Ephedra: Guidelines For Dosage And Label Warnings
October 2000

The following guidelines for dosage levels and label warnings for ephedra have now been adopted by all of the trade associations for herbal product manufacturers.

These guidelines were first drafted in March 1994 by the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) in close collaboration with the National Nutritional Foods Association (NNFA) and the Utah Natural Products Association (UNPA). This current version was revised in January 2000, and was adopted in August 2000 by the Consumer Health Products Association (CHPA).

Serving (dosage) limits

Products are not to contain in excess of 25 mg of total ephedrine alkaloids per serving; usage instructions should limit daily consumption to 100 mg of total ephedrine alkaloids.

Labeling

The label of the goods should bear an adequate cautionary statement, which shall at a minimum include the following language, or comparable language:

Not intended for use by anyone under the age of 18. Do not use this product if you are pregnant or nursing. Consult a health care professional before using this product if you have heart disease, thyroid disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, psychiatric condition, difficulty in urinating, prostate enlargement, or seizure disorder, if you are using a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) or any other prescription drug, or you are using an over-the-counter drug containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine (ingredients found in certain allergy, asthma, cough/cold and weight control products).

Exceeding recommended serving will not improve results and may cause serious adverse health effects.

Discontinue use and call a health care professional immediately if you experience rapid heartbeat, dizziness, severe headache, shortness of breath, or other similar symptoms.

The product label shall list the amount of ephedrine alkaloids per serving.

Herbs of Commerce conformity

Label identification must be in conformity with the standard common name listed in Herbs of Commerce.

Synthetic ingredients

Neither finished consumer goods nor raw materials used in their manufacture are to contain any synthetically derived ephedrine alkaloids or their salts (e.g., ephedrine sulfate; pseudoephedrine hydrochloride; phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride).

Marketing

No claims shall be made that the product may be useful to achieve an altered state of consciousness, euphoria, or as a "legal" alternative for an illicit drug.