Ephedrine Versus Ephedra: Whats The Difference?

Ephedrine versus Ephedra: What's the Difference?

All of us that are into health and fitness regimes either to keep fit or to lose excess weight will certainly recognize what ephedra and ephedrine are. We also know that these two are the top dogs in the weight loss pill competition. The question is, what exactly are the differences between these two health supplements?

You would need to look at these differences in order to make the right decision for your weight loss and fitness regimes. It is crucial to your decision to be able to weigh which of the two are better suited for your needs. Here are some of the differences that are cited between ephedra and ephedrine.

What Is Ephedra?

Ephedra is a health supplement made from "ma huang." It is actually an ancient Chinese herb that has been used for centuries to treat certain complications and conditions. The Chinese specifically relied on them to treat asthma, hay fever and common colds. Proponents point to its efficacy by referring to the fact that it has been used for reportedly 5 millennia.

In the United States, however, ephedra is marketed solely as a dietary supplement. They are mainly active in the weight loss market. However, ephedra currently faces a ban in the United States due to incidences where it was cited as a culprit. Sadly, ephedra usage has been cited as a cause of death, among others, in these incidences.

What Is Ephedrine?

Ephedrine, on the other hand, is a medicine that has been used in the United States for a lot of conditions and not just for weight loss. For example, it is used to relieve people of shortness of breath during asthma episodes. This is due to the fact that ephedrine is a stimulant of the cardiac region. It is capable of increasing heart rate thus letting people breathe easier during asthmatic attacks.

Unlike Ephedra, ephedrine can also be found in certain medicines that we use to treat nasal congestions aside from asthma. These are synthetic ephedrine, as compared to products containing natural ephedra in their chemical composition.

Half Life

Understanding about the half life of both ephedrine and ephedra is essential to your decision as to which of them is better suited for your needs. Some people don't want to have drugs that linger long in the body, as they can cause problems during medical examinations and such. They may also hinder activities like social get together where drinking can be expected since these products do not mix well with alcohol.

Ephedrine has a half life of at least 3 hours or up to 6 hours. This means that after three hours half of the medication is secreted by the body through urine. Ephedra on the other hand has a much longer half-life of about 4 hours. For both medications, you can be sure that it will be totally out of the body a full day after consumption of the medicine.

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