One of the top New Year’s resolutions is also one of the most difficult – requiring dedication and self-discipline – weight loss. We all want to look our best, become fit and feel better about ourselves, but most give up quickly. The thought runs through our heads “if only the old ephedrine weight loss pills were back.” Can easy weight loss come in pill form again?
Since the ban on the thermogenic ephedrine alkaloids, dietary supplement companies have been duping consumers with ephedra extract. Ephedra extract will still warm up your body and has stimulant abilities, but it will not be very effective like the original ephedrine alkaloid for appetite suppression or speeding up the metabolism. Actually, most weight loss potential from modern weight loss supplements comes from the large dose of caffeine and aspirin (white willow bark) combination, not the ephedra extract. This is why the pills hardly work and for most who are not disciplined to diet and exercise, they seem to have no effect at all. With some dietary supplement companies earning hundreds of millions of dollars annually, they don’t want you to know how ineffective their junk is.
In 2006, the FDA put a ban on the ephedrine alkaloids used in diet pills. The alkaloids were taken from the stems of the Ephedra Nevadensis plant. Only the stem of this plant had the alkaloid that was effective in the weight loss supplements. Ephedra extract comes from the leaves of the Nevadensis and lacks the alkaloid – thus rendering it ineffective. This does not mean all dietary supplements that claim to have ephedrine, or ephedra extract are bogus. The key is to read the ingredients carefully and know what to look for. Sida Cordifolia has a small amount of the alkaloid, but so little it will take a lot to equal what the nevadensis has. Another for is Ma Huang which has a greater amount of alkaloid than Sida Cordifolia, yet still far less than Nevadensis.
Sida Cordifolia and Ma Huang alkaloids are ok replacements, they will help some, but not nearly what the Nevadensis alkaloid can do. While most weight loss supplements sell overpriced caffeine pills with little to no thermogenic properties to speed up a person’s metabolism, this leaves to question, is there a replacement for true ephedrine alkaloid? The short answer is yes. The true ephedrine alkaloid does still exist, however its availability depends on the state you live in.
Before getting into the weight loss recipe, remember when using any supplement or over the counter medications, always consult with your physician. Not every medication or supplement, regardless if a medication is prescription or over the counter, can be used by everyone. Sometimes what works well for one person can be a great danger to someone else with an allergy, interaction with certain medications, and/or with certain medical condition. Side effects are always a risk with medication. Now I’ll share the replacement for the missing ephedrine alkaloid ingredient to the old weight loss supplements.
Over the counter bronchial dilators such as Bronkaid and Primatene tablets have real ephedrine alkaloids. The purpose to these over the counter medications is actually to help a person breath better. Ephedrine alkaloid is a bronchial dilator which lists weight loss and appetite suppression as a side effect along with possible side effect of elevated blood pressure, sleeplessness (ephedrine is a stimulant) and jitteriness . Ephedrine for use as a bronchial dilator was not banned by the FDA. When a mix of a caffeine pill, aspirin and (for this example we will use Bronkaid) and Bronkaid are mixed, what you have is the old recipe for the original weight loss products such as Hydroxy Cut and Stacker. This is known as an Ephedrine, Caffeine and Aspirin (ECA) stack. Another option is to combine the bronchial dilator of choice with the new Hydroxy cut or Stacker 2 – they already have the caffeine and white willow bark, only that missing ephedrine alkaloid ingredient is required for the original formula.
So which is better, Bronkaid, Primatene tablets or the Waldgreens generic brand in comparison? The answer is up to you. Some people prefer Bronkaid with 25mg’s of Ephedrine Sulfate while others prefer Primatene tablets or Waldgreens version for the 12.5mg’s of Ephedrine HCL. So which one is better? They’re about the same. Ephedrine HCL is more bioavailable than the Sulfate – this results in 25mg’s of sulfate having the same potency as 12.5mg’s of HCL. In my personal experience, both were equally as good for weight loss; however the HCL version was more appetite suppressing but made me very jittery. The sulfate did suppress my appetite, not as much as the HCL, but I did not get jittery. In the end it is up to you which one is better. With either Sulfate or HCL, remember to drink plenty of water as thermogenics are known to dehydrate.
Now for the bad news, not every state makes products containing ephedrine legal. I will list the states that allow Ephedrine alkaloids: NH, MA, VT, RI, CT, NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, WV, DC, VA, SC, GA, FL, AL, MS, LA, IN, WI, ND, SD, CO UT, AZ, NV, CA and AK. For these states, a person can pick them up by going to the pharmacy counter of a pharmacy that caries these products. Anyone looking to purchase ephedrine products in these states must show their ID, sign that they’re not purchasing to make methamphetamines from the pills and can only purchase 1 month supply at a time. The average price for a 1 month supply of these bronchial dilators is $9.00 Waldgreens Generic $11.00 for Primatene tablets and $14.00 for Bronkaid. These prices are based on a NYC rates.
No matter what your plan is, good luck with reaching your goals and fulfilling New Year’s resolutions!
Reference:
- www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/New-Years-Resolutions.shtml
- www.livestrong.com/article/414352-use-bronkaid-weight-loss/
