I know, I observe it all in my profession... Walk into any health food store and you might be slapped in the face with names like Inferno, Up Your Gas, and Ripped Fuel! These are the battle cries of various supplement companies vying for your hard earned dollars. And it's convincing. Who wouldn't want to incinerate a little extra fat or get gassed up and ripped like a chiseled Greek god or dess!

Over the past decade, our culture's battle of the bulge has spawned a multi-billion dollar dietary supplement industry. Browse through a any muscle magazine these days and you can't help but get snagged on sharp names like Razor Ripped, Ripped to the Max, Ripped Force, Extreme Ripped Force, and Metacuts. Turn the page and the temperature rises as more hot products named Inferno, Thermicore, and Thermospeed entice you with glossy, colorful multi-page advertisements. But be careful, lest you find yourself in the burn unit getting stitches on scorched fingers!

But the true herbal heavy hitters are the big budget powerhouse multilevel marketing firms. Distributors push products on everything from internet websites to online chat rooms and message boards to colorful shopping mall kiosks to windshield fliers. Most have their own ma huang/guarana blends which, in simple English, are merely high charged ephedrine/caffeine mixes.

Herbal Uppers: Getting Ripped or Ripped Off? The popularity of herbal supplements is soaring. With the public's growing distrust of the medical establishment, people are shying away from prescription and over the counter weight loss drugs, instead opting for the "natural, help yourself" approach.

However, tip-toeing through a virtual herbal minefield can be confusing, if not downright intimidating without an earned doctorate in botany. Consumers should understand that while pharmaceutical weight loss aids like Dexatrim might be no more effective than their herbal relatives, from a safety standpoint, at least you know the exact quantity of active ingredient per dose. Herbal remedies do not afford you this luxury, so the actual amount of active ingredients you receive could vary.

Ma huang (also called ephedra, Chinese ephedra, or ephedrine) usually tops the ingredient list on most herbal weight loss products. The active chemical compounds found in this herb are called alkaloids, the most common of which is ephedrine. Alkaloids are amphetamine-like compounds that stimulate the cardiovascular and central nervous system. This is why taking ma huang elevates your heart rate and blood pressure, giving you that jolt of energy!

While these effects probably pose no immediate danger to the apparently healthy population, people with existing medical conditions might be well advised to steer clear. Heart and stroke patients, those with high blood pressure, thyroid problems, diabetes, or any other health condition adversely affected by high blood pressure should seek their physician's advice before trying ma huang.

With all the hype surrounding this herb, does it live up to it's reputation as a fat stripper?
It may mildly boost metabolism, but it could be the alkaloids' appetite suppressive effect that is really responsible for lost pounds. Either way, this is still desirable to most dieters and should not be discounted.

People might be tempted to use herbal stimulants as a motivational tool for hitting the gym. But using ephedrine to get ‘jacked up' for workouts can cause unpleasant side effects such as rapid heart rate, palpitations, nervousness, dizziness, and increased blood pressure, which could adversely affect performance and health.

Herbal Blends Herbs are often blended with other herbs, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, or any other nutrient du jour. The blends are sold under the guise that their combined fat burning potential is greater than each of the ingredients alone. Hydroxycut is a popular product marketed as a "highly effective fat burning supplement" that can "dramatically increase fat loss." It contains several herbs and nutrients, most notably ma huang and guarana. Guarana is an herbal source of caffeine which when combined with ephedra alkaloids, makes for a potent mix that can send you bouncing off the walls.
Intense marketing has lulled the public into believing that "natural" equals "safe and effective." Unfortunately, this is not always the case. For example, other "natural" herbs like chaparral and comfrey (not used for weight loss) have been associated with liver damage.
Remember, herbal supplements are just that, supplements, not a substitute for reduced-calorie eating and regular exercise. So get out there, gas up, and incinerate those extra pounds the way nature intended, with healthy lifestyle habits. You'll look like a chiseled Greek god or goddess in no time!