The Skinny On Herbal Weight Loss Products

Its spring! Southern humidity is rising as well as the skirt lines. We are dusting off golf clubs and pulling out our shorts. Most will stand if front of the mirror and think we should lose a couple of pounds. We will be drawn to weight loss products hoping they will work. If they contain ephedrine or Ma-Huang they work, but there are some things you need to know before taking these herbal supplements, like any drug.

Ma Huang or Ephedra has been used in Chinese medicine for over 5,000 years with a pretty good safety record. (Last year 20,000 folks were hospitalized for aspirin.) Ma Huang or Ephedra, how we will refer to the herb for the remainder for this article, stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, or the fight or flight response. For simplicity, consider Ephedra analogous to adrenaline. Through stimulation of the fight or flight response and the body’s subsequent release of adrenaline come the stories of great heroic strength such as a mother lifting a car off her child. When the body is stressed either through fear, too much to do, or a boss getting upset, the body reacts in varying degrees, with the fight or flight response. You are gearing up to fight something off or run away, not a bad idea if someone is yelling at you.

To understand the effects of adrenaline/ Ephedra lets take the example of a caveman running away from T-rex. His fight or flight response is stimulated. The blood vessels in his heart become larger. He needs blood in and out of the heart fast to pick up oxygen in the lungs and transport it to body cells so he can run really fast. Muscle strength is increased. Bronchi in the lungs get larger allowing more airflow. T-Rex is right behind our caveman. He is running like there is no tomorrow…because there just may not be. Through our nervous system stimulation of adrenaline/ Ephedra his liver dumps sugar into the blood stream for energy. His thyroid gland increases his metabolic rate as almost all body functions go into over drive.

Prolonged stress is called the silent killer because it continually stimulates the fight or flight response, but some stress is healthy. A high stress environment as perceived by our nervous system over 10 to 20 years creates a problem. It is easy to understand how artificially throwing the body into overdrive utilizes more energy stimulating weight loss.

We lose weight by burning more energy. I do not recommend this type of weight loss. Exercise burns more energy. Utilization of ephedrine products will get you results faster, but when you quit taking them you will start to gain the weight back. Eat 250 calories less a day and exercise. You will begin to lose weight.

The Chinese utilized Ephedra for asthma quite effectively with its bronchiodilator properties. They have also used Ephedra effectively for a number of conditions. I suggest if you are interested exploring utilization Ma-Huang or Ephedra that your do so under a trained Naturopathic physician. (American Association of Naturopathic Physicians: www.naturopathic.org). Many modern drugs have herbal origins. Drug companies chemically alter Ephedra to obtain a patent and money from its sale. With chemical alteration comes a whole host of more side effects. It is found in many cold remedies. The same was also done with aspirin, derived from willow bark.

Chiropractically, the approach is to identify areas of nerve pressure inhibiting the body from function normally. By correcting nerve pressure the body is able to do what it does best, take care of itself. Because I work with the nervous system, outside influences that affect the nervous system concern me. The nervous system communicates two ways: (1) I touch you and your feel it – mechanical stimulation and (2) chemical stimulation – hormones (adrenaline) or other chemicals – drugs or herbs. Health comes from within not from a pill, bottle or potion. You must always look for what threw the body out of balance in the first place. Make sure your nervous system is functioning normally. Get your spine checked!

Other names: Ma-Huang, Ephedra, pseudo-ephedrine, Mormon Tea, Brigham Tea, Whorehouse tea.

Should not use if you have: heart problems, high blood pressure, hyperthyroidism, insomnia, prostate problems, blood sugar problems, glaucoma, prone to panic attacks, are pregnant or taking MOA inhibitors.