Dec. 30: The Bush administration announced it would ban the herbal weight-loss supplement ephedra from the marketplace because of concerns about its effects on health. The ban would take effect in 60 days.

My one and only experience with ephedra was awful. I took half a dose of one of those ephedra-based diet pills to stay up and study for an exam in college. I had hours of heart palpitations and panic attacks.

Timeline: Ephedra