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Synephrine
Citrus aurantium, the mature fruit of the green orange, is an important herb used in traditional Chinese medicine to improve digestion, circulation, and liver function. Its prior uses include 1,000 years as an energizer, and its effects seem to be very similar to that of ephedrine.
Most athletes are certainly more familiar with the ephedrine containing herb ephedra (ma huang) than with Citrus aurantium. However, Citrus aurantium which contains synephrine has similar effects to other thermogenic substances like kola nut, caffeine, guarana, ma huang and ephedrine, but without the side effects common with these substances. Reported side effects are high blood pressure, tremors, insomnia and nervousness when taking many of the above substances.
Synephrine, on the other hand, may be an excellent alternative for many individuals. Animal research has found no serious side effects even when synephrine was directly infused intravenously. Also, synephrine does not act on the nervous system like ephedrine. As a matter of fact, there has been no documentation on any habit-forming characteristics of synephrine.
Synephrine is a compound used in medicine for its stimulating abilities. Clinical research has shown that synephrine has antidepressant capabilities and can increase the heart's cardiac output. Most interesting is the ability of synephrine and epinephrine to increase cyclic AMP activity. Such an increase can be directly tied to increased metabolism, which will increase fat burning.
A reasonable dose of synephrine would be about 3 to 6 mg a day. This can be obtained in 200-400 mg of Citrus aurantium (green orange) which is standardized to provide 1.5 to 3.0 percent synephrine.
Herbal Fen-Phen
Within the last few years, evidence has surfaced casting some doubt on the safety of fen-phen, the prescription diet combination (fenfluramine and phentermine) which had taken the country by storm. It has finally been taken off the market due to findings discussed below. Because of problems like these with prescription diet pills, the American public needs

 
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