---
name: Ephedra
molecule: C10H15NO
compound: "Ephedrine"
era: Ancient
origin: China
archetype: Milady
ancestor: Chinese, Palestinian
swag_score: 4
image: "https://assets.0xhoneyjar.xyz/Mibera/traits/milady_chinese_palestinian_ephedra.webp"
date_added: "2025-01-12"
---

<div align="center">
  <img src="https://assets.0xhoneyjar.xyz/Mibera/traits/milady_chinese_palestinian_ephedra.webp" alt="Ephedra" width="320" />
</div>


# Ephedra

## Effects & Properties

**Effects:** Mild to moderate stimulation, increased alertness, energy, and
focus. Users may experience improved concentration and reduced fatigue.

**Natural Occurrence:** Native to Asia (especially China and
Mongolia), these shrubs grow in arid regions. Traditionally, Ephedra (Ma Huang) is used in
Chinese medicine as a tea or extract for colds, asthma, and energy. Recreationally, ephedrine is
used for its stimulant effects, though not as common due to regulation.
**Appearance:** Leafless, jointed shrubs with
green to yellowish-stems, resembling thin twigs and small, scale-like leaves. Dried Ephedra
appears as greenish-brown to grayish stems.

## History

Ephedra (Ma Huang) has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over 5,000 years, with the earliest written references appearing in the Shen Nung pharmacopoeia around 2700 BCE, prescribed for asthma, colds, and fever. Japanese chemist Nagai Nagayoshi isolated the active alkaloid ephedrine from Ephedra in 1885, which later served as the chemical basis for the synthesis of amphetamine and methamphetamine. Ephedra-based dietary supplements became enormously popular in the 1990s for weight loss and energy before the FDA banned ephedra-containing supplements in 2004 following reports of heart attacks and strokes.

## Connections

**Archetype:** [Milady](../../../core-lore/archetypes.md#milady)

**Ancestor:** [Chinese](../../../core-lore/ancestors/chinese.md), [Palestinian](../../../core-lore/ancestors/palestinian.md)

**Tarot Card:** [Ace of Wands](../../../core-lore/tarot-cards/ace-of-wands.md)

**PubChem:** [Ephedrine](https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Ephedrine)

**Paired With:** [Dextroamphetamine](dextroamphetamine.md), [Methamphetamine](methamphetamine.md)

## Sources

- https://www.erowid.org/plants/ephedra/ephedra.shtml
- https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Ephedrine
- https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Ephedrine
- [Ephedra (plant) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephedra_(plant))
- [Ephedra (medicine) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephedra_(medicine))
- [Ephedrine - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephedrine)
- [Nagai Nagayoshi - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagai_Nagayoshi)
- [The history of Ephedra (ma-huang) - PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21365072/)
- [Ephedra - NCCIH](https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/ephedra)