This ancient Chinese herb is an extract made from the leaf of the Ginkgo tree. It is the most well-documented plant extract used to support brain function - there are more than 1,000 studies of Ginkgo Biloba from all over the world. The consensus is that Ginkgo does help many people improve a variety of brain functions. It has been shown to minimize age-related memory problems (affecting learning, short-term memory, and recall), concentration problems, and absentmindedness. It may also help ease dizziness and vertigo, which often accompany forgetfulness, and tinnitus (ringing in the ears). A 1995 study found that high doses of Ginkgo helped Alzheimer's patients as well. Another very rigorous study published in 1997 in the Journal of the American Medical Association duplicated these results: Patients who took Ginkgo for one month enjoyed improved memory and attention span; this improvement was even more noticeable when patients took the herb for three months. However, many experts believe its more significant contribution may be as a preventer of cognitive decline than as a treatment. Ginkgo is very popular in Germany and France, where more than 10 million prescriptions are written every year; in the United States it is available without a prescription.
Ginkgo seems to accomplish its many miracles in several ways. In the first place, it increases the circulation of blood to the brain, which improves the supply of oxygen, nutrients, and glucose. This enables neurons to create the energy and other chemical reactions you need to think and remember. It also boosts circulation to the inner ear, thus explaining its power to help heal tinnitus and dizziness, a malfunction of the nerves in the ear. In the second place, Ginkgo protects against free-radical damage and reduces inflammation. This further improves circulation by keeping your cardiovascular system in shape, and also protects the nerve cells themselves.
It is recommended that you take an extract standardized to 24 percent flavoneglycosides and 6 percent terpenelactones, or capsules of the dried herb. For prevention take 40 mg of standardized extract, or 120 mg of capsules daily, in divided doses. You may take up to three times this dose if you have mild to moderate symptoms. Some people notice an improvement within two to three weeks of beginning treatment, but, in most cases, you need to take Ginkgo for at least three months before you enjoy the full benefits.
Gingko biloba is essentially devoid of any serious side effects. Some people have reported mild headaches for a day or two when starting the herb, and some people have reported mild stomach upset. Do not take Ginkgo if you are on a blood-thinning medication, including aspirin or ibuprofen, because Ginkgo can add to the blood-thinning effect. For the same reason, avoid taking Ginkgo for two weeks prior to any surgery, including oral surgery.
The preparations of ginkgo biloba commonly sold as herbal supplements are derived from the leaves of the ginkgo trees, which are probably the longest living in the world Individual trees are believed to live for up to 1,000 years and are found most commonly in southern and eastern areas of the US, southern France, China, and Korea.
Traditional Chinese medicine has made use of the nuts of the ginkgo tree for around 5,000 years, but the use of the leaves is a relatively recent European development. Widespread recognition of the active properties of the plant have made ginkgo leaf extract products the best-selling of all herbal medicines and supplements in Europe, and also placed them in the ten most popular in the USA, where it's classed as a dietary supplement. In fact it's estimated that around 2 billion 120 mg doses of supplement have been sold in the last twenty years alone.
The principal active elements of ginkgo leaf extract are the flavonoids which, like those derived from other sources (green tea, for example) are a powerful anti-oxidant; and terpene lactones.
As an anti-oxidant, ginkgo biloba is particularly effective in neutralizing the most damaging superoxide free radicals and thereby helping to prevent the atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, which is a common precursor of serious cardiovascular disease. And most of the benefits of ginkgo stem in fact from its effect in improving the circulation of the blood - as numerous research studies have demonstrated.
Ginkgo enhanced circulation in the minute capillaries of the eye has been credited with protecting against age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataracts and diabetic retinopathy. Improved circulation in the ears may also protect against tinnitus and hearing loss.
Studies using supplementation at 240 mg also demonstrated improved exercise tolerance and reduced pain in those suffering from intermittent claudication, or peripheral vascular disease, ?a painful and potentially dangerous problem with the circulation in the legs.
But as valuable as these effects undoubtedly are, it's as a stimulant for the brain and a protector against the dreadful effects of Alzheimer's disease and other causes of dementia that ginkgo biloba is best known. Although conventional medicine, as ever, retains its tendency towards caution when considering the possible effects of ?alternative? remedies, it's generally conceded that ginkgo biloba has significant therapeutic effects in the treatment of the early stages of Alzheimer's. The benefits, in fact, are closely analogous to those of conventional drug therapies, and although not, of course, offering a cure, may significantly slow down the progress of this most devastating disease.
Research studies have also indicated clinically significant improvements in performance in standard tests of memory and learning when healthy adults were given supplements at the level of 180 mg of ginkgo biloba a day for a period of six weeks. Similar benefits, however, were not shown at lower levels of supplementation.
The common sense hypothesis is that ginkgo biloba improves the blood supply and circulation to the brain as it does to other parts of the body, which can only have a positive effect on the memory and other cognitive functions of the organ. Moreover, improved circulation along with ginkgo biloba's anti-oxidant properties play a major role in protecting against the circulatory problems which can lead to stroke, still one of the major causes of premature death or incapacity in the Western world.
Although the 180 mg daily dose has been shown to be beneficial, some alternative medical practitioners recommend higher doses, even as high as 360 mg. The generally recommended composition of supplements, and that found in most commercial preparations, is in the proportions 24% ginkgo flavonoids and 6% terpenes.
Ginkgo biloba is recognized as a safe medication and very rarely produces any side effects in the otherwise healthy even in the high doses mentioned above. But it's effect in improving the circulation by reducing the ?stickiness? of the blood mean it is strongly contra-indicated prior to surgery and for those already taking blood thinning drugs such as warfarin.
In summary it may be said that conventional medicine recognizes ginkgo biloba as a potentially effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease and as an aid to good circulation with some positive effects in cases of cerebrovascular disease and peripheral vascular disease in the legs. Alternative practitioners insist that ginkgo biloba is also effective in improving memory, learning and general cognitive function in healthy adults, but orthodox medicine remains reluctant to endorse these claims.
Both Joseph Plazo & Steve P Smith are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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