Ephedra - Is It Safe And Effective? (Part 1)
Nick Nilsson
You’ve probably heard all these phrases before but are the fat burners containing ephedra that these claims are attached to really that effective and are they safe?
The primary ingredient in fat burners is the herb ephedra, also known as ma huang, or it’s manufactured version ephedrine. It has been used in Chinese herbal medicine quite safely and effectively for thousands of years. It is often combined with synthetic or herbal versions of caffeine (e.g. guarana, yerba mate or kola nut) and aspirin (e.g. white willow bark).
But does it burn fat?
The answer to that question is yes. Ephedra does effectively help the body to preferentially burn fat for energy. But, according to medical studies, there can be side effects, some of which are quite serious.
Ephedra works to burn fat through several means.