Common
source of energy banned by legislation
By
Dhiya Reyes
On-line Forty-Niner
Mark
Villanueva set the newspaper down in relief
as he finished reading about the recent
ban on ephedra signed into legislation by
Gov. Gray Davis. Villanueva, a business
major, used ephedra nine months ago before
he began suffering from anxiety and nervousness.
Because of this, he doesn't use it anymore.
The
dietary herb was in Hydroxy Cut, a dietary
supplement containing ephedra used to increase
metabolism. Villanueva used it to gain more
stamina when running. In two weeks he was
running more than four miles in 20 minutes,
doubling the number of miles he was running
before. However, his sudden burst of energy
was short-lived. After only two months of
using Hydroxy Cut, Villanueva began experiencing
symptoms of anxiety and nervousness.
"I
thought it was something that might go away,"
he said. "But it didn't. In fact, after
a few weeks, it got worse."
Villanueva
remembered that he began shaking uncontrollably.
This is what made him stop taking Hydroxy
Cut.
"I
started reading about the deaths caused
by ephedra," he said. "And I've
always supported banning it, especially
after experiencing its side effects."
Gov.
Gray Davis signed into legislation last
week the bill to ban the sale of diet pills
that contain ephedra. This was among the
last of the bills the governor has signed
before stepping down from office. According
to a recent Los Angeles Times article, Gov.-elect
Arnold Schwarzenegger had no comment on
the ban. He did, however, urge Davis to
stop signing bills.
Ephedra
is a dietary supplement that has become
popular in recent years among dieters, weightlifters
and image-conscious teenagers.
More
than three billion servings of weight management
products containing ephedra are consumed
each day in this country according to an
article published in the Journal of the
Health Resource Center at CSULB. Ephedra
has stimulant properties. Through raised
blood pressure and increased heart rate,
calories burn at a faster rate. There are
adverse effects, however, which include
anxiety, restlessness, high blood pressure,
glaucoma, headache, urinary disorder and
nausea.
California's ban on ephedra follows earlier
bans on the dietary supplement in Illinois
and New York. In May, Illinois created the
first statewide ban on ephedra. According
to the Associated Press, the drive for the
ban in Illinois began in September 2002
with the death of 16-year-old Sean Riggins
of Lincoln. Riggins, who was taking the
supplement to help him make the football
team, died of a heart attack.
In
June, the Westchester County Legislature
of New York also banned the sale of ephedra.
"I
totally support the ban," said Chris
Martin, a communications major. "There
are other ways to stay healthy and lose
weight without having to put your life at
risk."
Diet
pills that are on the shelves now are mostly
ephedra free. They are clearly labeled as
such. Villanueva said he still buys dietary
supplements, but he makes sure that they
are free of ephedra. He noticed the different
look on the shelves from when he was using
Hydroxy Cut nine months ago. "All the
bottles on the shelves now have big letters
that say 'ephedra free' on them," he
said. "And they're in bright yellow
and red so you can't miss it."
"There
are other ways to stay healthy and lose
weight without having to put your life at
risk."
-- Chris Martin, communications major
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