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Ma Huang
Ma Huang Dangers
Dietary supplements containing the herb ma huang can increase
the risk of heart attack, stroke and sudden death--even in
healthy people who take the recommended doses, a new study
reveals.
Ma huang, an herbal source of ephedrine, is found in some
weight-loss and energy-enhancement supplements. While ma huang
has been used in Chinese medicine for more than 5,000 years
it has not been proven effective by Western scientific standards,
note researchers in the January issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Many studies, in fact, have found an association between ma
huang and the risk of heart attack and death.
Ma Huang Side Effects
The current review of information from a US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) database found that more than 926 cases
of possible ma huang poisoning were reported between 1995
and 1997. Researchers from the New England Medical Center
in Boston, Massachusetts took a closer look at 37 reports
of serious ma huang side effects in patients aged 20 to 69.
Patients in 43% of these cases suffered strokes, 27% had heart
attacks and 30% died suddenly. Nearly all of the patients
took ma huang doses within recommended levels and only one
patient had a history of heart disease, the report indicates.
The findings support previous studies demonstrating that
ma huang may increase the risk of heart attack and death,
and suggest that the current FDA system of monitoring the
safety of dietary supplements may not go far enough to protect
consumers.
Ma Huang
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