Federal Government Announces Plans for Ephedra Research

WASHINGTON, D.C.- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced plans for a new study concerning the safety of ephedra and an increased effort to restrict the illegal sale of products containing synthetic ephedrine alkaloids.

The study will be conducted by the Rand Corporation and will evaluate the use of ephedrine alkaloids in dietary supplements. The information gathered will be forwarded to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for further research, a June 14 press release from the DHHS states.

Ephedrine alkaloids are found naturally in plants in the ephedra species. In the United States, ephedrine alkaloids are …