Metabadrine's formula with Ephedra includes Vitamin B5, which helps convert the calories from proteins, carbohydrates and fat into energy rather than having them stored as fat. Bitter orange, or the extract of bitter orange (and bitter orange peel) has been used in dietary supplements as a diet aid and appetite suppressant, although in traditional Chinese medicine, it is always prescribed in concert with other support herbs, not in isolation. Bitter orange contains synephrine, a drug similar to ephedrine. Synephrine acts as a stimulant and is included in Metabadrine Ephedra Products because it contains synephrine and octopamine. These chemicals affect the body in a similar manner as ephedra, so it enhances the metabolic stimulation of ephedra.

The effects of Metabadrine with Ephedra are greatest in persons displaying a low basal metabolic rate or decreased diet-induced thermogenesis. Thermogenesis is the term used for direct conversion of food that has been ingested into body heat. A lean person could display up to a 40% increase in heat production after a meal. On the other hand, an overweight person may only display a 10% increase in heat production after a meal. For an overweight person with decreased diet-induced thermogenesis or low basal metabolic rate, food energy gets converted to excess stored fat rather than being converted to body heat and usable energy. The sympathetic nervous system controls the degree of heat production in the body. Because ephedra activates the sympathetic nervous system, the metabolic rate of thermogenesis is increased and the result is weight loss.

Thermogenesis is becoming common for people to use to help control fluctuation in weight. Thermogenics work by increasing the body's core temperature by increasing its metabolism. Thermogenics are commonly made up of ephedra, bitter orange, capsicum, ginger and caffeine.
Bodybuilders are the most common users of thermogenics; however, they are entering the mainstream of the dieting industry.

Ephedra is getting scarce. Real ephedra with ephedra alkaloids have not been made by anyone for a year now. We have notices ephedra scams popping up, so you need to be aware. You may be able to get ephrdra at gorillavitamins.com.

Metabadrine is the only ephedra product available in the US. You may find products like Lipodrene that claims to have "legal" ephedra. The problem is they have ephedra leaf, and this part of the plant has no ephedra alkaloids.

Want to lose weight? Have someone pay you.

From the 2007 September Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

This will only work in an environment such as work, where the employer offers cash incentive to lose weight. UNC - Chapel Hill researchers studied more than 200 overweight or obese employees in North Carolina. The study revealed something astonishing: that overweight employees paid to lose weight were more successful at their efforts than employees who were not. It was mot revealed in the study if men or women were more motivated to shed the weight or if the participants used prescription drugs or over the counter supplements like ephedra products or the hoodia gordonii from South Africa, that is so popular.