Ephedra essays

Ephedra essays As you have recently heard, there have been some deaths and injuries where the dietary supplement ephedra was involved. The most recent and most publicized was the death of the Orioles pitcher, Steve Bechler. Twenty-three year old Bechler died of a heat stroke after a mild work out. The temperature being only eighty degrees Fahrenheit, there were some questions about his death. Bechler had been taking ephedra. A medical examiner believes that ephedra most likely contributed (Ellsworth). Ephedra is a natural herb used in such medicines as Metabolife356, Ripped Fuel, Ultimate Orange and Hydroxycut. Ephedra's active ingredient is the central nervous system stimulant, Ephedrine. Ephedra is mainly used for weight loss, gaining muscle, asthma, allergies, colds and hey fever. This Chinese herb has been used for over five thousand years and called one of the world's oldest medicines. It has been used for years originally for common colds and fever. Although ephedra has been used for years, it does have some severe side effects and can sometimes be fatal. Some damage ephedra can cause is sudden cardiac death, stroke, heatstroke, seizure, cardiac arrest, heart attack, incranial bleeds, high blood pressure, restlessness, insomnia, memory loss, nervousness and as I have said before, death. Many people have complained of these side effects but continue to take this harmful herb. Physicians also know of these damages and have had patients with these effects occurring to them and they still prescribe ephedra to their patients. With all these deaths and injuries resulting from the use of ephedra, multiple lawsuits have been filed against the production and consumption of this herb turned drug. In 1994 a woman in Texas died and one hundred other Texans became ill after consuming ephedra-based products. Around twenty-one lawsuits were filed. Another example, 1996 a student, from the University of New York, die ...