Metabolife

Youda · Sep 17, 2002

Originally posted by mario_ragucci
So, when ephedra liquid gets to your stomach, does it get metabolised like, say, a glass of orange juice does? Does your body think it's a sugar, and then raise insulin levels? Can ephedra participate in the Kreb cycle, or electron transport.sys, or does your body make it into glucose? (snip)

I know this is a thread about metobolife, but this is also interesting, re: how metabolife metabolises.

No, it wouldn't get metabolized like glucose because it is made of different molecules. To answer another post, ephedra, as I undertstand it, contains ephedrine and the analogs of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine and norpseudoephedrine, as well as other chemicals. You folks had me looking over the internet for some information, and I found this wonderful discussion of the extraction and synthesis of ephedra. Mario, check out the chemical references at the bottom of the page to give you your answers about what chemical groups the ephedra would breakdown into.

http://www.ephedra.demon.nl/stories/chemical.htm

The side effects would be caused primarily by ephedrine's stimulation of cardiac, bronchial, neurological, etc., systems with its concurrent vasoconstriction. Strolling around the internet, I'm also seeing drug interaction warnings that would, no doubt, contribute to any side effects (beta blockers, mao inhibitors, etc.)

OK, Mario, that's all the free homework you're gonna get out of me on this! :) :)

flowerchild · Sep 17, 2002

So that's what caused it! I'm so glad to know that a couple of years ago, I was drinking those energy/herbal drinks, ended up lying in bed with s/s of stroke. Numb on one side of my body, including my face, drooling, and was having palpitations. I thought I was a goner for sure! I'm young enough, healthy, not overweight, great BP, etc. Eat right, drink plenty of water, and here I was thinking I was having a stroke. I never put two and two together till I read these replies. Now I know it was those stupid drinks I thought were so good for me! You won't catch me buying those anymore nor would I ever take Metabolife or any other product with ephedra. Oh, I and btw, I drink caffeine drinks on a regular basis (in moderation, usually) and have never had any reaction even remotely similar to what the ephedra did to me, so I for one don't believe that ephedra is the same as caffiene.

The risks are real imo if you decide to take this stuff. You know how we keep hearing about these ball players, high schoolers, etc. just dropping dead on the court or feild while they are playing? Makes me wonder if the cause is these OTC energy drinks that caused it? It makes no sense to me that a perfectly healthy 16 y/o, in top form and condition, just keels over, without a reason.

Youda · Sep 17, 2002

Originally posted by flowerchild
So that's what caused it! I'm so glad to know that a couple of years ago, I was drinking those energy/herbal drinks, ended up lying in bed with s/s of stroke. Numb on one side of my body, including my face, drooling, and was having palpitations. I thought I was a goner for sure! (snip)

What little research I did this afternoon for Mario (and my own curiosity), it seems as if ephedra is chemically similar to amphetamines. We've all seen those in the ER, haven't we? Try a nice amphetamine cocktail to rev you up! Then, because it's OTC, we think there isn't any danger. From an earlier post, I'll repeat myself. Personally, I don't see any problems taking these things, AS LONG AS YOU take the time to read the label and to research out the chemoactive properties of the ingredients, and take them knowing what you're taking, so -- at the very least -- you will know what side effects to watch for. You do the same for your patients, don't you? :confused:

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2002

Howdy yall

from deep in the heat of texas

Howdy Peeps, aint seen you around in a while ,,,, glad your still alive and kicking the keyboard

But I gotta say Peeps Im not blaming ephedra/ ephedrine. You ask for objective data. After all these years in the ER and watching this happen time and time again, whether they are taking metabolife or they are taking diet pills with ephedrine or any of the other multitude of preparations with that stuff in it. I know where the blame lies. I have seen it way too often. And I still am seeing it. When it shows positive in your urine as an amphetamine, that tells you the true nature of it. But also in case scenarios one after another over all these years.Where the history and findings clearly indicate ephedra to be the culprit. And it is not just 40 y/o sedentary lifestyle types you are referring too, but its young and healthy kids who sre being affected the most. Terrible. Ephedra should be taken off the over the counter market place. And it should be removed immediately. It as a causative agent has done enough harm over the years.

doo wah ditty

Peeps Mcarthur · Sep 18, 2002

Hey Tom,

Showing up in the urine as amphetamine would be enough to have me leaning,but still,12 years with no side-effects while the rest of humanity is drooling like crack whores, makes me wonder if they shouldn't just do a study on me.

Do you know of any studies?

Now side-effects of amphetamines is something that can be shown in a study I'm sure.

Does OTC cold medicine break down to amphetamines?

If there are so many documented HXs,certainly someone has done an exhaustive study for the grant money. Looks like easy pickins.

You of course have made your observations based on what you have seen and I am making them based on what I have. I work on the supply side and also witness refunds based on side effects. I only have anecdotal evidence myself and that's not good enough.

Rustyhammer · Sep 18, 2002

But the REAL question is...will it make the fat go away?

-Russell

Peeps Mcarthur · Sep 18, 2002

If you don't eat like I do probably!:chuckle

All they do is raise the demand for energy production. If you fuel that energy with Big Macs instead of bodyfat then you are just getting a buzz.

That's why I take them.....buzzzzzz..........buzzzzzzzzz.:chuckle

mario_ragucci · Sep 18, 2002

When you say a chemical can "raise the demand for energy production", all I can do is behold and imagine how that can happen. In this case, does energy=ATP? Or does energy mean feeling like being active?

This may seem silly, but I thought there was a difference between the fat in a BigMac and the fat thats in you. Doesn'tthat stuff hafta pass through the liver a bunch of times before it becomes a part of you?

Plus, I saw this add for [kite-Ah-Zall] that said it prevents food from being absorbed. Like, you could eat all the fat you want, but your body will float it out of you. Is that really true? I wouldn't even feed them to a seagull, because it might harm them, so why would I take them?

I like my fat, beause, without it, i wouldn't be able to stretch and jump around :-9

deadnurse · Sep 18, 2002

No No No I don't take it no more

I'm tired of waking up on the floor

No thank you please

It only makes me sneeze

Then it makes hard to find the door:chuckle

Peeps Mcarthur · Sep 18, 2002

When you say a chemical can "raise the demand for energy production", all I can do is behold and imagine how that can happen. In this case, does energy=ATP? Or does energy mean feeling like being active?

Yes Mario,energy does =ATP since that's the receptor of the energy that I'm speaking of when I state the definition of metabolism :The sum of all chemical and physical changes that take place within an organism. ATP production is the energy within the electrons in your food ending up in the Krebs cycle or fermentation. Some of this energy is stored in the liver or muscle cells as glycogen however ,your cells also use fats and proteins to make ATP I don't remember where you get the stored proteins(amino acids stored in the liver?) right off the top of my head,but believe me I can show you exactly where the stored fat is!

I really couldn't tell you the exact mechanism of how ephedrine stimulates these chemical reactions above your basal metabolism,but it does create a greater need for that end result which is ATP................................once you are using stored fat for that kreb's cylcle,then you may call it a "fat burner".

This may seem silly, but I thought there was a difference between the fat in a BigMac and the fat thats in you. Doesn'tthat stuff hafta pass through the liver a bunch of times before it becomes a part of you?

Your body doesn't need fat to store the enrgy in the Big Mac as subcutaneos fat deposits,although it will process that. A Big Mac has more calories than you can utilize in the "sum of all energy" part,some of that gets stored as subcutaneous fat.

What I'm saying by that is,if you raise the basal metabolic rate and you just consume enough calories to cover the rise in energy production,then all you're doing is processing the energy in the food and not facilitating a need for the utilization of stored energy.

That last item sounds like the main ingredient is Chitosan,a marine fiber processed from the exoskeleton of anthropods(shellfish). Studies have shown that it does bind some fat in your food ,but so what,your body can still store energy as subcutaneous fat from other sources. It's very important to point out in stating this that in can't do anything about stored fat because your body would rather use the sugars in the food anyway. It would be helpful in someone that's trying to control cholesterol and can't seem to take care of themselves by ingesting the right foods in the first place.

Does that cover it Mario?

Catch me before I start cramming for the next exam!!

DebsZoo · Sep 18, 2002

alrighty then...........after reading this thread, and having a severe headache from stacker3 capsules (just bought them last week, took them 3 days and everytime had a bad headache), i threw them away.

i had taken metabolife, with no side effects.

since all the info here, i have decided to stop taking either.........

micro, RN · Sep 18, 2002

sticking with my ______, my _________, my centrum silver, b complex, and calcium.............

good day.........

hehehehehey.

sorry, in sa mood

micro :)