The comment in the news section about feeling a certain relief about Ephedra being outlawed makes me FURIOUS!!! I am a clinical Herbalist and I feel that I am duty bound to stick up for Ephedra. Yes, using Ephedra as a diet aid can be dangerous, and it should not be used as such ( It was not intended to be, and was not used that way until fairly recently). That being said, Ephedra is one of the most important respiratory herbs that there is. It had been safely used for many years until it hit the mainstream as a diet aid. I had a friend that was having an asthma attack so severe that he was blacking out, and upon administration of a small amount of Ephedra he was breathing normally within ten minutes! I know that what is done is done, but there are larger implications at work here. Where will the goverment stop? At what point will enough be enough? Our rights are being comprimised!!! Just a little FYI- Roughly 800,000 Americans are either hospitilized or killed by side effects of prescription meds EVERY YEAR!!! Guess how many Americans die from the use of herbs and supplements every year? Usually not even one!
I am not usually big on "conspiracy theories", but this is just something to think about. Pharmcutical drug companies are among the most powerful forces at work in our country, as well as probably being the richest corperations in the world. Last time I checked, you cannot patent a plant, vitamin or mineral, so is it not in the pharmcutical company's best interest to discourage the average consumer from taking a empowered approach to their health? With all of the power/money that these companies have at their disposal, it will be easy for them to frighten people away from using natural means to achieve health. Despite the statistical proof that you are in much more danger with prescription meds!
Of course you can hurt yourself using an herb or supplement, if you try. And there are herb/supplement/prescription drug interactions. This is why it is a good idea to be working with an herbalist or holistic nutritionist the same way you would work with a doctor. I know that I am rambling here, but it is important to see that outlawing Ephedra is just the beginning unless we learn to stick up for our right to seek safe, affordable options for our health! It is not that I think that prescription meds are bad. I know that there are many people that are helped and even kept alive because of them. But I just want people to have the option to choose! I think that many holistic practitioners will agree that many of the people that we see come to us because conventional medicine has failed them. And they are healing themselves! If we continue down this path that the Ephedra ban has laid out, soon we will not have any choices. And that will just be sad.
P.S.--There ARE dangerous supplements. Just wait until the side effects from carb blockers are realized. Bad news.