrysanthemum, and rehmannia (raw). |
David Hoffman, FNIMH, AHG
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 Euphorbia pilulifera (pill-bearing spurge) Grindelia camporum (gumweed or grindelia) Prunus serotina (wild cherry)
As discussed in chapter 9, the role of platelet activating factor (PAF) in bronchial asthma is receiving increased attention. Ginkgo biloba is an effective and safe inhibitor of PAF, making it a potentially useful herb for the control and treatment of asthma. Donald Brown, N.D., one of America's foremost naturopathic phytotherapists, advocates the use of ginkgo in the long-term management of asthma. |
Michael Tierra
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| Using ephedra (ma huang), for instance, for quick energy or weight loss is unwise, and marketing it as appropriate for either use is misleading.
Further, the current pharmaceutical process of standardization has created disagreement and misunderstanding. While its benefits guarantee a specified amount of the herb's active principles to be found in every batch produced, its problems are many. There is no agreement among companies as to which constituent should be standardized and to what degree. Thus, different companies extract and standardize different constituents and to varying potencies. |
Mark Blumenthal
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 DECOCTION: 1-6 g dried herb daily. ^
Chinese Pharmacopeia dosage: 1.5-9 g dried herb daily.
DRIED COMMINUTED HERB (for Commission E approved bronchial indications):
ADULT SINGLE DOSE: 15-30 mg total alkaloid, calculated as ephedrine. dried comminuted herb (for Commission E approved bronchial indications) (cont.): adult maximum daily dose: corresponding to 300 mg total alkaloid calculated as ephedrine. child single dose (over age 6): corresponding to 0.5 mg total alkaloid per kg of body weight. child maximum daily dose (over age 6): 2 mg total alkaloid per kg of body weight. |
Andrew Chevallier
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 Ephedrine, extracted originally from ephedra, was first synthesized in 1927 and was used as a decongestant and antiasthmatic. It is still commonly used in conventional medicine for its decongestant properties.
¦ Whole herb The whole plant contains many compounds — some active, some inert — which in combination seem to act synergistically. The whole plant can be used at a much lower dosage than isolated constituents and it has significant therapeutic effects — including dilating the bronchial airways and increasing blood flow to the skin. |
| Today, ephedra is used in the West and in China for problems ranging from chills and fevers to asthma and hay fever.
Key Actions
Western herbal medicine:
¦ Increases sweating
¦ Dilates the bronchioles (small airways in the lungs)
¦ Diuretic
¦ Stimulant
¦ Raises blood pressure Chinese herbal medicine:
¦ Disperses cold
¦ Helps problems caused by "external cold"
¦ Aids movement of lung qi
Research
¦ Active constituents Most of the active constituents mimic the effect of adrenaline within the body, increasing alertness. |
| Ephedra sinica, p. 93), which is present in many prescription and over-the-counter cold remedies. These and many other conventional medicines are all derived from isolated plant constituents.
Value of Whole Plants
Although it is important to understand the actions of individual active constituents, herbal medicine, unlike biomedicine, is ultimately about the use and actions of
Ginkgo, one of the oldest kno plant species, improves the circulation of blood to the head
Cultivation of medicinal plants in Cameroon. |
| Do not take if suffering from angina, glaucoma, high blood pressure, enlarged prostate gland, or overactive thyroid gland. ephedra occasionally causes side effects, including headaches, tremore, and insomnia. Restricted herb in some countries.
Decoction is prescribed by herbalists for asthma.
Powder is used by the Chinese to treat kidney energy deficiency.
Tincture is used in treatments to alleviate the aches and pains of rheumatism. fevers, coughs, and wheezing, and in combination with rehmannia (Rehmannia glutinosa, p. 123) is given to treat kidney yin deficiency (see pp. 38-39). |
Mark Stengler, N.D.
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 I would never recommend ephedra to someone with preexisting heart conditions (especially arrhythmias), thyroid disease, and diabetes. It should also never be taken along with pharmaceutical antidepressants or medications for high blood pressure (hypertension).
°^ Guar ana (Paullina Cupana)
Guarana seeds were originally used as a medicine by indigenous peoples of the Amazon forest to treat diarrhea, reduce hunger, and relieve arthritis. It contains guaranine, which is a stimulant that is very similar in its structure and effects to caffeine. |
Ronald L. Hoffman, M.D.
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| Herbs like ginseng and ephedra, long mainstays of TCM formulas, are being marketed and popularized in over-the-counter pills, teas, and tinctures. While this allows the benefits of TCM to be main-streamed, sometimes people are swayed by the Western notion that if a little bit is good, a lot is better. Some people are taking high doses of therapeutic agents out of the context of their traditional use. For example, some individuals may use ginseng, which is good for "energy," when TCM practitioners would find it contraindicated because of its potential for exhausting an already overtaxed system. |
Alan Keith Tillotson, Ph.D., A.H.G., D.Ay.
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 It is possible that unscrupulous manufacturers may attempt to hide the presence of ephedra alkaloids by adding bala to their weight-loss products.
TAM doctors use bala root to make various complex oil preparations. These oils are used as external applications for various nervous sytem diseases, such as neuropathies, facial paralysis, spasmodic coughing or asthma, vertigo, seizures, and menstrual cramps. The oils are also used for rheumatic and arthritis pain. Bala root is a major ingredient in the famous medicinal oil called narayana taila. |
Linda B. White, M.D.
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 John's-wort
Internal: Astragalus, echinacea, elderberry, ephedra, garlic constipation Bulking agents (Maltsupex,
(page 188) Citrucel); enemas (Fleet); laxatives
(Diocto-K Plus, Ex-Lax); osmotics (Evalose, Citroma); stool softeners (Correctol, Agoral)
Internal: Cascara sagrada, flaxseed, papaya, psyllium seed, senna
Condition
Commonly Used Drugs
........ ..... . ....... .............. ........ |
| Unfortunately, ephedra also stimulates the cardiovascular and central nervous systems, and it has been abused for its appetite-suppressant and stimulant qualities. Typical dosage: 15 to 30 drops of tincture in water up to four times per day. For other products, scrupulously follow manufacturer's or practitioner's recommendations. Caution: Large doses can raise blood pressure and cause palpitations, nervousness, insomnia, nausea, flushing, and headaches. If you use an herbal product
Cold and Flu Vitamins
Research particularly supports the use of these two supplements during colds and flu. |
Alan Keith Tillotson, Ph.D., A.H.G., D.Ay.
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| Ephedra has been used for centuries in China to safely treat asthma. But companies here in the United States began to add the extracted alkaloids in high doses to weight-loss products, causing serious problems.
• Present flawed or incomplete scientific research as if it is conclusive evidence. One study showed that echinacea wasn't effective for treating or shortening colds. What the report didn't reveal was that the researchers studied ridiculously low doses. |
| I have included some of the more important ones, such as ephedra. Some herbs, as simple as black pepper or ginger root, are indispensable for helping to make an herbal formula work properly.
What are the premier herbs used by Western and European herbalists?
The premier herbs used by Western and European herbalists generally fall into a category known as adaptogens, herbs that bring balance back to the body no matter what the direction of imbalance. Some adaptogens will bring your blood pressure down if it is high, or bring it up if it is low. |
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