Dr. Tsang is committed not to stock any harmful dietary supplement such as ephedra and chitosan, regardless of their popularity and potential for increased sales.

Ephedra is derived from the Chinese herb Ma Huang, and has long been used as a treatment for asthma. Ephedra contains numerous stimulant substances, including most prominently, ephedrine and others like pseudoephedrine, norpseudoephedrine, norephedrine, and methylephedrine. Ephedrine is a strong heart stimulant. It can cause high blood pressure, irregular heart beat, heart attack and stroke. Ephedrine is particularly dangerous for individuals with heart disease, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, diabetes, or hyperthyroidism. Risk may be increased if taken by people also consuming other drugs such as theophylline or albuterol. When you take ephedra, you don't know just how much ephedrine you are getting, as labels are frequently inaccurate. Ephedra products often contain deliberately added stimulants such as caffeine, which increases risk.

At least 54 deaths and about 1,000 reports of complications have been linked to ephedra since the mid-1990s. THE WASHINGTON POST found 33 cases that companies have settled since 1994 with claimants reporting adverse reactions from Ephedra ranging from nervousness, jitteriness, chest pains, insomnia blurred vision, dizziness, lightheadedness, slurred speech, numbness of body parts, memory problems, to cardiac arrhythmia, high blood pressure, seizure, stroke, cardiac arrest and death. Another 42 cases are still pending, representing potentially hundreds of people. The Post reviewed 75 cases handled by 30 plaintiff lawyers in 12 states that involved at least 16 deaths.

A research, commissioned by the Food and Drug Administration, appears recently in The New England Journal of Medicine. The researchers, Dr. Benowitz and Dr. Haller noted that most of the cases they studied involved healthy young people. Some had been taking ephedra for just days or weeks, and two women who became pregnant while taking it lost their babies. They concluded that the dietary supplement, also known as ma huang, poses a risk that far outweighs any benefits it might have. "They're uncommon events, but they're serious," said Dr. Benowitz, chief of clinical pharmacology at the University of California at San Francisco. "The substance is unreasonably hazardous as marketed. Ephedra containing products have no place in the management of weight reduction because of their significant side effects."
Ephedra product sold in health food stores for bodybuilders hoping to increase muscle and energy is also dangerous.

Avoid Ephedra (Ma Huang)- containing products - Read product ingredient carefully before purchase.

Heavily advertised as weight-loss aids, Chitosan is a derivative of chitin, a substance found in the shells of insects, crabs, lobsters, and other crustaceans. It's the so-called active ingredient in products such as "The Fat Trapper," "The Fat Magnet," and "The Fat Blocker." All of them promise to absorb fat before the body does.

However, chitosan is hardly an effective weight-loss tool. Weight loss experts say they simply don't work. A study published in May 1999 issue of the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, showed that overweight people who took eight capsules every day for four weeks didn't lose any more weight than those who took placebo pills.

Manufacturers claim each gram of chitosan "absorbs" four to eight times its own weight. Therefore, a 250 mg capsule could soak up 1 to 2 grams of dietary fat -- not enough to put a significant dent in your caloric intake (1 gram of fat represents 9 calories). However, chitosan could wreak havoc with your digestive tract. It would grab up all fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, K and omega-3 fatty acids, in it's mission to rid your body of the fats you're getting from rich desserts, fried foods, red meats, and other fatty foods. Animal studies showed that chitosan lowered vitamin E levels and reduced the absorption of essential minerals. Chitosan would also absorb medications that are encapsulated in fat-based compounds including cholesterol-lowering drugs, oral contraceptives and hormone-replacement therapy.

Want your body to absorb less fat? Eat less of it and exercise more.

Buy from well-established reputable company with legit company name, address and contact.

Product ingredients with exact content (mg) are listed and clear of any harmful substance.

Products which are manufactured as a result of research study should have their research data spelled out for consumers to read and confirm. This includes research date, researchers name, facility name and location.

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Dr. Tsang wishes to share his knowledge & Opinion with the public regarding the importance of " Nutritional Supplements ". This is for your information only. He is not in any way try to replace your physician. Drugs have powerful effects on the body, so please don't abruptly stop taking any prescription medication. Always consult your physician or health care provider before you use any nutritional supplement or switch from drugs to natural health products.