What is Ephedra?
Ephedra is a plant that is used as a natural source of ephedrine alkaloids. Different species of Ephedra contain different amounts of these alkaloids. The plant species that is most commonly used as a source of ephedrine alkaloids for dietary supplements in the United States is Ephedra sinica, also known as ma huang.
Dietary supplements of Ephedra usually contain standardized extracts containing 6 to 8 percent ephedrine alkaloids. Because several states have banned the use of synthetic ephedrine in dietary supplements at industry’s request, national brands contain ephedrine alkaloids from Ephedra, not pure synthetic ephedrine. The standardized extracts of Ephedra are used to formulate products that contain a specified level of ephedrine alkaloids, as well as other herbs and ingredients, depending on the intended use of the product. Manufacturers are required by law to declare a unified amount of ephedrine alkaloids by weight per serving size, as declared on their label.
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