http://www.1dietweightloss.com/ingredients.html

http://www.dietandbody.com/article1169.html
update: Dec. 2003 - many sites claim the "Triphetamine" product has been discontinued by the manufacturer (no longer produced/sold).
I would guess this product is pretty much guaranteed to give you a heart attack eventually :-) That amount of stimulants can't be good for you in any long term situation.

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http://www.dietandbody.com/article1171.html

Ephedrine

Ephedrine is a great pretender. It mimics effects of the stresshormone adrenaline (epinephrine),which is released by adrenal glands (thusthe name) into the bloodstream. Naturally, this is the body's response toa danger: it triggers the "fight or flight" syndrome andtargets many tissuesof thebody, including those of heart, muscles andfat mobilising them toface andmanage the danger. Ephedrine elicits pretty much the same set ofbodily reactions, causingan increase in heart rate, blood pressure, heatproduction and fatburning.

One positive thing about ephedrine is that the body can adapt to itsnegative effects while continuing or even enhancing the fat-burning response.1Because of its stimulating effect on muscle tissue, ephedrine also helpspreservemuscle mass during weight loss on a calorie-restricted diet.

Since Ephedrine is so good a stress-mimicking drug (yes, drug!), people aretrying to use it to heighten the metabolism. They are doing it for thousands of years, they did it even before knowing they were dealing with Ephedrine in the form of a herb. So it does work, isn't it? Yes it does. It does increase the metabolism. However, let us go through the facts step by step.

Ephedrine and ephedrine plus caffeine increase energy expenditureby increasing the amount of heat released after a meal. However, aspirindoes not further increase this effect of ephedrine and caffeine. (2)

Is It Safe?

Manufacturers of herbal phen-fen, ma huang and other ephedra supplements claim their wares as "clinically proven fat burners" that will "increaseyour calorie-burning energy level." This may be true, but consumers needto keep in mind:

1. that herbal drugs are not subject to stringent FDA standards;
2. it's very difficult to control the exact dose of an herbal preparation in a non-standardized formula; and
3. increased dosages can lead to serious health problems, includingheartattack, psychosis (3) and stroke. (The usual scenario is that aftertryingand failing on the recommended doses, people increase the intakeup to dangerous,sometimes deadly ones.)

Side effects include headaches, heart rhythmabnormality (4), nervousness and insomnia.  Dieters overdosing onephedrine may be at risk of developing kidney stones derived mainly frommetabolites of ephedrine. They also maybe prone to drug or alcohol dependency.(5) Further, eating disorders anddisorders of body image appeared to beespecially prevalent among ephedrineusers. (3)

Researchers in the Department of Human Nutrition, Copenhagen, Denmark, investigated the effects of 20 mg ephedrine and 200 mg caffeine mixtureson fat burning and weight loss. They came to the following conclusion:
 

"We conclude that the ephedrine/caffeine combination is safeand effective in long-term treatment in improving and maintaining weightloss. The side effects are minor and transient and no clinically relevantwithdrawal symptoms have been observed. The combination has shown superiorweight-reducing properties when compared with either ephedrine alone (20mg) or caffeine alone (200 mg) three times a day." (1)

At Harvard Medical School, safety and efficacy of combination ofephedrine (75 to150 mg), caffeine (150 mg) and aspirin (330 mg) was testedfor eight weeks. During the study, an average weight loss of 3.2 kg wasobserved, compared to the 1.3 kg weight-loss average of the placebo group.After five monthson ECA, average weight loss was 5.2 kg compared to 0.03kg gained in the placebo group.

The authors concluded:
 

"No significant changes in heart rate, blood pressure, blood glucose, insulin and cholesterol levels; and no differences in the frequency of side effects were found. ECA in these doses is thus well tolerated inotherwise healthy obese subjects, and supports modest, sustained weightloss even without prescribed caloric restriction, and may be more effectivein conjunction with restriction of energy intake.

"The combination of ephedrine and caffeine significantly improvedendurance-prolongingexercise time to exhaustion, compared to placebo. Neitherephedrine norcaffeine treatments alone significantly changed time to exhaustion.Theimproved performance was attributed to increased central nervous systemstimulation."

1. International Journal of Obesity & Related Metabolic Disorders, 17, S73-77
2. European Journal of Applied Physiology & Occupational Physiology77(5):427-33, 1998
3. British Medical Journal, 313(7059):756, 1996
4. Journal of Emergency Medicine, 17(2):289-91, 1999. A 21-year-oldmale presented to the emergency department with an initial blood pressureof  220/110 mmHg and heart rhythm abnormality after ingesting fourcapsules of herbalecstasy.
5. American Journal on Addictions, 7(4):256-61, 1998
 6. Journal of Emergency Medicine, 17(2):289-91, 1999.

Caffeine and Aspirin. Why are they included in the ECA Stack?

The combination of the three components of the stack, when taken in proper dosages, are said to promote weight-loss, boost energy and enhance athletic performance. The key component, ephedrine, found in the ephedra plant,isa central nervous system stimulant. Ephedrine is the active ingredient of herbal supplements Ma Huang and "Herbal Phen-fen."

Caffeine is included in the ECA stack to prevent an inevitable decrease in metabolic rate that usually occurs as the body tries to slip back tothe comfortable energy-saving mode (European J. of Applied Physiology 77(5):427-33, 1998). Caffeine acts on the cellular level, blocking the production of enzymes that are responsible for energy conservation. As a result, epinephrine continues to act to promote heat production and fat burning.

Aspirin

Aspirin also helps to counterpart the body's attempt to return to theenergy-saving state by fighting the inhibitors of metabolism ­ prostaglandinsm­much the same way it does to reduce a fever. It is important to note,however,that this particular effect of aspirin doesn't seem to work fornon-obesepeople, making it useless for bodybuilders.

Even without aspirin, the "EC" part of the formula proved as efficient as the prescription diet drug dexfenfluramine.(International Journal onObesity & Related Metabolic Disorders, 1994, 18: 99-103)

What Is the Correct Dosage?

It is the most important to keep the ephedrine dose both efficient and safe. It's usually recommended taking 20 mg of ephedrine or an herbal equivalent. The caffeine dose is usually 10-times higher and the aspirindose is only four-times higher. The simplified formula is:

E:C:A=1:10:4

The advise is to start with one morning dose for several days, to overcome the initial discomfort, and then add a mid-day dose for several days tosee how it works. If it is not enough, the third dose is added, notlater than five hours before bedtime to avoid insomnia.

L-tyrosine

To avoid increasing the ephedrine dose (if the recommended 20 mg donot work), dieters should consider adding the supplement amino acid L-tyrosine. The synergistic relationship of L- tyrosine with ephedrinehas been researched in rats ( 6) and it is a textbook fact that L-tyrosinehelps in the thyroid hormones production.

see also http://www.dietandbody.com/article1169.html