Ephedrine is an alkaloid, or chemical compound, found in the plant ephedra and is traditionally used in Chinese medicine and some over-the-counter and prescription medications. More recently, it has been marketed as a diet pill.

Ephedra-containing products stimulate the central nervous system and often include additional stimulants, such as caffeine, to promote weight loss. According to the Food and Drug Administration, ephedra has been found in weight-loss supplements and products to increase energy levels and athletic performance. Some variations of ephedra have even been sold as alternatives to illegal drugs.

The use of ephedrine has been controversial because of side effects such as high blood pressure, rapid heart rate, nerve damage, muscle injury, psychosis and memory loss. More serious results have also been reported, including heart attack, stroke, seizure and death. Because ephedrine and supplements containing it have been linked to unreasonable risk of illness or injury, according to the Mayo Clinic, ephedrine is currently banned in the U.S.

To learn about other potentially dangerous weight-loss drugs, take a look at our list of dangerous diet pills.

Black cohosh has a history of use for arthritis and muscle pain, but today, it is one of the more popular herbal remedies and nutritional supplements used primarily to treat hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness and other symptoms that can occur during menopause. Black cohosh has also been used for menstrual irregularities and premenstrual syndrome, as well as to induce labor.

Black cohosh (known as both Actaea racemosa and Cimicifuga racemosa), a member of the buttercup family, is a perennial plant that is native to North America. Initial research on black cohosh suggests that it may improve some menopausal symptoms for up to six months. But while preliminary evidence is encouraging, the currently available data is not sufficient to support a recommendation on the use of the herb for menopausal symptoms.

How black cohosh works isn't understood. The safety of black cohosh in pregnant or breast-feeding women or children hasn't been established. Black cohosh is sometimes used by nurse-midwives to induce labor, but it should never be used by a pregnant woman without supervision by a qualified healthcare provider, because it could stimulate uterine contractions and result in miscarriage. Because black cohosh may act like the hormone estrogen in the body, it could also potentially interfere with hormone replacement therapy or oral contraceptives.

Quercetin is found in the skins of apples and red onions. Photo: visualpanic, Flickr

In the world of sport, it seems everyone's talking about quercetin, a phytochemical that could increase your athletic performance and, perhaps more importantly, it comes in an energy drink endorsed by Lance Armstrong. But not so fast says a new study funded by Coca-Cola -- it seems quercetin won't actually do you much good on the race track.

The research, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, tested performance levels at maximum-effort biking of 30 recreational cyclists -- half were given 1 gram of quercetin in their sports drinks, while the other half weren't. At the end of the one-to-two-week study, participants who took the supplement showed no difference from those who hadn't in a variety of measures, including metabolic changes, peak oxygen consumption and strength after testing.

The study's lead researcher, Kirk Cureton, was surprised by the findings, as he had predicted positive effects on athletes, especially since tests on mice had proved promising. However, he adds "Only one study that I am aware of has found a positive effect" referring to research done by the U.S. Army, that had heavily invested in the supplement. But it is not necessarily a waste. Quercetin has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, so even if it's not shrinking your split times, you may be reaping other benefits.

Eating well generally includes getting a variety of vitamins and antioxidants. So that's why a recent study on the effects of mixing exercise and antioxidants is so very frustrating at first glance.

Exercise helps boost your metabolism and increase insulin sensitivity, but incorporating antioxidant supplements such as vitamin C and E into your diet might negate these benefits, researchers found.

When you exercise, your muscle cells metabolize glucose, causing tissue-damaging oxygen molecules to be released -- antioxidants attack those molecules, which is normally a good thing. However, those same molecules have been shown to increase the body's sensitivity to insulin, which can help prevent Type 2 diabetes.

Don't think this means you get a pass on your daily servings of fruits and veggies, though -- researchers in this study agree that getting antioxidants through food is a good thing, and that it's really when you start taking large amounts of supplements that antioxidants might curb some of the benefits of exercise if you're at risk for diabetes.

Keep in mind, of course, that this is only one study. It is part of a growing body of evidence that have not shown supplements to be beneficial, and some may even be harmful. So the message isn't really frustrating at all, fruits and vegetables are still the best way to go.

Source

Metabolife's former CEO and co-founder Michael J. Ellis released his tell-all book "The Metabolife Story: The Rape of Cinderella" on February 13th. Now as you know, I'm a fitness pro who is adamantly against weight-loss drugs and snakeoil salesmen. I am, however, a business woman who's definitely interested in learning about the rise and disastrous fall of a bazillion dollar corporation.

Even though Mr. Ellis starts his book by sarcastically confessing to being a drug dealing thug who set out to murder people and cheat the government (if you believe the media's side of the story), the next few chapters paint him as a pretty light-hearted guy who simply created a product to help his father survive cancer.

Desperate to save his Dad, Michael experimented with herbs and other holistic remedies. He notes that a surprising side-effect of his concoction was weight-loss. The story just twists and turns from there on out.

Source

I'll be honest. I'm not a big fan of multivitamins. I don't think they're a bad thing and I would never try to talk someone out of taking them. However, if you eat a nutritious and varied diet, popping a pill seems a bit redundant to me. Kind of like putting in your contact lenses and then putting on a pair of glasses to make sure you can really, really see.

Researchers recently found that, while multivitamins are unlikely to do any harm, supplements don't help older women fight off heart disease and cancer. The results seem to confirm other recent studies that say some supplements don't have the same cancer-fighting abilities as the vitamins do when found in food.

As with most studies, other researchers have stepped forward to point out flaws. Be that as it may, it makes me wonder if we're expecting a bit much from our multivitamins. Since when did multivitamins have to don their superhero suits and fight off all diseases?

Multivitamins are intended to be a part of a healthy lifestyle that includes a healthy diet and regular exercise. They aren't a free pass that gives you the option of eating nothing but junk and they aren't a magic potion that will ward off disease.

Source

Teenagers have this delightful tendency to favour the indoors -- you know, that whole sleeping all day, emerging only to talk on the phone, text friends or read celebrity gossip. Oh wait, that kind of sounds like my life. Ah, the life of a freelancer.

Anyway, teenage girls have a very good reason to venture outdoors on a regular basis because a new study shows that a lack of vitamin D (provided by the sun's rays) can stunt an adolescent girl's growth and -- worse yet, if you ask them -- cause weight gain. You can get vitamin D in supplement form, but why bother when you can get the same results from a few minutes of outdoor time every day.

That doesn't mean that you're off the hook if you're well past puberty. A lack of vitamin D in adults is even more serious, potentially leading to osteoporosis, cancer and other deadly diseases.

Source

If you have a slice of delicious cake, would you think it's OK to chow down the whole cake in one sitting? Of course not. Common sense would tell you that a whole cake is just too much. Unfortunately, when it comes to health advice, not everybody uses common sense.

I recently wrote a post about the benefits vitamin D can have on heart health. That's only one of the perks of vitamin D that has been in the press lately. Now many people -- buying into the vitamin D kick hook, line and sinker -- are buying high-dosage vitamin D supplements from pharmacies and health food stores.

There is no science that says high doses of vitamin D are necessary. And why waste your money on a supplement when vitamin D is so readily available from other sources? Sunlight is your best source, but again, it's important to be reasonable. You don't want to spend too much time in the sun without the protection of sunblock, so a few short 10-15 minute walks outside each week will do. Vitamin D is also available in fortified foods such as milk, some cereals, and orange juice, and it's naturally found in salmon and other oil-rich fish.

Source

It's a well-known fact that older women need calcium and vitamin D to fight bone loss. But it's also important that younger, active women get calcium and vitamin D to prevent stress fractures.

A recent study looked at more than 5,000 female U.S. Navy recruits and found that those who didn't take additional calcium and vitamin D were 25% more likely to suffer a stress fracture.

The authors of the study recommend that women take calcium and vitamin D supplements before starting any new exercise regime. But you can also opt to get your calcium and vitamin D naturally. Dairy products such as low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese are good sources of calcium, but there are other nutrition sources as well. Your best source of vitamin D is the sun; fish and vitamin D fortified foods (milk, orange juice, and cereals are often fortified with vitamin D) are also sources.

Source

Eight short years ago, Marion Jones was the pride of the US -- raking in medals at the Sydney Olympics. Then things fell apart when it was revealed that Jones took performance-enhancing drugs. She was stripped of her medals and was sentenced to time in prison for lying to federal prosecutors. In her first interview since her release, Jones spoke to Oprah about what really happened.

According to Jones, her former coach, Trevor Graham, gave her pills he described as flax seed oil. Jones, who took numerous substances such as vitamins and creatine, didn't question what he was giving her. Jones said she was instructed to put the tablet under her tongue for a while and then swallow it. Later, during the investigation, prosecutors showed Jones a vial of a designer steroid nicknamed "the clear." Jones now admits that she recognized it immediately as the substance her coach had given her. "I made the decision I was going to lie and try to cover it up," explained Jones. "I knew that all of my performances would be questioned."

There's a lesson for all athletes here. From the average Joe to the high school quarterback to elite athletes -- we're all responsible for what we put into our bodies. Supplements such as whey protein and creatine are frequently used by athletes. But even legal supplements shouldn't be used without knowledge and caution. Proper nutrition, consistent exercise, and appropriate training are your best bets for keeping your body in peak condition.

Source

Despite what many late night infomercial spokespeople may claim, there's no magic pill that can make you lose weight. Even the fat burners that have shown some promise still require that a healthy diet and regular exercise program are still followed.

Could it be possible that it's the diet and exercise that's actually causing the weight loss, and that the fat burner pills have no impact whatsoever? It's entirely possible, actually. And, there are some definite cons to using fat burners, chief among them being an increase in blood pressure. What's more, certain fat burners may also disrupt sleep cycles if taken too close to bedtime, in addition to causing some people to feel jittery and anxious.

So, even if there is any truth to the claim that fat burners can help boost metabolism, it may be at the expense of your overall health.

Source

Alternative medicine may not always works as effectively as traditional western medicine, but they can't harm you, right? Not true. Recent studies recently found that one in five Ayruvedic medicines contains poisonous metallics like lead, arsenic and mercury.

Of hundreds of Ayurvedic remedies purchased from 25 different websites in the USA and India, 21% contained detectable levels of at least one of these metals, and of that 21%, half had higher levels than would be considered healthy.

Ayurvedic medicine is an ancient practice that promotes overall health using a balance of medicine, meditation, exercise and diet, and while it can be part of a healthy lifestyle, it's always a good idea to talk to your doctor first before taking any kind of remedy, natural or not.

Source

Nearly every time my son and I go grocery shopping, he begs me to buy children's vitamins. I know parents tend to disagree when it comes to children's vitamins. Personally, while I don't think they're harmful, I don't think they're necessary. My son eats plenty of fruits and vegetables, he gets sufficient calcium from milk, yogurt, and fortified orange juice, and he eats a broad range of other healthy foods as well.

But my kid LOVES his candy. And I'm quite certain that is why he wants those gummy vitamins he sees in the store so badly.

Angie over at ParentDish recently wrote about a study regarding children's vitamins. The study reviewed 14 types of vitamins and found that only five of the reviewed brands had the 12 essential vitamins you would expect. Some brands had as little as four vitamins. The researchers state that the vitamins are little better than candy.

Source

While making my somewhat usual trip to Vitamin Shoppe the other day, I noticed an extremely overweight man exiting the store carrying a 24-pack of bottled protein drinks. Good for him, I thought. He obviously must be starting to workout and follow a healthy diet, which is why he must also be supplementing with protein drinks. But then, when he opened his car door, I noticed a large Burger King bag on the passenger side seat and a huge bottle of Coke in his cup holder. And that's when I felt bad for the guy.

Understand, my feeling bad for this man had absolutely nothing to do with the fact he was overweight. Rather, it was because the man had clearly fallen victim to the sharks out there -- in magazines, on TV and radio commercials, and even in retail stores -- who purposely mislead people into believing that certain pills and powders are a panacea for weight loss. Don't get me wrong, I realize I could have misjudged this entire situation. For all I know, that man planned on throwing away that bottle of Coke the moment he returned home and that the Burger King bag was completely empty, a vestige of the unhealthier past life he was now attempting to leave behind. Regardless, what I saw at that very moment -- even if what I saw was predicated on assumption -- was emblematic of a much larger problem.

Supplements are exactly what their name implies. They are not replacements for whole foods, nor are they a "get-out-of-the-gym free" cards. They are designed (well, those that actually work, that is) to assist you in achieving your fitness goals -- to give you that extra little boost, if you will. What they are not designed to do is allow you to eat junk, sit around all day, and not put in any effort yet still get you results. No pill, powder, gel or cream will ever, ever, ever do anything even remotely close to what it claims it will if you do not also follow a healthy diet and rigorous exercise program. So, I implore you, before rushing out and dropping your hard earned cash on the latest and greatest weight loss or muscle-building supplement, save your money for a gym membership and a shopping trip at Whole Foods. Mark my words, the return on your fitness investment will be far greater.

Source

In an ideal world, we'd all eat perfectly and we'd always get all the vitamins we need. However, that's not always possible, especially for the super-busy Heidi Klum. Still, she makes sure she gets her vitamins. Or, rather, her trainer makes sure she does.

Klum works out with David Kirsch, who also trains celebs like Naomi Campbell and Anne Hathaway, and he ships her cases of his Super Juice packets, which, when added to water, add just 30 calories but provide your daily vitamins. He also provides his clients with Thermo Bubbles, which is supposed to boost energy and metabolism.

How about you? Do you rely on supplements to get what your body needs, or do you get it all through your food?

Source