Ban on Unrestricted Ephedra Sales Is Urged
The numerous reports of death and illness among users of dietary supplements containing the herb ephedra show that the government must ban the unrestricted sales of such products, a panel of experts testified before Congress.
Ephedra, the experts told a Senate subcommittee, has been linked to heart attacks and strokes and has not been proven to have any valid medical purpose.
They urged the Food and Drug Administration to remove the products from the market.
“It is beyond dispute that ephedra has triggered heart attacks and death,” said Bill Jeffery of the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Ottawa.
He said supplements with ephedra are banned in Canada, which classifies the herb as a “class 1 health risk.”
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