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If you are serious about weight loss, you surely are testing all available products to determine which one is the most effective for you. You probably have heard about ephedra alkaloids and ephedra extracts. Ephedra has been proven to be among the best and most effective substances that bring about weight loss. However, it is a powerful substance that should not be abused, hence, the current FDA regulation against it. You might be confused because there are supplements containing ephedra alkaloids and some with ephedra extracts. What is the difference of the two?

When you say a substance is an ephedra extract, you are talking about a product that contains actual extracts from a gymnosperm shrub. Plants that contain ephedra could be found across different areas globally like in South America, Central Asia, North America, and North Africa. Ephedra has been used for many centuries in the traditional Chinese medicine. It has been popular among people who are fond of taking herbs to treat various forms of ailments.

Ephedra could bring about improvement to the bronchial tubes and airways. The substance has been proven to be effective in providing relief or treating common colds, allergic rhinitis, asthma, and hay fever. On top of those, ephedra could bring about thermogenesis, a process that makes the body produce more internal heat. When there is greater internal heat, metabolic rate is raised so that burning of more fats and converting calories into useful energy is enhanced.

The US Food and Drug Administration has banned the use of ephedra due to the logical and possible bad effects to people who take the substance for too long. Thus, it is very rare to find and buy weight loss supplements and products that contain ephedra extract in their ingredients, though there are still many of such weight loss commodities.

On the other hand, ephedra alkaloids, more popularly known as ephedrine, are impure forms of ephedra. They could be synthetic because they contain many other substances that are added to the natural herbal extract. In the market, the combination is also referred to as hydrochloride, sulphate, or pseudoephedrine. Many manufacturers combine ephedrine with green tea extract and caffeine to make their products natural.

These days, products with ephedra alkaloids are widely sold because they do not contain pure ephedra. However, the potency and weight loss potential is not significantly altered. Thus, it could be inferred that ephedra alkaloids serve as direct substitutes for ephedra extract. Safety issues are involved. Products with ephedra alkaloids are usually over-the-counter so that there is no need to get prescriptions from your physician to buy them from the market.

Ephedra is truly a powerful weight loss ingredient. It could bring about a significant decline in overall weight. If you are aiming to shed out extra pounds, you should look at products containing the substance. Now, you have a clear idea about how ephedra extracts differ from ephedra alkaloids. You could now make a good and wise decision when buying products that contain either of them.

About the author of this article:

Janice Duryea is a nutition expert and writer for several online weight loss portals. To learn more about the hottest diet trends like Reduce Weight Fruta Planta and Pai You Guo go to Netnutri.com for more information.

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