Ephedrine facts for kids

Ephedrine is a natural substance found in certain plants, especially those from the Ephedra family. You can also find it in plants like wolfsbane or the Euopean yew tree. It's a type of chemical called an alkaloid.

What Ephedrine Does

Ephedrine affects the human body in different ways. Doctors sometimes use it as a stimulant, which means it can make you feel more awake and energetic. It's also used as a decongestant to help clear up stuffy noses. Sometimes, it helps treat low blood pressure or can help control appetite.

For a very long time, a plant called má huáng (which is Ephedra sinica) has been used in Traditional Chinese medicine. This plant contains ephedrine and a similar substance called pseudoephedrine. A scientist named Nagayoshi Nagai first separated ephedrine from a plant called Ephedra vulgaris in 1885. Some old Hindu books, like the Rig Veda, mention a substance called soma. Some people think this ancient substance might have been made from ephedra plants.

Ephedrine in the World

Making ephedrine has become a very large business in China. Companies there get millions of dollars worth of ephedrine from about 30,000 tons of ephedra plants each year. This is much more than the amount used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Images for kids

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  Ephedrine Sulphate (1932), Ephedrine Compound (1932), and Swan-Myers Ephedrine Inhalant No. 66 (circa 1940)

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  Ephedrine tablets

See also

In Spanish: Efedrina para niños