Ma Huang is one of the most famous herbs in the Chinese Materia Medica - and with good reason. In a world where medicine is mostly unable to deal with the most common illnesses that people encounter, colds and flus, an herb that can handily address these symptoms has a right to be respected. Unfortunately, some of the popularity of this herb exists for more nefarious reasons. Ephedra has been implicated in a number of exertion related deaths, particularly in young football players and people seeking to lose weight.
Unfortunately, many people are unable or unwilling to learn the whole story. These deaths did not come from the controlled use of appropriate doses of the whole herb under the supervision of an appropriately trained Chinese medicine physician. In many cases, the herb is broken down to isolate the desired alkaloids (for example, L-ephedrine) and often mixed with other stimulating compounds to increase the metabolism of the imbiber. It is not used using the principles of formula science - and thus is dangerous. When Ma Huang is used in its natural or minimally prepared form, prescribed by a physician within a carefully constructed formula appropriate to the patien's condition and constitution - it is absolutely safe and, even, quite beneficial.
