Advisory panel to rule on stimulant ephedra
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- An FDA advisory panel is to announce
Wednesday whether any level of the stimulant ephedra, the
botanical version of the drug ephedrine, is safe to consume.
The federal Food and Drug Administration has received more
than 800 reports of adverse effects and 17 deaths linked to
more than 100 products that contain ephedra, also called
ma huang or epitonin.
Manufacturers contend any problems can be solved with better
labeling of their products, which are used for body-building,
weight loss and energy boosting. The products now carry
little information about the widely varying amounts of
ephedra they contain.
Reporter Kathleen Koch contributed to this report.
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