Healthcare
What is Ma Huang from Traditional Chinese Medicine?
Ephedra Sinica was once seen as a miracle weight loss drug, but now Ma Huang has difference uses
A lot of people look for a miracle drug to promote weight loss and improve energy. In the 1990s, the ephedra plant became popular as a likely candidate, and not till after the mid-2000s, it was a normal ingredient used in dietary supplements. Although some research has shown that it could improve metabolism and loss of weight, some safety issues were also noted.
The three species of these stubborn plants that are the source of the drug are native to China, where the aerial parts are collected in the fall and dried for medicinal purposes. The scientific name of the plant is Ephedra sinica, E. Equisetina, E. intermedia.The roots of E. Sinica or E. intermedia, known as ma huang gen, are considered drugs in their own right and are used for their sleep-inducing properties. Ma Huang is also referred to as yellow horse, ephedra, and yellow astringent.
What is Ma Huang?
Ephedra also called Ma Huang is a condiment used in the preparation of various Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM) for several centuries. It is mainly used to treat bronchitis, hay fever, and asthma. The plant is also recommended for symptoms of flu and cold, as well as cough, chills, nasal congestion, and fever.
Although Ephedra is a freely growing herb, the primary active ingredient of the plant, ephedrine, can be synthesized as medicine. Man-made ephedrine compounds, for example, pseudoephedrine, are usually used in over-the-counter cold treatments and are regulated as medicines. This is different from the regularization of ephedrine alkaloids obtained from the herb itself. These are governed as dietary supplements.
Before May 2004, ephedra was marketed as an energy-boosting supplement, a weight-loss product, and an athletic performance booster. Although there is some scientific evidence suggesting that it can improve one’s weight, the overall data on the effectiveness of this herbal supplement has been regarded as controversial and inconclusive. Furthermore, products that contain ephedra and are sold for the causes have been related to a lot of cases of heart arrhythmia ( heart attack/ irregular heartbeats), cases of stroke, and cases of death even. Many of the ephedra-containing products contain caffeine as well, and the mixture of both caffeine and ephedra improves the risk of getting negative side effects.
It is crucial to take note that due to the presence of ephedrine in some products, such as dietary supplements, amateur sporting events are not allowed to use them.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned the use of dietary supplements that contain ephedrine, ma huang, Pinella, Ephedra, or Sida cordifolia. This ban does not include teas ( which are distributed as a normal food) or Chinese traditional herbal remedies that have been recommended by a traditional Chinese doctor.
Improving Metabolic Rates and Fat Burn
Quite a number of the research into the effects of ephedra on weight loss was done in the 1980s and early 2000s, before the ban on ephedrine supplements. Some components of ephedrine can affect your body, but the most notable of the effects are probably due to ephedrine.
Various studies have shown that ephedrine increases the resting number of metabolism i.e (the number of calories the body utilizes in a resting state). This may be a result of an increase in the number of calories burned by the muscles. Ephedrine can as enhance the process of burning fat in the body as well.
It was found in research that the number of calories burned off in the space of 24 hours was higher by 3.6% when ephedrine was used by adults of sound health, in comparison to when they used a placebo.
Another researcher discovered that once people went on an extremely low-calorie diet, their rate of metabolism dropped. However, this became partly avoided by using ephedrine. Added to the short-time period adjustments in metabolism, a few researchers concluded that ephedrine can encourage weight and fat loss over a longer period. In five studies of ephedrine while being compared to a placebo, ephedrine brought about a weight reduction of three pounds (1.3kg) per month greater than a placebo, for as much as four months. However, there is a lack of long-term data that can support the benefits of ephedrine for the loss of weight.
Furthermore, a lot of studies on ephedrine test the weight-loss of caffeine and ephedrine, in place of ephedrine alone.
Does it work well or not so well with caffine?
Various studies testing the weight-loss impact of ephedrine have mixed the ingredient with caffeine. The mix of the two seems to have greater impacts on your body than taking either of them alone. For instance, caffeine with ephedrine boosts the rate of metabolism more than only ephedrine.
In a study of obese and healthy overweight adults, the mixture of 24mgb of Ephedra and 79mg of caffeine increased the metabolic rate by 8% in 2 hours, in comparison to placebo. Some studies have even indicated that ephedrine and caffeine alone have no impact on weight loss, but the mixture of both produces a loss of weight. Taking the combination of ephedra and caffeine three times daily for 12 weeks reduced body fat by 7.9% compared to just 1.9% with placebo.
In another 6-month study of 167 obese and overweight individuals, dietary supplements containing ephedrine and caffeine were compared to placebo in a weight loss program. The group receiving ephedrine lost 9.5 pounds (4.3 kg) of fat in comparison to the group taking placebo, which lost only 5.9 pounds (2.7 kg) of fat.
The group taking ephedrine also reduced LDL (bad) cholesterol and body weight more than the group taking placebo. Overall, the available evidence suggests that products containing ephedrine, especially when combined with caffeine, may increase weight and fat loss.
Conclusion
Ma Huang is a stimulant herb obtained from the roots of Ephedra sinica. Many people have found it beneficial for weight loss, and also treating nasal congestion, common cold, asthma, and some other conditions. However, these uses have no scientific backing. However, the herb is banned in the US as there have been reports of life-threatening conditions and even death.
Source: https://cannabis.net/blog/medical/what-is-ma-huang-from-traditional-chinese-medicine
Education News
AIIMS Gorakhpur Reservation Controversy: FIR Alleges Fake OBC Certificate Used Despite ₹80 Lakh Income
A major controversy has emerged at AIIMS Gorakhpur after allegations surfaced that reservation benefits were misused to secure a postgraduate medical seat. A criminal case has been registered against former AIIMS Gorakhpur Executive Director Dr. G.K. Pal and his son, Dr. Oro Prakash Pal, over the alleged use of a forged Other Backward Class (OBC) Non-Creamy Layer certificate for admission to an MD course.
The case has triggered widespread debate within medical and administrative circles, raising serious questions about transparency and oversight in admissions to premier medical institutions.
FIR Filed on Court’s Direction
The First Information Report (FIR) was registered at the AIIMS police station following directions from Chief Judicial Magistrate Tvishi Srivastava. According to the complaint, the alleged offence took place on August 30, 2024, when forged documents were purportedly used to obtain an MD seat under the OBC reservation quota.
Sources indicate that the matter was subsequently brought to the attention of the Union Ministry of Health, prompting internal reviews and administrative action.
Alleged Income Far Above Eligibility Threshold
Central to the allegations is the claim that Dr. G.K. Pal and his wife Parvati Pal have a combined annual income exceeding ₹80 lakh. Under existing reservation rules, families with such income levels are not eligible for OBC Non-Creamy Layer benefits.
Following the emergence of the controversy, Dr. Pal was first removed from his position at AIIMS Gorakhpur and later relieved of responsibilities at AIIMS Patna. He is currently posted at JIPMER Puducherry. With the registration of the FIR, officials suggest that further legal and departmental action may follow, depending on the outcome of the investigation.
Complaint Highlights Systemic Concerns
The complaint was filed by Ashutosh Kumar Mishra, a resident of Divyanagar in the Cantonment area. He alleged that the events related to the case occurred between January and September 2024. The complainant argued that misuse of reservation provisions by individuals in senior positions undermines the integrity of public institutions and erodes trust in the medical education system.
The case has reignited concerns over whether verification mechanisms for reservation certificates are robust enough, particularly in high-stakes admissions.
Impact on Medical Community
The allegations have sent shockwaves through the medical fraternity. Experts believe that if the claims are substantiated, the case could prompt a broader review of admission procedures and lead to stricter scrutiny of category certificates across institutions like AIIMS.
Authorities have stated that all relevant documents will be carefully examined before taking further steps. The outcome of the investigation is expected to have far-reaching implications for accountability and compliance in medical admissions.
Questions Await Answers
As the probe continues, several key issues remain unresolved: whether reservation norms were deliberately violated, how verification processes failed, and whether similar cases may surface in the future. For now, the focus remains on the investigation and its potential consequences.
New Mexico regulators fined a cannabis operator nearly $300,000 and revoked its license after the company allegedly created fake reports in the state’s traceability software.
The New Mexico Cannabis Control Division (CCD) accused marijuana manufacturer and retailer Golden Roots of 11 violations, according to Albuquerque Business First.
Golden Roots operates the The Cannabis Revolution Dispensary.
The majority of the violations are related to the Albuquerque company’s improper use of BioTrack, which has been New Mexico’s track-and-trace vendor since 2015.
The CCD alleges Golden Roots reported marijuana production only two months after it had received its vertically integrated license, according to Albuquerque Business First.
Because cannabis takes longer than two months to be cultivated, the CCD was suspicious of the report.
After inspecting the company’s premises, the CCD alleged Golden Roots reported cultivation, transportation and sales in BioTrack but wasn’t able to provide officers who inspected the site evidence that the operator was cultivating cannabis.
In April, the CCD revoked Golden Roots’ license and issued a $10,000 fine, according to the news outlet.
The company requested a hearing, which the regulator scheduled for Sept. 1.
At the hearing, the CCD testified that the company’s dried-cannabis weights in BioTrack were suspicious because they didn’t seem to accurately reflect how much weight marijuana loses as it dries.
Company employees also poorly accounted for why they were making adjustments in the system of up to 24 pounds of cannabis, making comments such as “bad” or “mistake” in the software, Albuquerque Business First reported.
Golden Roots was fined $298,972.05 – the amount regulators allege the company made selling products that weren’t properly accounted for in BioTrack.
The CCD has been cracking down on cannabis operators accused of selling products procured from out-of-state or not grown legally:
- Regulators alleged in August that Albuquerque dispensary Sawmill Sweet Leaf sold out-of-state products and didn’t have a license for extraction.
- Paradise Exotics Distro lost its license in July after regulators alleged the company sold products made in California.
Golden Roots was the first alleged rulebreaker in New Mexico to be asked to pay a large fine.
Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/new-mexico-cannabis-operator-fined-loses-license-for-alleged-biotrack-fraud/
Alabama regulators are targeting Dec. 1 to award the first batch of medical cannabis business licenses after the agency’s first two attempts were scrapped because of scoring errors and litigation.
The first licenses will be awarded to individual cultivators, delivery providers, processors, dispensaries and state testing labs, according to the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC).
Then, on Dec. 12, the AMCC will award licenses for vertically integrated operations, a designation set primarily for multistate operators.
Licenses are expected to be handed out 28 days after they have been awarded, so MMJ production could begin in early January, according to the Alabama Daily News.
That means MMJ products could be available for patients around early March, an AMCC spokesperson told the media outlet.
Regulators initially awarded 21 business licenses in June, only to void them after applicants alleged inconsistencies with how the applications were scored.
Then, in August, the state awarded 24 different licenses – 19 went to June recipients – only to reverse themselves again and scratch those licenses after spurned applicants filed lawsuits.
A state judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by Chicago-based MSO Verano Holdings Corp., but another lawsuit is pending.
Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/alabama-plans-to-award-medical-cannabis-licenses-dec-1/
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