Have you ever heard of ephedra? Me neither but after a quick search, thanks to Wikipedia, I discovered that it was traditionally used as a herbal remedy in traditional Chinese medicine. Naturally the word herbal insinuates that it is derived from a plant.
It seems today it is used to help stimulate weight loss. There was some mention of this in the article I read where tests showed that those on it lost 0.9kg/month more than those on a placebo.
As always I would like to stress that long term weight loss can only be achieved if one changes their lifestyle, including healthy eating and a good exercise regime. Before starting any strenuous exercise regime one should always consult their doctor.
EDIT: Thanks to Mitch who left a comment I realized that I did not read far enough into the article. This is a quote that you may find of special interest.
Ultimately, in response to accumulating evidence of adverse effects and deaths related to ephedra, the FDA banned the sale of ephedra-containing supplements on April 12, 2004.[12][13]
Following a legal challenge by an ephedra manufacturer, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit upheld the FDA’s ban of ephedra in 2006.[14] The sale of ephedra-containing dietary supplements remains illegal in the United States due to evidence of adverse ephedra-related effects. Following the FDA’s ban, the supplement industry has marketed “ephedrine-free” or “legal” ephedra products, in which the ephedra is replaced with other herbal stimulants such as bitter orange.[15]
Sire, I have heard of ephedra and have experience with it, and this is bad stuff. It’s been banned in the U.S. because it causes heart problems, including heart attacks in people as young as 19. I took it as part of some other stuff back in 1997, and it gave me the jitters, to the point where they almost had to pump my stomach, since I was working in a hospital at the time. A week after I took it they took it off the market the first time. It came back for awhile, more tests proved it’s dangerous, and now it’s gone for good.
Bad stuff; you didn’t read far enough down on your Wikipedia story.
As usual, you are right Mitch. I will edit the post to show that it has adverse effects.