Ephedrine has reached celebrity status through the unfortunate deaths of some successful professional athletes.  With claims of improved athletic performance, reduction of body fat, and enhancement of lean body mass, it is very easy to see the intrigue of such a nutritional supplement.  The problem lies in the fact that the compound commonly name Ma Huang is a stimulant similar to methamphetamine. The stimulation of the heart muscle is where the effects of this chemical is immediately noticed.  It causes severely increased heart rate and has been associated with stroke and heart failure.  With the "Battle of the Bulge" constantly being in the news and the healthy practices such as exercise and nutritional dietary intake difficult to handle, Americans will continue to look for the newest trends in easy healthcare.  This constant search seems to be focused on the here and now and forgets to take into consideration long term health problems that could come about by taking the path of least resistance.
 
 
 

References:

http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/ephedrine/ephedrine_chemistry.shtml
http://nutrition.ucdavis.edu/InfoSheets/ephedra.htm
http://www.berkeleywellness.com/html/ds/dsEphedra.php