What Is the Real Deal with Xenadrine RFA-1 and Ephedra?
Xenadrine RFA-1’s advertising campaigns brag of “clinical studies” that “prove” it significantly alters the ratio of fat to muscle, “which results in significant improvements to the body’s metabolism.” The boasts are backed by testimonials and snazzy before-and-after shots of happy customers, but no explanation of how these metabolic improvements might occur, or what they might be. It’s unlikely Bechler knew that Xenadrine RFA-1 is not approved for weight loss, or anything else, by the Food and Drug Administration. Nor is it likely he was aware that Congress has for years debated a ban on its active ingredient, the herb ephedra. Ephedra can be found in more than 200 weight-loss aids and energy boosters. Among these is Metabolife 356, the country’s best-selling over-the-counter diet preparation. Metabolife 356 contains a particularly potent combination of ephedra and caffeine, which the maker claimed for years had no serious side effects. Under threat of a federal investigation and crim
