Supplement
ECA is a combination of ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin, a stimulant blend that revs up the nervous system and nudges the body to burn more energy. In people with obesity, research found no clear difference in blood glucose or blood pressure, though the evidence is very limited. Only 24 people took part, so these findings are small and can't say much beyond that group.
- Updated
- How we grade
- 5 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade D
- Conditions studied
- 4
- Outcomes
- 10
- Graded outcomes
- 0002
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood glucose No effect | NoneNo effect | 24 people | ||||
| Blood Pressure No effect | NoneNo effect | 24 people | ||||
| Metabolic Rate | Improves (the measure goes up) | 2 studies | 20 people | |||
| Total cholesterol | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1 study | 24 people | |||
Studies that measured total cholesterol | ||||||
| Heart Rate | Improves (the measure goes down) | 24 people | ||||
| Insulin | Changes; see studies | 24 people | ||||
| Weight | Improves (the measure goes down) | 24 people | ||||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metabolic Rate | Improves (the measure goes up) | 2 studies | 20 people | |||
Common Cold
- Nasal Congestion: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal Congestion | Improves (the measure goes up) | 1 study | 643 people | |||
Upper Respiratory Tract Infection
- Pain: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pain | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1 study | 640 people | |||
Studies that measured pain | ||||||
Key findings
- Blood glucose
- Blood Pressure
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Third-party tested ECA products. The evidence above is limited, so read it before you buy.
- Grade D
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Studies cited
5 studies from PubMed
- Ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin: safety and efficacy for treatment of human obesity
- Post-prandial thermogenesis with ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin in lean, pre-disposed obese and obese women
- Demonstration of the analgesic efficacy and dose-response of acetylsalicylic acid with pseudoephedrine
- Clinical, double-blind, placebo-controlled study investigating the combination of acetylsalicylic acid and pseudoephedrine for the symptomatic treatment of nasal congestion associated with common cold
- Aspirin potentiates the effect of ephedrine on the thermogenic response to a meal in obese but not lean women