Weight loss caffeine

Ephedrine by itself has been shown to be ineffective as a weight-loss treatment. Ephedrine combined with either caffeine or aspirin is effective. The effect appears to stem from a combination of appetite reduction and avoidance of the metabolic rate decrease usually associated with a reduced-calorie diet. 

Ephedra (ma huang) is a popular botanical incorporated into a variety of formulations for weight loss, energy or performance enhancement, and symptomatic control of asthma. A pharmacodynamic interaction leading to a fatality has been reported with concurrent use of caffeine and ephedra (62), possibly as a result of additive adrenergic agonist effect of the ephedrine alkaloids and caffeine on the cardiovascular system and the CNS (63). Ephedra was recently withdrawn from the market (64). 

Table I. Percent Weight Loss as a Function of Relative Humidity for 1 1 Caffeine-Pyrogallol Crystalline Complex...

Rothacker, D.Q. and Waitman, B.E. (1997) Effectiveness of a Carcinia cambogia and natural caffeine combination in weight loss a double-blind placebo-controlled pilot study. International Journal of Obesity 21 (Suppl. 2), 53. 

Phenylpropanolamine, which is available over the counter for weight loss, inhibits caffeine metabolism, leading to excessive stimulation for example, manic psychosis (SEDA-17,1). 

Probably effective for short-term weight loss when combined with caffeine long-term data lacking... 

Ephedrine is labeled for sale as a bronchodilator. Caffeine is marketed as a minor stimulant to produce greater alertness or reduce drowsiness. Synephrine is available from plant sources as an herbal weight loss supplement. 

Speed is the nomenclature used for a number of preparations that resemble and are often misrepresented as prescription amphetamines. They are used as substitutes for amphetamines. Speed is commonly composed of ephedrine, caffeine, synephrine, or a combination of these agents. Ephedrine is probably the most frequently encountered component of street speed. Elerbal weight loss products containing ephedra, which is made up a number of sympathomimetic alkaloids, were removed from the US market in 2003. Phenypropanolamine, previously marketed as a weight loss supplement and oral decongestant and abused as a look alike , was removed from the US market in 2002. 

In 1992, Astrup studied the effects of ephedrine and caffeine in a group of obese patients (68). In a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study, 180 obese patients were treated by diet (4.2 mJ/day) and either an ephedrine/ caffeine combination (20 mg/200 mg), ephedrine (20 mg), caffeine (200 mg), or placebo three times a day for 24 weeks. Withdrawals were distributed equally in the four groups, and 141 patients completed the trial. Mean weight losses was significantly greater with the combination than with placebo from week 8 to week 24 (ephedrine/caffeine, 16.6 6.8 kg vs placebo, 13.2 6.6... 

Boozer CN, Daly PA, Homel P, 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. 

Ephedra is also sold in combination with other herbs, such as St. John s wort and/or caffeine, as herbal supplement products designed to help build muscle. Other, more obscure combinations, are said to be indicated for a variety of vaguely defined indications. Except in the case of weight loss (Liu et al., 1995 Astrup and Lundsgaard, 1998), in which controlled clinical trials have found some evidence of effectiveness, none of these other combinations has ever been validated. After several well-publicized accidental deaths, products clearly intended for abuse, such as "herbal ecstasy," and other "look-alike drugs" (products usually containing ephedrine or phenylpropanolamine designed to look like illicit methamphetamine) have recently been withdrawn from the market. 

An acute lateral-wall myocardial infarction was reported in a 55-year-old woman with a 1-year history of use of a weight loss product containing 300 mg Citrus aurantium (no other description provided) as well as 30 mg caffeine (misidentified as guararanine [sic]) and 30 mg green tea (no other description). The patient also reported a nearly 40-year tobacco-smoking habit (IVl packs per day), high caffeine intake from cola, coffee, and tea, and a preexisting heart murmur (Nykamp et al. 2004). 

Adverse events, primarily cardiovascular in nature, have been reported in persons consuming "energy drinks" and weight-loss supplements that contain guarana and multiple other botanical extracts, added caffeine, and other stimulant compounds (Pittler et al. 2005). 

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