Classic Thermolift
Classic Thermo-Lift
By Bob Lefavi, PhD, CSCS, CHES
Chairman, Changes Science Advisory Board
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Thermo-Lift's ephedrine has a track record of effectiveness in fat reduction. What is ephedrine, and how does it relate to Ma Huang and pseudoephedrine? Good question. Ephedra is the substance we derive from the branching shrub Ma Huang, the general term we use for a common Chinese herb that has been used for more than 5000 years! It is used in traditional Chinese medicine as a bronchodilator and a stimulant to the central nervous system.
The alkaloid compound, called ephedrine, is easy to manufacture and the vast majority of ephedrine you find now is synthetic. The common OTC drug pseudoephedrine is another Ephedra compound.
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Ephedrine (Ephedra sinica) has been used to assist in therapeutic weight management for centuries. Ephedrine is able to directly stimulate beta receptors on fat cells, activating thermogenesis (the production of heat in metabolism) and thereby burning calories.
A four-month study using ten women who had been chronic dieters, placed on 1000-1400 calories/day, demonstrated that weight loss was four times greater during the ephedrine trial than when a placebo was given. No major adverse health effects were reported by any of the subjects. Another two-month experiment in 1987 by Italian researchers showed that compared with a low-calorie diet alone, overweight women lost significantly more weight if they also took ephedrine (50 mg three times a day by mouth).
In addition, a three-month study conducted by Danish researchers showed that compared with overweight women taking a placebo, those taking ephedrine (20 mg three times a day by mouth) lost significantly more weight. Remember, this is just from the ephedrine in Thermo-Lift, saying nothing about the effectiveness of chromium and ginseng for energy stabilization!
For example, Thermo-Lift promotes optimal energy through stable blood sugar levels. It does this through chromium. Trivalent chromium, the kind we have in Thermo-Lift, is used by the body to form glucose tolerance factor (GTF). GTF then binds to insulin on cell receptors thereby allowing insulin to have an effect on cells, and subsequently allowing glucose (blood sugar) to enter the cells so we can access energy from its breakdown. Just another metabolic benefit to Thermo-Lift.
Ephedrine also acts as a type of central nervous system stimulant, increasing metabolic rate, and therefore, total calories burned. This seems to be why we often see substantial weight loss with Thermo-Lift.
Changes Thermo-Lift has sound science behind it, and is formulated for optimal support in weight management.
Note: Read the warning label carefully on Classic Thermo-Lift, and be sure you have your physician's approval prior to taking it.
For information from recent studies on ephedrine and weight loss, see:
European Journal of Applied Physiology, 77:427-433, 1998;
American Journal of Applied Physiology, 68:42-51, 1998;
Clinical Physiology, 18(1):69-76, 1998.
Nutritional questions regarding Changes products can be submitted to [email protected].