Ephdera (Ma haung) is the ingredient commonly sold in "health food stores" to loose weight and esctacy type preparations.
A Texas study conducted over a 20 month period reported over 500 adverse event reports in patients taking these products. The severity of these events ranged from tremor/headaches to heart attack and stroke. Eight people died!!!
If the data from the Texas study was applied to Canada it would mean that 450 Canadians have adverse reactions and 7 of them die each year!!
In early June of this year I contacted a Senior Health Canada official. They have not had many adverse reactions and hence will not act unilaterally.(I suspect that most physicians are not familiar with what herbs can do)The FDA was poised to remove these herbs last November but are now bogged down in hearings.
Since Early June I have attempted to write letters to several medical journals, contacted Members of Parliament, even sent articles to various news outlets but all to no avail. I have even contacted Mr Rock's office, Federal Minister of Health Health to ask for a meeting to discuss this matter but was rebuffed.
It is my hope that by setting up this website it will make Canadians aware of the danges of this herb. It is my ultimate hope that Mr Rock will ban this dangerous herb.
Please look at my Links for more information.