A team of researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia is attempting to develop a safe weight loss drug. Doctor Dennis Miller heads up the team that is looking at ephedrine, an herbal concoction that is often used as a drug by those wanting to shed a few pounds. He says the problem with ephedrine is that a tolerance is built up and the person using the drug needs more and more of it to get the desired effect and the increased use can be unhealthy. Doctor Miller says there are similarities between some of the ingredients of ephedrine and those of nicotine in that the similar ingredients both work to suppress appetite and speed up metabolism. Researchers aim to learn more about those similarities.
