| Ginkgo Biloba |
| Parts Used
Leaves |
|
| Common Uses |
 |
Improves memory loss |
|
Improves brain function |
|
Helps reduce depression |
|
Lessons symptoms of early stage
Alzheimer's disease |
|
Improves circulation to
extremities |
|
Improves long term recovery from
stroke |
|
Reduces Tinnitus (ringing in the
ears) |
|
|
How Ginkgo
Biloba works
Ginkgo Biloba extract makes the circulation system work more
efficiently. It improves blood flow to the brain and the central nervous system, and also
increases circulation to the extremities (arms and legs, hands and feet) |
Reduced blood flow
to the brain leads to a variety of problems including depression, memory loss and
disorientation. Ginkgo Biloba extract has been shown to be an effective treatment. |
| Ginkgo extract is also a powerful antioxidant
which helps protect the cells of the brain and nervous system. These cells are
particularly susceptible to free radical attack and this may help prevent age-related
diseases of the central nervous system. |
|
Side Effects
Side effects from Ginkgo Biloba are rare. In clinical studies
about 1% of patients suffered a mild stomach upset. Some people who have poor blood flow
to the brain may get a mild headache for the first couple days of use. |
|
| Safety Concerns There are no known interactions with commonly prescribed drugs. |
|
History of Ginkgo Biloba
Ginkgo Biloba has an amazing history. It’s the worlds
oldest living species of tree, and is in fact a living fossil – fossil records of the
gingko tree go back over 200 million years. |
| As you might expect of something that has
survived for so long, it has a remarkable ability to resist extreme temperatures,
pollution and insects. The Ice Age however destroyed the tree in many parts of the world,
including north America and Europe. Luckily for us it did survive in Asia, where, in
China, it was later cultivated as a sacred tree. |
| Ginkgo has been used for medicinal purposes
since the origins of Chinese herbal medicine nearly 5,000 years ago. It was recommended in
about 2767 B.C. for the treatment of respiratory tract ailments and also for memory loss
in the elderly. |
| Ginkgo finally made it’s return to
America when, in 1784, Ginkgo trees were planted on an estate near Philadelphia belonging
to William Hamilton. |
| Since then Ginkgo Biloba extract has been the
subject of more than 400 published studies and reports, making it among most well
researched herbal medicine in the world. It is also one of the most frequently prescribed
herbal medicines. |
