May 1, 2003 – Is Ephedra Dangerous? The American authorities cannot come to an agreement.
At first, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maintains that the dietary supplement can cause serious health problems. The FDA recently made a commitment to have all ephedra bottles labeled with a warning that the product can cause cardiovascular damage and even death.1
But another US government agency, the General Accounting Office (GAO), combed through more than 16,000 consumer complaints received by Metabolife International, a manufacturer of ephedra products. Although it has identified 92 cases of serious side effects, including 18 heart attacks, the GAO concludes that it is not possible to establish a direct link between these problems and ephedra.
In particular, the GAO points out that it is very difficult to measure the validity of complaints that are made by the public rather than by health professionals. Metabolife believes this finding demonstrates that ephedra is safe, if used correctly.
In addition, the city of New York intends to ban the sale of ephedra on its territory. The product can still be prescribed by a doctor, but any illegal sale will be subject to a fine of $ 1,000.
Jean-Benoit Legault – PasseportSanté.net
According to Associated Press and drkoop.com, April 30, 2003.
1. Shekelle PG, Hardy ML, Morton SC, Maglione M, Mojica WA, Suttorp MJ, Rhodes SL, Jungvig L, Gagne J. Efficacy and safety of ephedra and ephedrine for weight loss and athletic performance: a meta-analysis.JAMA 2003 Mar 26; 289 (12): 1537-45. [Consulté le 14 avril 2003].
