The Ephedra Herb

(Western and Chinese Herb)

Ephedra sinica

The Ephedra herb is also known as Desert Tea, Ma Huang, Chinese Ephedra, and Mormon Tea.

DESCRIPTION AND INFORMATION:

The Ephedra herb is a perennial shrub with wiry, grayish-green stems that grow two to three feet in height. The male flowers are borne in small clusters while the female flowers form small, fleshy, bright red cones.

The Ephedra plant is grown abundantly throughout the northern provinces of China.

The Chinese have used this herb for thousands of years. It was at the turn of the century when it became a primary treatment for asthma in the United States. The synthetic version, pseudoephedrine, became the decongestant that you are probably familiar with, Sudafed.

Ephedra has been given a bad reputation because of a chemical component, ephedrine, which is highly toxic. Ephedrine relieves asthma but also induces high blood pressure.

When the whole herb is used ephedrine relieves asthma and then other components contained in the herb ephedra slows the heart rate and lowers blood pressure. It is when man sometimes messes with things that the problems arise. It is the nodes that join the leaf segments that are the toxic parts of the plant.

TARGET AILMENTS:

Take internally for:

Western:

* colds

* asthma

* hay fever

* nasal and chest congestion

* influenza

* obesity

* raising blood pressure

Chinese:

* fever and chills

* coughing

* wheezing

* nasal and chest congestion

* indigestion

* stomachache

* joint swelling

PREPARATIONS:

The Ephedra herb is available as fluid extract, tablets, powder and dried bulk herb at health foods stores or from herb farms.

Parts used: Whole plant, but mostly stems and aerial parts

Collection: The stems are collected in autumn, when the active compounds are most concentrated.

Constituents: Ephedrine, norephedrine nor-pseudoephedrine, tannins, saponin, gallic acid, beta-carotene

Actions: Anti-allergic, circulatory, hypertensive, stimulant, vasodilator

Combinations: Lobelia and Thyme combine well with Ephedra for asthmatic problems.

SAFETY AND SIDE EFFECTS:

* Should not be used by anyone who has anxiety disorders (panic attacks), glaucoma, thyroid disease, and diabetes.

* Anyone with heart disease or high blood pressure or who is taking monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor drugs should not use.

* It should not be used by men with prostate enlargement.

* It should not be taken by women who are pregnant.

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