Copyright (C) 2001 by Michael Segers, All rights reserved
Brought to you by Peanut.org
The All-Natural
One-Shot Weight-Loss Wonder
|
For once, your time spent rovin’ with me will be well rewarded. If you can bear with a little of my ravin’, I am, as proposed by the title, going to identify for you an all natural substance that with one dose assures that you will drastically reduce the amount you eat, without hunger, and you will never gain any more weight. I
promise. |
This article reflects an
ongoing interest and concern of mine in the use of medicinal herbs. One of the
first articles I wrote for this series was on herbs,
a topic I wanted to be sure to have a chance to write on. I
am very much pro-herb, but because I use herbs and recognize their
effectiveness, it bothers me when I hear some well-meaning folks insist that
herbs have no side effects. A side effect, after all, is just an effect that we
don’t want. So, if we say that herbs have no side effects, then we are saying
that they have no effects. I also get uncomfortable when I hear people praise
herbs by saying that since they are natural products of plants, they must be
harmless. Tobacco is an herb, remember, a natural plant product. |
I’m backtracking to this
old topic because recently a friend of mine was complaining about headaches and
having trouble sleeping at night. At least, she consoled herself, she had been
losing some weight, thanks to a wonderful herbal compound she had been taking.
Some herbal radar went off for me, and I asked her if her weight-loss aid might
be causing her headaches and insomnia. Oh, no, she assured me. What she was
taking was all natural, herbal. Safe.
Looking at the bottle. I
found that this compound contained ephedra, an herb known to practitioners of
traditional Chinese medicine as ma huang, to pioneers on the American frontier
as Mormon tea, and to a growing number of states as a
regulated substance. Common side effects of ephedra include nervousness,
headache, insomnia, nausea, increased heart rate and blood pressure, and urinary
disturbances including enlarged prostate.
Even so, ephedra is fairly
common in conventional cold remedies, but it has become well-known as an
ingredient in herbal compounds taken to enhance weight loss, athletic performance, and even
sexual performance. A few deaths have been blamed on recreational use of the
drug, which might be used illegally in the manufacture of methamphetamine
("speed"). Products containing ephedrine (the active chemical
ingredient in ephedra) are on the International Olympic Committee’s list of
addictive substances.
Traditional uses of ephedra
have been for the treatment of hay fever, asthma, and various kinds of physical
weakness and loss of mental acuity. It is only recently that ephedra or ma huang
has been associated with weight loss, and it is in weight loss products that the
herb is most widely available and most likely to be abused, especially by
teenagers.
Of course, if you are under
any ongoing medical treatment, if you are taking any prescription medications,
or if you have any chronic medical condition (such as hypertension or diabetes),
you should not experiment with herbs without consulting your health care
provider. If you are pregnant or lactating, the fewer substances you introduce
into your body, the better.
If you do decide to take
any herbal compounds, you should try to learn as much as you can about the
individual components of that compound, as well as any possible interactions the
components may have. Research suggests that the unwanted side effects of ephedra
are made more intense when it is taken with caffeine, either in the compound or
in coffee or tea, or aspirin (found in the willow bark included in some herbal
compounds). Potency and dosage are problems with many herbal medicines.
Ironically, herbs imported from some countries have been found to be laced with
prescription drugs to enhance their effectiveness—and hence, marketability.
Side effects are strange
things. Such basic substances as salt (for people with high blood pressure),
sugar (for people with diabetes), and even peanuts (for people with allergies)
can have very unpleasant side effects. Licorice, a candy in our culture, is a
common ingredient of traditional Chinese herbal compounds. In any culture, it is
quite a stimulant and can be a problem for people with a tendency to high blood
pressure. I found this out when I got a bad effect from a Chinese herbal
compound for a skin ailment that included licorice and when a friend got a bad
effect from eating leftover Hallowe’en licorice candy.
Anyway, enough gloom and
doom. (With friends like me, it seems, herbs don’t need enemies.) As promised,
here is your guaranteed all-natural weight loss plan. Of course, it does require
an injection, but you need only one dose, and after that, you won’t believe
how little you’ll eat.
This simple, all-natural
solution? Cobra venom. All natural, yes, but you should think about the side
effects. OK, I’ve had my sick
joke, so go ahead and cheer yourself up. I suggest you treat yourself to a
chocolate éclair—or treat yourself with a chocolate éclair. Just
don’t think about the side effects. This time, I’m not going to give you a
bunch of links. Instead, I’m going to refer you to some of the major search
engines and directories to do your research to make informed decisions about
your health care and other topics:
Oh, how about my friend
taking the herbal weight loss compound? She did some research on the Internet
and decided to quit taking the compound for a week to see if the headaches and
insomnia went away. She decided against my natural one-shot weight loss method
and is trying to lose weight the old-fashioned way, with diet and exercise. To
twist a sports slogan, "No pain… no loss!"
Keep your feet dry, your
heart full of noble thoughts and a sharp eye out for the things that you put
into your body… and your mind!
2003 update:
There is a growing controversy and concern about the use of ephedra or ma huang.
Check reliable sources for the latest information.
Rovin' Through Medical Alternatives