The University of California yesterday (7 November) released the results of research into the herbal stimulant ephedra and issued a warning that it is, in some cases, lethal.
Used globally by millions for weight loss and bodybuilding, ephedra, or ma huang, has been found to have caused around 1,000 health complications, heart attacks, strokes and seizures and at least 54 deaths, all in otherwise healthy people.
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The US Food and Drug Administration is considering restricting the sale of the herb in health stores, where it is often packaged in products such as Ripped Fuel, Diet-Phen and Metabolife.
