In the United States, the government is acting toban the sale of ephedra as a product to help peoplelose weight. Ephedra is a plant that containsephedrine and pseudoephedrine. These substancescan increase a person's energy level and causeweight loss.

在美国，政府正在采取行动禁止销售作为减肥产品的麻黄。麻黄是一种草药，它含有麻黄碱和伪麻黄碱。这些物质能够增加人体内的能量水平，达到减肥的效果。

However, officials warn that ephedra also raises blood pressure. Ephedra has been linked toheart attacks, strokes, seizures and deaths. The secretary of Health and Human Servicesannounced the ban. Tommy Thompson urged people to stop using ephedra even before theban takes effect. He said he did not want to delay the announcement, because people oftentry to lose weight at the start of a new year.

然而，官方警告说麻黄有增加血压的风险。麻黄素与心脏病、中风和死亡有联系。卫生与公众服务部宣布了禁售令。即使在禁令生效前，汤米·汤普森也曾督促人们停止使用麻黄。他说，他不愿意延期告诫大家，因为人们总是在新年伊始时开始减肥。

The market has grown sharply for herbal products known as dietary supplements. Companies donot have to prove them safe and effective the way drug makers do.

而市场对草药产品这类营养补充剂的需求与日俱增。企业们并不需要像药品生产商一样证明这些产品安全、有效。

In nineteen-ninety-four, Congress limited the ability of the Food and Drug Administration totake action against supplements. This is the first ban since then. The ban will not include theversion of ephedra used in medicines to treat breathing infections. Ephedra has long been usedfor this purpose as a traditional medicine in China, where the plant is called ma huang.

1994年，国会授权食品和药物管理局一定的权利，以便采取措施管理这类补充剂。自那时以来，这是首次出台禁令。这项禁令不会涉及到用于治疗呼吸系统感染的麻黄。在中国，自古以来人们就有用麻黄治疗此病的传统。