Ephedrine and Ephedrine-Free,

icandoit

This is from WebMd.com. Diet pill thinkers...read this

Xenadrine: Safe for Weight Loss?
A weight-loss supplement containing ephedrine reportedly contributed to the death of Baltimore Orioles Pitcher Steve Bechler, who died of heat stroke when his body temperature reached 108 degrees. This is not the first time ephedra has made news due to po
By Martin F. Downs
WebMD FeatureReviewed by Michael W. Smith, MDClaims regarding diet pills aren't always suspect. Some do help the body burn fat. But marketing tactics pill-makers use can be misleading, and experts insist that diet pills are a bad way to lose weight.

It's been said many times, many ways: Good eating habits and plenty of exercise are the best ways to get and stay slim. Nevertheless, the allure of taking pills and watching the fat melt away may be hard to resist, especially for people who are really struggling. "These type of products are just feeding into that desperation," says Sheah Rarback, dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "Nothing is easy or effortless and guaranteed when it comes to our weight, unfortunately."

What's more, slimming down with pills may put some people in danger.

One of the most popular weight-loss supplements in the United States -- considered a "nutritional supplement" and not a drug by current FDA standards -- is Xenadrine, made by the New Jersey company Cytodyne Technologies.

The main ingredient in its original formula, Xenadrine RFA-1, is ephedrine, derived from the ephedra plant. Ephedrine increases metabolism, the process by which fat cells are broken down and converted to energy, and it suppresses appetite.

The effects of ephedrine are like those of amphetamines, also known as speed, and for some they can be deadly. Ephedrine can raise one's heart rate and blood pressure, so people with heart conditions and high blood pressure are warned against taking it. According to FDA records obtained by the watchdog group Public Citizen, ephedrine was linked to 32 heart attacks, 69 strokes, and altogether 81 deaths from 1993 to 2000. In June 2002, the group claimed that more than 100 ephedrine-related deaths had been reported to the FDA.

Xenadrine isn't the only weight-loss supplement that contains ephedrine. Other well known brands include Metabolife and Twinlab Ripped Fuel.

Xenadrine gained more notoriety in 1998, when an American woman slammed her car into another vehicle at 100 mph, killing two Canadian teens. She was tried on criminal charges, but in 1999 a British Columbia Supreme Court judge found her not guilty by reason of mental illness. She had been taking Xenadrine, which defense attorneys said made her psychotic.

The product's warning label applies not only to cardiovascular problems, but also to the mind-altering effects ephedrine can have. People who are being treated for psychiatric problems or who may be at risk for mental illness are warned not to take it.

Watchdog groups, medical associations, and the FDA are calling for stricter warning labels or an outright ban on supplements containing ephedrine.

Ephedrine-Free, but Risk-Free?
Enter Xenadrine EFX, a newer, ephedrine-free formula.

It's true that Xenadrine EFX has no ephedrine in it, but Rarback points out that it does have "bitter orange," a citrus fruit that contains synephrine, which is chemically similar to ephedrine. This product carries the same warnings for people with heart conditions and mental illness as the original formula does
but Risk-Free? continued...
As for the other ingredients in Xenadrine EFX, Rarback says none have been proven to aid in weight loss -- for example, green tea and ginger. One study published in the International Journal of Obesity in 2000 found that green tea speeds up metabolism and may be a useful weight-loss aid. But Rarback argues that one study isn't enough proof, and that the bulk of research on green tea has been concerned with its antioxidant properties. Also, ginger has been studied primarily as a remedy for nausea.

Cytodyne Technologies has commissioned research on both Xenadrine formulas, finding them safe and effective. Cited on a page of the company's web site is a study titled, "Ephedrine-free Xenadrine-EFX outperforms leading ephedra-based diet supplements." The source given is a 2002 issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

Every day brings news of studies published in medical journals. The average reader might reasonably assume that the journal article was, like those often referred to in news reports, a peer-reviewed study. That means the journal's editors have accepted the article for publication based on rigorous scientific standards. "Ephedrine-free Xenadrine-EFX outperforms leading ephedra-based diet supplements," however, actually refers to an abstract of a presentation made at an American College of Nutrition meeting, which happened to be printed in the journal -- quite different from peer-reviewed publication.

"That certainly is not a title we would publish," said the journal's managing editor, Richard Caldwell, PhD, when asked about the study. Later, in a statement, he wrote, "The abstract has not been peer-reviewed by the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, nor has the study it refers to been in any way scrutinized by the Journal."

"There's no indication that we've done anything illegal or unethical," says Shane Freedman, a lawyer for Cytodyne Technologies.

Rarback takes issue with the before-and-after pictures on the Xenadrine web site, too, which show "after" pictures of people flexing their rippling muscles. "They're absurd," she says. The fine print reads, "Endorsers used Xenadrine EFX in connection with a diet and exercise program."

There's diet and exercise, yet again.

Another ephedrine-free diet pill called Hydroxycut, made by MuscleTech, Inc., contains hydroxycitric acid, derived from the Garcinia cambogia plant. To support its claims, the company cites a study showing that people taking G. cambogia with a diet of 2,000 calories a day and 30 minutes of exercise five days a week lost an average of ten pounds in eight weeks.

More research is needed to clarify the effect of diet and exercise plus G. cambogia. A study published in TheJournal of the American Medical Association found no difference in weight loss between people taking G. cambogia and those taking a placebo.

Instead of spending your money on supplements, Rarback says, exercise, eat right, and "use that money to buy yourself some new clothes for your new figure."

icandoit

This is from WebMd.com. Diet pill thinkers...read this

Xenadrine: Safe for Weight Loss?
A weight-loss supplement containing ephedrine reportedly contributed to the death of Baltimore Orioles Pitcher Steve Bechler, who died of heat stroke when his body temperature reached 108 degrees. This is not the first time ephedra has made news due to po
By Martin F. Downs
WebMD FeatureReviewed by Michael W. Smith, MDClaims regarding diet pills aren't always suspect. Some do help the body burn fat. But marketing tactics pill-makers use can be misleading, and experts insist that diet pills are a bad way to lose weight.

It's been said many times, many ways: Good eating habits and plenty of exercise are the best ways to get and stay slim. Nevertheless, the allure of taking pills and watching the fat melt away may be hard to resist, especially for people who are really struggling. "These type of products are just feeding into that desperation," says Sheah Rarback, dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "Nothing is easy or effortless and guaranteed when it comes to our weight, unfortunately."

What's more, slimming down with pills may put some people in danger.

One of the most popular weight-loss supplements in the United States -- considered a "nutritional supplement" and not a drug by current FDA standards -- is Xenadrine, made by the New Jersey company Cytodyne Technologies.

The main ingredient in its original formula, Xenadrine RFA-1, is ephedrine, derived from the ephedra plant. Ephedrine increases metabolism, the process by which fat cells are broken down and converted to energy, and it suppresses appetite.

The effects of ephedrine are like those of amphetamines, also known as speed, and for some they can be deadly. Ephedrine can raise one's heart rate and blood pressure, so people with heart conditions and high blood pressure are warned against taking it. According to FDA records obtained by the watchdog group Public Citizen, ephedrine was linked to 32 heart attacks, 69 strokes, and altogether 81 deaths from 1993 to 2000. In June 2002, the group claimed that more than 100 ephedrine-related deaths had been reported to the FDA.

Xenadrine isn't the only weight-loss supplement that contains ephedrine. Other well known brands include Metabolife and Twinlab Ripped Fuel.

Xenadrine gained more notoriety in 1998, when an American woman slammed her car into another vehicle at 100 mph, killing two Canadian teens. She was tried on criminal charges, but in 1999 a British Columbia Supreme Court judge found her not guilty by reason of mental illness. She had been taking Xenadrine, which defense attorneys said made her psychotic.

The product's warning label applies not only to cardiovascular problems, but also to the mind-altering effects ephedrine can have. People who are being treated for psychiatric problems or who may be at risk for mental illness are warned not to take it.

Watchdog groups, medical associations, and the FDA are calling for stricter warning labels or an outright ban on supplements containing ephedrine.

Ephedrine-Free, but Risk-Free?
Enter Xenadrine EFX, a newer, ephedrine-free formula.

It's true that Xenadrine EFX has no ephedrine in it, but Rarback points out that it does have "bitter orange," a citrus fruit that contains synephrine, which is chemically similar to ephedrine. This product carries the same warnings for people with heart conditions and mental illness as the original formula does
but Risk-Free? continued...
As for the other ingredients in Xenadrine EFX, Rarback says none have been proven to aid in weight loss -- for example, green tea and ginger. One study published in the International Journal of Obesity in 2000 found that green tea speeds up metabolism and may be a useful weight-loss aid. But Rarback argues that one study isn't enough proof, and that the bulk of research on green tea has been concerned with its antioxidant properties. Also, ginger has been studied primarily as a remedy for nausea.

Cytodyne Technologies has commissioned research on both Xenadrine formulas, finding them safe and effective. Cited on a page of the company's web site is a study titled, "Ephedrine-free Xenadrine-EFX outperforms leading ephedra-based diet supplements." The source given is a 2002 issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

Every day brings news of studies published in medical journals. The average reader might reasonably assume that the journal article was, like those often referred to in news reports, a peer-reviewed study. That means the journal's editors have accepted the article for publication based on rigorous scientific standards. "Ephedrine-free Xenadrine-EFX outperforms leading ephedra-based diet supplements," however, actually refers to an abstract of a presentation made at an American College of Nutrition meeting, which happened to be printed in the journal -- quite different from peer-reviewed publication.

"That certainly is not a title we would publish," said the journal's managing editor, Richard Caldwell, PhD, when asked about the study. Later, in a statement, he wrote, "The abstract has not been peer-reviewed by the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, nor has the study it refers to been in any way scrutinized by the Journal."

"There's no indication that we've done anything illegal or unethical," says Shane Freedman, a lawyer for Cytodyne Technologies.

Rarback takes issue with the before-and-after pictures on the Xenadrine web site, too, which show "after" pictures of people flexing their rippling muscles. "They're absurd," she says. The fine print reads, "Endorsers used Xenadrine EFX in connection with a diet and exercise program."

There's diet and exercise, yet again.

Another ephedrine-free diet pill called Hydroxycut, made by MuscleTech, Inc., contains hydroxycitric acid, derived from the Garcinia cambogia plant. To support its claims, the company cites a study showing that people taking G. cambogia with a diet of 2,000 calories a day and 30 minutes of exercise five days a week lost an average of ten pounds in eight weeks.

More research is needed to clarify the effect of diet and exercise plus G. cambogia. A study published in TheJournal of the American Medical Association found no difference in weight loss between people taking G. cambogia and those taking a placebo.

Instead of spending your money on supplements, Rarback says, exercise, eat right, and "use that money to buy yourself some new clothes for your new figure."