Centuries later, in the 1920s, the plant was identified (Epstein, 1).
Now ephedra is better known for its active chemical component, ephedrine. This strong stimulant could easily be said to be a consumable epinephrine (Reynolds, 341). When a human's adrenal glands secret this hormone, it will adjust the body to any sudden stress and act as an adrenaline rush (Johnson, 343). For this reason, thousands of teenage and professional athletes consume substances including ephedrine; to get an energy rush or a boost before a sporting event. However, ephedrine's synthetic form is pseudoephedrine and is closely related to the addictive drug methamphetamine, which in turn is in relationship to Ecstasy, a commonly used illegal drug among teenagers. With this relationship being known to many teens, who average around sixteen years old ("Youth Treatment Statistics 2000"), they are beginning to look at ephedrine as their substitute to the illegal drugs and to give them a "herbal high (Epstein, 1)." Using one substance in the place of another to get one "high," should be a enormous sign for researchers to study and prove ephedrine to be a harmful supplement.
While everyone has their own incentives for using items that contain ephedrine, the top ranking two are for weight loss and as an enhancer. Some people believe that ephedrine decreases the appetite, works as a diet aid or fat burner, is a muscle toner, or even that it enhances their sexual performance. However, none of these thoughts have .
been tested scientifically, and there is not much to back up the claims (Epstein, 1). .
Among all of the millions of people that use this "herbal" supplement, many are either students, professional athletes, or truckers and they all use it for personal reasons. Approximately sixty percent of all the teenage users are male and are averaged to be about sixteen years old. In a recent poll it is said that the common age of a teenager's first .
