Active Ingredient Ephedra (ephedra Sinica)

a plant genus of the family ephedraceae, order ephedrales, class gnetopsida, division gnetophyta.

Source:

medlineplus herbs and supplements: ephedra (ephedra sinica)

Medical Condition	Uses based on scientific evidence	Grade*
asthma	ephedra contains the chemicals ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, which are bronchodilators (expand the airways to assist in easier breathing). it has been used and studied to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in both children and adults. other treatments, such as beta-agonist inhalers (for example, albuterol), are more commonly recommended due to safety concerns with ephedra or ephedrine.	b
chronic rhinitis	early studies suggest that ephedrine nasal spray, a chemical in ephedra, may help treat symptoms of nasal allergies. additional research is needed before a firm recommendation can be made.	c
hypotension unspecified	chemicals in ephedra can stimulate the heart, increase heart rate, and raise blood pressure. ephedrine, a component of ephedra, is sometimes used in hospitals to help control blood pressure. however, the effects of over-the-counter ephedra supplements taken by mouth are not well described in this area.	c
loss of weight	ephedra contains the chemical ephedrine, which appears to cause weight loss when used in combination with caffeine, based on the available scientific evidence. the results of research on ephedrine alone without caffeine are unclear. the amounts of ephedrine in commercially available products have varied widely. other weight loss treatments have been more commonly recommended due to significant safety concerns with combination products containing ephedra and caffeine.	a
psychosexual dysfunction sexual excitement	early small studies suggest that ephedra may increase sexual arousal in women. further well-designed research is needed to confirm these results.	c

*Key to grades
A: Strong scientific evidence for this use;
B: Good scientific evidence for this use;
C: Unclear scientific evidence for this use;
D: Fair scientific evidence against this use;
F: Strong scientific evidence against this use.