Ephedra (Ma Huang) is a dangerously potent Chinese herbal/botanical element that is found in a large, and ever increasing, number of products sold as dietary supplements and workout enhancers. These products have been linked to numerous devastating injuries, including deaths, resulting from strokes and heart attacks. When taken by the consumer Ephedra reacts within a body the very same way as phenylpropanolamine (PPA), a pharmaceutical product that has been taken off the market by the Food and Drug Administration due to its association with hemorrhagic strokes. Even more, unlike food and drug products, which are regulated for safety by the FDA, the sale of Ephedra containing products is virtually unregulated. Billions of dollars worth of Ephedra containing products, most of which contain other potent herbal/botanical products that further enhance the dangers of Ephedra, are sold each year without ever having to be submitted to the Food and Drug Administration to prove the products are safe.