how much ephedra was in the original metabolife

Full Answer

Why was Metabolife Ephedra taken off the market?

This led to Metabolife Ephedra being taken off the market. The key to Metabolife 356′s success was the natural weight loss ingredients of ephedra, caffeine, and green tea. There were other synergistic ingredients though those were three of the most successful ones for weight loss.

What is in Metabolife 356 with Ephedra?

Original Metabolife 356 with ephedra. INGREDIENTS: Each caplet contains: vitamin E, 6 IU; magnesium, 75 mg, zinc, 5 mg; chromium picolinate, 75 mcg. The proprietary blend (728 mg) includes guarana (40 mg naturally occurring caffeine); ephedra (12 mg naturally occurring ephedrines); bee pollen; ginseng root; ginger root; lecithin;

What is Ephedra?

Ma Huang, ephedrine, or ephedra is a central nervous system stimulant that suppresses the appetite. People who take supplements containing ephedra report feeling "jittery," or like they have taken "speed," a street term for amphetamine.

How many Ephedra can you take in a day?

Metabolife 356 advises not exceeding 8 tablets per day (96 milligrams ephedra alkaloids); Metabolite advises not exceeding 2 caplets in a 4 hour period and not exceeding 90 milligrams of ephedra alkaloids (8 caplets) in 24 hours. However, toxic effects of ephedra are not necessarily associated with massive doses.

When was Metabolife changed?

1995Metabolife 356, an ephedra supplement manufactured by Chemins, was initially marketed by Metabolife as a bodybuilding supplement, but in 1995 was rebranded as an aid for dieting.

What were the ingredients of Metabolife?

Metabolife 356 is a complex blend of many ingredients. Its active ingredients are most likely the alkaloids from ma huang (primarily ephedrine) and from guarana seed (primarily caffeine)....Table 2-Metabolife 356® ingredientsIngredientAmount per tabletMagnesium chelate75 mgZinc chelate5 mgChromium picolinate75 mcg17 more rows•Jan 1, 2000

Is Metabolife Ultra discontinued?

Metabolife Metabolife Ultra 90 cplts This product has been discontinued.

How much ephedrine is in ephedra?

Alkaloid content and composition vary by species and growth conditions [5-7]; total alkaloid content can vary from 0.5% to 2.3%. Ephedrine, the most potent alkaloid, can account for up to 90% of the total alkaloid content and pseudoephedrine can account for up to 27% [3,8,9].

Can you buy ma huang in the US?

ANSWER: Ephedra sinica, the herb also known as Ma Huang, is the one that was outlawed by the FDA and can no longer be legally sold as a dietary supplement.

What was in Fen Phen?

The "phen" in fen-phen refers to a drug called phentermine, which wasn't banned. The new study, published online today in BMC Medicine, shows what happened to the hearts of 5,743 former users of fenfluramine and/or dexfenfluramine.

Is it good to take chromium picolinate?

Chromium picolinate is the form of chromium commonly found in dietary supplements. It may be effective at improving the body's response to insulin or lowering blood sugar in those with diabetes. What's more, it may help reduce hunger, cravings and binge eating.

What ephedra does to the body?

Ephedra can produce side effects, such as irritability, restlessness, anxiety, insomnia, headaches, nausea, vomiting, and urinary problems. More serious side effects include high blood pressure, rapid or irregular heartbeat, stroke, seizures, addiction, and even death.

What is a good metabolism booster?

The best metabolism booster ingredients to help you lose weight are caffeine, green coffee bean extract, green tea extract, and capsaicin. If you drink black coffee and eat spicy foods, you may benefit, but the strongest effects can be seen with quality supplements such as LeanBean and PhenQ.

Is there a difference between ephedra and ephedrine?

Ephedrine is a chemical contained in the ephedra herb. Ephedrine has medical uses, mostly in operating rooms and intensive care units. Its chemical properties raise blood pressure and heart rate and open up the large air passages in the lungs.

Whats the difference between ephedra and ephedrine?

Ephedrine, one of the main components in ephedra, can boost metabolism and cause weight loss — especially in combination with caffeine. Still, due to safety concerns, dietary supplements containing ephedrine — but not necessarily other compounds in ephedra — are currently banned in the United States and elsewhere.

Is bitter orange like ephedra?

Bitter orange is commonly used as a substitute for ephedra in dietary supplements. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has placed “synephrine (bitter orange)” on its current list of banned drugs, listing it as a stimulant.

Metabodrene 356

Metabodrene 356 is the closest ephedra product you can get to the original Metabolife. You will find the same effective combination of ephedra, caffeine, and green tea extract. As you raise your caloric burn with ephedra and caffeine the green tee extract works as both a metabolic booster and an antioxidant supporting the removal of free radicals.

Metabothin

You will basically find almost the same combination of ingredients in Metabothin as Metabodrene 356. The core ingredients are all in there including ephedra, caffeine, and green tea extract. Metabothin also has chromium which isn\’t as exciting as ephedra though it is an essential mineral your metabolism needs to function properly.

Metabotrol

Metabotrol is similar in its weight loss ingredient profile including ephedra, caffeine, and green tea extract though one key included ingredient is white willow bark or aspirin. This makes Metabotrol an ECA stack which is one of the most effective ways to take an ephedra product for max results.

Stimulants for weight loss

Billions of people use them but don’t always know that they do or that the are addicted to them. Stimulants are also known as psychostimulants are psychoactive drugs that induce temporary improvements in either mental or physical functions or both. Some are natural, herbal, or prescription.

Ephedra

The stimulant and thermogenic effects of Ephedra is due to the presence of the alkaloids ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. These compounds stimulate the brain, increase heart rate, expand bronchial tubes (making breathing easier), boost your thermogenic rate to increase metabolism. Ephedra is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing drug.

Guarana

This is almost certainly the most well known of natural stimulants. We have written about guarana, and described it as the natural Ritalin. A common misconception is that guarana simply provides caffeine, but its more active ingredient is actually guaranine.

Ginseng

Before guarana became popular, ginseng was the most common herbal stimulant. Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) is believed to be much more stimulating than American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius). The ingredients label on ginseng supplements will reveal which type it contains.

When did Metabolife liquidate?

The company's furnishings and property, including a large collection of artwork, were liquidated in late 2006 to compensate creditors and settle outstanding personal-injury claims. Metabolife's non-ephedra assets were acquired by Ideasphere Inc., a New York-based dietary-supplement manufacturer, for $12 million in 2007.

How much did Bilbray contribute to the Metabolife lobby?

During this period in the late 1990s, Metabolife contributed $1.6 million in soft money to both political parties, and almost $3 million to lobbyists.

What was the Metabolife investigation?

Metabolife was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Justice for income tax evasion; ultimately, the company pleaded guilty to filing fraudulent tax returns and was sentenced to pay a criminal fine of $600,000.

Who is the Metabolife lobbyist?

Metabolife took an active role in lobbying against regulation of ephedra, forming an advocacy group called the Dietary Supplement Safety and Science Coalition and contributing heavily to Congressmen Brian Bilbray ( R - Calif.) and Dan Burton ( R - Ind. ), among other politicians.

Who makes the Metabolife 356?

Metabolife 356, an ephedra supplement manufactured by Chemins, was initially marketed by Metabolife as a bodybuilding supplement, but in 1995 was rebranded as an aid for dieting.

Does Metabolife 365 increase blood pressure?

A clinical trial conducted to address safety concerns found that Metabolife 365 increased blood pressure and induced mild cardiac arrhythmias; the trial concluded that there were serious safety concerns associated with the use of Metabolife.

Who is the founder of Metabolife?

Metabolife was founded in the early 1990s by Michael Ellis , a former police officer on probation for charges relating to his involvement with a methamphetamine lab. Ellis and a boyhood friend, Michael Blevins, were arrested in 1989 for producing and distributing methamphetamine. Both Ellis and Blevins cooperated with federal authorities in return for lighter sentences. Following Blevins' release from prison, the two formed Metabolife to market ephedra, an herbal supplement containing compounds chemically related to methamphetamine. Ellis served as the company's CEO until September 2000, when he was succeeded by David Brown (Brown went on to serve as president and CEO of LifeVantage in 2008).

Biochemistry and effects

A wide variety of alkaloid and non-alkaloid compounds have been identified in various species of ephedra. Of the six ephedrine-type ingredients found in ephedra (at concentrations of 0.02-3.4%), the most common are ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, which are the sources of its stimulant and thermogenic effects.

Purity and dosage

There are no formal requirements for standardization or quality control of dietary supplements in the United States, and the dosage of effective ingredients in supplements may vary widely from brand to brand or batch to batch.

Regulation in the United States

Escalating concerns regarding the safety of ephedra supplements led the FDA to ban the sale of supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids (specifically ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, norephedrine, and methylephedrine) in the United States in 2004. This ban was challenged by supplement manufacturers and initially overturned, but ultimately upheld.

Use in sports

Ephedrine is listed as a banned substance by both the International Olympic Committee and the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Connections to Soma rituals

It was only two hundred and fifty years ago when western scholars first encountered the Vedas, but these ancient religious texts had been written down around 1500 B.C. and likely existed orally long before that. Throughout the many hymns, prayers, and philosophy found in its pages, a mysterious plant is mentioned often and with great reverence.

External links

Dietary Supplements: Balancing Consumer Choice and Safety. A report of the New York State Task Force on Life & the Law.

How many people died from ephedra?

Earlier this year, the Bush administration banned sales of ephedra after linking it to 155 deaths. Perhaps the most famous victim was 23-year-old Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler, who died trying to shed pounds during spring training last year.

How much did Metabolife make in four years?

Revenues at the privately held company had soared to more than $360 million in four years. Nearly a decade after they created the loophole that allowed Metabolife to flourish, federal lawmakers last year subpoenaed Ellis and demanded to know whether he “put sales above safety.”.

What is the main ingredient in Metabolife 356?

The main ingredients in Metabolife 356 were ephedra and caffeine, a combination that had been discovered in Denmark a quarter-century ago. Ephedra is the herbal form of the stimulant ephedrine, an ingredient in cold medicines that raises heart rates, suppresses appetites and staves off sleep.

What is Ellis and Metabolife accused of?

So, prosecutors say, Ellis wadded up the complaint and tossed it in the trash. Now, Ellis and Metabolife are accused of covering up a health crisis that escalated as the company became a diet supplement leader.

When did Metabolife start?

Metabolife got its start less than a year after Congress deregulated the dietary supplements industry in 1994. The law, sponsored by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who dabbled in the vitamin business as a young man, treated dietary supplements as food instead of drugs.

Is Metabolife 356 dangerous?

An Alaba ma jury found Metabolife 356 was unreasonably dangerous, but jurors also found that the plaintiffs had failed to follow directions. The company is appealing the $4.1 million verdict. Thornburg says she’d give anything for the chance to talk to Ellis, an ex-cop.

Is Metabolife still selling 356?

Ellis, 51, and Metabolife now a shadow of its former self, no longer selling Metabolife 356 but remaining in the supplement business call the charges “utterly baseless” and a “hypertechnical violation” concocted by taking statements out of context.

When did ephedra start to affect weight loss?

Much of the studies examining the effects of ephedra on weight loss occurred between the 1980s and early 2000s — before supplements containing ephedrine were banned. Although multiple components of ephedra may impact your body, the most notable effects are likely due to ephedrine. ).

What is the most notable chemical compound in plant ephedra?

Summary. The plant ephedra ( ma huang) contains multiple chemical compounds, but the most notable is ephedrine. This molecule impacts several bodily processes and was used as a popular dietary supplement ingredient prior to being banned in several countries.

How much weight did the ephedrine group lose?

The group taking ephedrine lost 9.5 pounds (4.3 kg) of fat compared to the placebo group, which only lost 5.9 pounds (2.7 kg) of fat. The ephedrine group also decreased body weight and LDL (bad) cholesterol more than the placebo group.

Does ephedra increase fat?

Summary. Ephedrine, a major component of ephedra, can increase the number of calories your body burns. Research has shown this results in greater weight and fat loss over weeks to months, though long-term studies are limited.

Does ephedra help with weight loss?

The bottom line. The plant ephedra has long been used in Asian medicine. Ephedrine, one of the main components in ephedra, can boost metabolism and cause weight loss — especially in combination with caffeine.

Does caffeine increase metabolic rate?

Summary. Ephedrine plus caffeine may increase metabolic rate and fat loss more than either ingredient alone. Studies show the combination of ephedrine and caffeine produces greater weight and fat loss than a placebo.

What is the difference between caffeine and ephedra?

People who take supplements containing ephedra report feeling "jittery," or like they have taken "speed," a street term for amphetamine. Caffeine is also a stimulant, acting to "boost energy" and extends the potency of ephedra.

How many milligrams of ephedra should I take a day?

The Food and Drug Administration has proposed limiting doses to no more than 24 milligrams ephedra per day (8 milligrams per dose), banning ephedra/caffeine combinations, and advises against using ephedra supplements for more than 7 days at a time; however, that proposal is in limbo, and the FDA has limited authority.

How much caffeine is in a caplet of Metab-O-lite?

Each caplet of Metab-O-lite contains 10 milligrams of ephedra. Metab-O-lite Plus contains 10 milligrams of ephedra and 30 milligrams of caffeine per caplet.

What is Metabolite 356?

Metabolife 356 and Metab-O-lite are two of the most popular dietary supplements on the market today. They are taken by people who want to lose weight, boost their metabolism and have more energy. What are the ingredients?

Can ephedra cause side effects?

Yes! There can be serious side effects, especially when ephedra is used in combination with caffeine. Over 800 injuries related to ephedra have been reported to the Food and Drug Administration, including more than 50 deaths.

Can Metabolife cause heart attack?

Adverse effects include: nervousness, dizziness, tremor, increased blood pressure or heart rate, headache, stomach upset, chest pain, heart attack, hepatitis, stroke, seizure, psychosis, and death. Both Metabolife and Metab-O-lite have warning labels that advise consumers not to use the products during pregnancy or while nursing a baby.

Does Metabolife 356 have caffeine?

Metabolife 356 contains both Ma Huang, or ephedra, plus guarana, which is an herbal source of caffeine. Metab-O-lite contains ephedra but no caffeine. Metab-O-lite Plus contains both ephedra and caffeine. Each Metabolife 356 tablet contains 12 milligrams of ephedrine alkaloids, plus 40 milligrams of caffeine.

Overview

Regulation and lobbying

In the late 1990s, the U.S. FDA considered regulating ephedra more strictly, in response to reports of adverse reactions and more than 100 deaths linked to the supplement. These included reports of psychosis, heart attack, stroke, and diabetic ketoacidosis. A clinical trial conducted to address safety concerns found that Metabolife 356 increased blood pressure and induced mild cardiac arrhythmias; the trial concluded that there were serious safety concerns associated with the us…

History

Legal issues

External links