Losing weight seems to be more popular than ever, and supplements, diets and other products that help us to accomplish this are some of the number one money-makers in the world today. It seems as if our priorities in western culture, along with our lifestyles, are suited to focus on external reality. It can be said that A preoccupation with how our bodies look seems to inhabit much of our waking moments of thought.
One of the biggest blows to the fat loss industry was the loss of ephedrine as a legal supplement. Some see this as good news and others see it as devastating to their weight loss or weight maintenance program. Ephedra, a powerful herb that has been around for more than 50 centuries, is an effective fat loss supplement. It’s also one of the most effective treatments known for asthma, allergies and sinus problems. But ephedra is also a powerful nervous system stimulant that can increase pulse, metabolism, thermogenic activity and blood pressure when it is converted into ephedrine. For some, ephedrine has been a wonder drug. For others, ephedrine has caused serious health problems, and sometimes death.
So when the FDA removed ephedrine from easy access within the past two years, the result was a mixed review uproar. One of the main problems that made ephedrine such a controversial drug was the fact that it was easily abused. It’s effects can be intoxicating, and it’s chemical composition, addictive. Negative side effects include everything from headaches and tremors, to nervousness, insomnia and even accute hepatitis. There were cases of heart attack, stroke and serious nervous system and mood disorders. This is one reason it raised the red flag, prior to raising the white flag!
The problem is, when ephedra, the herb, is transformed into ephedrine, the chemical and drug, it becomes something beastly and uncontrollable – something far beyond fat expunging. Ephedrine, while effectively utilized by some, was grossly abused by others. And that was more the issue than the substance itself. Easily accessible over the counter, and highly marketed in every type of setting from a supplement store to a truck stop or local 7-11, ephedrine capsules and tabs were cheap. It became the every man’s speed and was often used to go a step beyond that. Many youths discovered that ephedrine made a nice chemical catalyst for in-home conversions of ephedrine into crystal methamphetamine.
And all from a little Chinese herb about 5000 years old….
But the problem may not have been as simple as ephedrine being dangerous on its own. Too often, manufacturers would include a cheaper stimulant in their ingredient list along with the ephedrine, (which costs more) creating a potent and unwitting time bomb and cortisol nightmare, creating the opposite effect: Fat hoarding instead of fat loss!! Using caffeine, or one of its derivatives (kola, guarana), as a substitute in addition to the ephedrine may have produced the same general feeling of alertness within the user, but caffeine was a powerful potentiator of the effects of ephedrine and caused it to become something altogether more powerful that harmed the nervous system and set up a metabolic booby trap.
No one counted on this.
Since the ban, however, supplement manufacturers have come out with a variety of substitutes. Users say that these subs pale in comparison to the old ephedrine burn, but it may be just that people equate speediness with fat loss so much, that they can’t get past this idea to try these new supplements and see the results for themselves.
According to the FDA, the supplement industry is safer now – post ban. But are the new alternatives effective? Often, when an alternative doesn’t provide the speedy heartbeat, users believe that it isn’t effective for fat loss, and won’t work. But the truth is, the only requirement for increased metabolism is an increase in core temperature, not heart rate. So while increased heart rate causes the core temperature to rise, other things can also cause the same. This is key.
Subtlety is something Americans aren’t fond of. We want the galvanic, the dramatic, and to see the earth move. Only then are we convinced that something is working. Yet, studies show that many of the current ephedra alternatives are amply capable of producing fat loss and lean results.
Miss ephedrine? Well, Starbucks is still just around most corners. And caffeine, when used occasionally, is one of the best boosters for a morning workout. You’ll get better lifts and a slight increase in metabolic activity. Used with a sound diet, great workout program, some of the new fat burning supplements, and a little cardio, and the results can be dramatic!
