Ephedra

Ephedra (Ephedra distachya), also known as "small sea grape" or "little sea grape", belongs to the ephedra family (Ephedraceae). It grows mainly in the sand dunes and steppe regions of Southern and Eastern Europe as well as in Western Asia. Characteristic are its greatly reduced, scale-like leaves and the green, whorled branching shoots that are reminiscent of horsetail. Even in antiquity, the plant was valued for its invigorating properties and found its way into traditional healing arts.

What benefits does Ephedra offer for health?

In naturopathy, Ephedra is an interesting plant. However, finding studies on it is difficult, since most research tends to deal with various ephedra plants or other species of the same family. More specific research is therefore necessary in order to be able to draw final conclusions about Ephedra distachya specifically. Below are the current findings:

  • Respiratory conditions: Traditionally, the herb was used against asthma, bronchitis, and congested airways, since ephedrine dilates the bronchi and eases breathing. Studies likewise point to a positive effect in this area (1,2).
  • Circulation-supporting: According to studies, Ephedra can stimulate blood pressure and pulse and was used in folk medicine for strengthening in cases of weakness (1,3).
  • Stimulating and performance-enhancing: In studies, a stimulating effect on the central nervous system emanating from the plant led to increased wakefulness and elevated physical performance (1,3).
  • Improvement of cholesterol levels: Studies suggest that active compounds in the plant could lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol (1,4,5).
  • Antimicrobial effect: In investigations, inhibiting effects of Ephedra's active compounds were observed on bacteria as well as on viruses and fungi (1,6,7,8).

How does Ephedra work in the body?

The alkaloids it contains act directly on the sympathetic nervous system. In addition to ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, nor-pseudoephedrine, nor-ephedrine, and methylephedrine, the plant also contains tannins and kynurenic acid quinoline (1).

Are there risks or side effects?

  • Cardiovascular strain: Ephedrine can cause high blood pressure, racing heart, and restlessness.
  • Legal situation: In many countries, the use of Ephedra-containing preparations is subject to strict restrictions or is banned entirely.
  • Not suitable for pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and children: Particular risks exist here.

Conclusion

Ephedra (Ephedra distachya) is a medicinal plant rich in tradition with distinct pharmacological effects. Its alkaloids have a strongly stimulating action and ease breathing, which is why it was long used for respiratory conditions and for general strengthening. Due to the possible risks and side effects, however, it is only used to a limited extent today. In herbal medicine, it remains an example of the fine line between healing effect and hazard potential. Importantly, in many studies the exact effect does not relate to Ephedra distachya alone but to several plants, which makes a precise attribution of effects difficult.

Sources:

  1. Ghavam, M., & Soleimaninejad, Z. (2020). An overview of the various uses of Ephedra distachya L. from the past to the present. Avicenna Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 1(2), 82–86.
  2. Drew CD, Knight GT, Hughes DT, Bush M. Comparison of the effects of D-(-)-ephedrine and L-(+)-pseudoephedrine onthe cardiovascular and respiratory systems in man. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1978;6(3):221-5. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1978 tb04588.x.
  3. Williams AD, Cribb PJ, Cooke MB, Hayes A. The effect of ephedra and caffeine on maximal strength and power in resistance- trained athletes. J Strength Cond Res. 2008;22(2):464-70. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181660320.
  4. Song MK, Um JY, Jang HJ, Lee BC. Beneficial effect of dietary Ephedra sinica on obesity and glucose intolerance in high-fat diet-fed mice. Exp Ther Med. 2012;3(4):707-12. doi: 10.3892/ etm.2012.462.
  5. Boozer CN, Daly PA, Homel P, Solomon JL, Blanchard D, Nasser JA, et al. Herbal ephedra/caffeine for weight loss: a 6-month randomized safety and efficacy trial. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2002;26(5):593-604. doi: 10.1038/ sj.ijo.0802023.
  6. Torabzadeh Khorasani, P., Panahi, P., Sabokbar, A., & Mokhtari, A. (2010). Antibacterial activity evaluation of Ephedra major host acetonic, aqueous and alcoholic extracts against standard strains of E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus and S. pyogenes. Journal of Comparative Pathology, 6(4), 91–98. [Persian].
  7. Feresin, G. E., Tapia, A., López, S. N., & Zacchino, S. A. (2001). Antimicrobial activity of plants used in traditional medicine of San Juan province, Argentine. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 78(1), 103–107. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-8741(01)00322-1
  8. Rustaiyan, A., Javidnia, K., Farjam, A. H., Aboee-Mehrizi, F., & Ezzatzadeh, E. (2011). Antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of the Ephedra sarcocarpa growing in Iran. Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, 5(17), 4251–4255. https://doi.org/10.5897/jmpr.9000172