Ephedra, from the plant Ephedra sinica, has been used as an herbal remedy in traditional Chinese medicine for 5,000 years for the treatment of asthma and hay fever, as well as for the common cold.
Ephedra has been used for weight loss, sometimes in combination with aspirin and caffeine. Some studies have shown that Ephedra, when taken in a regulated and supervised environment, is effective for marginal short-term weight loss, although it is unclear whether such weight loss is maintained.
Revealed to be the cause of over 155 deaths in the US by 2004, studies of Ephedra pills have all come to the same conclusion: it is a pill to be taken with extreme caution. Yet despite these figures and its ban by leading health officials in 2004 (for two years), Ephedra is still widely used amongst the weight loss community.
|  | Sibutramine (trade name Meridia in the U.S. and Canada, Reductil in Europe and most other countries) is a weight loss pill for the treatment of obesity, as an appetite suppressant. Meridia uses neurotransmitters within the brain to naturally suppress your appetite and cut down your meal portions.
Made from sibutramine, this active ingredient can help users to effectively lose weight at a pace that is right for them, whilst enabling them to cut down on snacking.
If users suffer from any of the following: high blood pressure, sever liver or kidney disease, coronary artery disease or are already others forms of medication (depression, Prozac, Zoloft, Luvox, Paxil), they are advised to avoid Meridia.
Recommended users seek medical advice before use and go for regular check-ups to monitor blood pressure and pulse rate
|
First place: Meridia (Reductil). 55% users voted for Meridia (Reductil).
Second place: Ephedra. 45% users voted for Ephedra.
