Swimsuit season is here. Those trying to quickly shed extra, unwanted pounds from last winter may consider taking an herbal diet aid.

Many athletes looking to perfect their game through performance enhancers, believe herbal stimulants will provide that extra edge over the competition. Before deciding on what to buy, consumers should know what they are getting.

Recent studies show that many people are seriously injured by the use of ephedra, making it one of the most dangerous dietary supplements available today. More than 800 injuries and 50 deaths have been reported by users and doctors to the FDA and various state medical bodies. Most of these cases involve heart attacks or high blood pressure leading to bleeding in the brain or a stroke.

Ephedra, an herb found in many of today's weight-loss and bodybuilding supplements, has been used for more than 5,000 years in central Asia to treat asthma and to reduce upper respiratory infections. Ephedra grows mainly in Mongolia and the bordering areas of China. The young branches and dried roots are the medicinal parts of the plant.

Also known as Ma Huang, ephedra's value for respiratory problems is due to the calming effect it has on spasms in the bronchial walls. At the same time, ephedra stimulates the nervous system and boosts the rate and strength of heart contractions, which tends to discourage the growth of bacteria.

Ephedra has the ability to open up the adrenergic receptor sites, or switches, found primarily in the heart and lungs, thereby, increasing the metabolic rate and calorie consumption. The net result is the release of fatty acids from stored fat cells and a quicker consumption of the fat into energy. When ephedra is combined with a modest amount of caffeine, the thermogenic effects can be improved as much as 20 percent.

Many of today's most popular dietary supplement products contain ephedra, including Metabolife, Ripped Fuel, Hydroxycut, Xenadrine and Diet-Phen. Most of these products combine caffeine with ephedra to produce even greater results.

Consumers are often unaware that ephedra suppliers make wide ranging health claims about the product that have no scientific basis. Nor is there any mention of the potential for dangerous side effects. Because the industry passed a law deregulating these products in 1994, dietary supplements are routinely marketed without undergoing a safety review by FDA. Due to the fact that there is still much debate over the potential side effects that ephedra may cause, ephedra sales have been banned in 16 states.

The International Olympic Committee, United States Olympic Committee and the National Collegiate Athletic Association consider ephedra a banned substance. Athletes found to have ephedra in their system during training and/or competition can find themselves disqualified, suspended or even banned from the sport.

In September 2001, the National Football League added ephedra to its list of banned substances. This prohibits NFL players from endorsing, as well as using, supplement products containing ephedra.

People continue to believe that because herbs are "natural" they are, therefore, harmless. Many herbal remedies are dangerous, especially when taken with prescription medication. Some herbs become toxic if taken with certain drugs, and fatal herb-drug interactions can occur.

"Herbs are not regulated the same as other dietary supplements," said Jill Taylor, M.D. "This means they can be misidentified, contaminated or contain multiple ingredients. There is no quality control for herbs."

The FDA is warning consumers not to purchase or consume ephedra-containing dietary supplements because ephedra can have side effects even when taken at normal doses. These include fast heartbeat anxiety, jitteriness, insomnia and allergic reactions, including itching and hives. Higher doses of ephedra can potentially cause accelerated heartbeat, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, stroke, vomiting and psychosis.

Ingredient panels often deceive consumers by listing "Ma Huang" instead of ephedra on the labels in order to sell the product more efficiently and to conceal the major side effects from the consumer.

Due to the side effects, taking ephedra should be avoided by people with the following conditions: high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, cerebral insufficiency, thyroid problems, depression, anxiety, insomnia, anorexia or bulimia, kidney stones, urinary retention, or an enlarged prostate gland. Ephedra should not be used if you are pregnant or nursing.

A National Collegiate Athletic Association survey involving 21,225 students at 713 institutions states that the use of herbal ephedra and anabolic steroid dietary supplements is up among college students in the past four years. Various kinds of dietary supplement use were reported to encompass 42 percent of college athletes. Improved athletic performance and assistance for weight loss were the main reasons stated in the survey for using ephedra.

The recent death of Steve Bechler, former pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, added to the controversy surrounding ephedra. Toxicology tests showed that ephedra appeared in his body at the time of his death, causing major league baseball officials to consider banning the substance.

The Bush administration ordered a review of ephedra's safety in June.

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