Does Ginkgo Biloba really help improve memory?
Personal stories as well as studies and news articles are welcome!
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$4 Answers
Ginkgo biloba is the oldest living tree species. It improves blood flow to the brain, and inhibits free radicals.
Some studies showed improvement in Alzheimer's patients, but a study of 3,000 patients showed it to be no better than placebo.
The journal Neurology records a study in 2008 that indicated tha ginkgo bilboa was not effective for dementia and Alzheimer's. This study also suggested that people taking ginkgo biloba might be at risk for mini-strokes.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/np9005019?cookieSet=1#h7
}
The ginkgotoxin (1) levels present in blood serum of patients suffering seizures, tonic/clonic convulsions, vomiting, and impaired consciousness after ingestion of seeds have been reported.(53, 54) Some examples are given: Thus, in four cases, male or female children at the age of one to two years had consumed 15 to 60 seeds. Convulsions were observed between 2 to 9 h after ingestion of seeds, resulting in serum concentrations from 0.24 to 1.28 μg/mL serum 3 to 8 h after eating the seeds. Yagi et al.(55) reported a concentration as low as 0.09 μg/mL serum level of 1 in a 21-months-old patient 8.5 h after ingestion of 50 G. biloba albumens. In another reported case, a 38-year-old woman had a serum level of 0.24 μg/mL 5 h after intake of 60 seeds. The amount of ginkgotoxin (1) declined to ca. 0.08 μg/mL within 35 h after ingestion.(53)
The presence of ginkgotoxin (1) and its derivatives in Albizzia species (Figure 1) is the cause of poisoning of livestock (cattle and sheep), which constitutes one of the most persistent and important agricultural problems in South Africa.(25) Basson et al.(56) reported on eight cattle in a herd of 160 that died and about 50 showed convulsions, the most characteristic symptoms of poisoning. The condition has been termed “albizziosis”. The poisoning occurs in late winter and early spring when the pods are blown from the trees by strong winds. Young pods are most toxic, and as little as 0.57 to 1.14 kg of Albizzia versicolor Welw. ex Oliver pods proved fatal to cattle with body weights of ca. 230 kg.(57, 58)
}
Wikipedia has a good summary of the conflicting findings about the efficacy of Ginkgo Biloba as a memory aid:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginkgo_biloba#In_memory_enhancement
and the herb's known possible side effects:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginkgo_biloba#Side_effects
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginkgo_biloba
Ginkgo biloba and Ginkgotoxin
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/np9005019?cookieSet=1#h7
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
---quote---
The study followed 3069 participants aged between 72 and 96 over a 6 year period. Half the participants took a twice-daily 120 mg dose of Ginkgo Biloba and the other half took placebo pills. The results were published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) 1. The study found no difference in the rates of cognitive decline between the placebo and treatment groups. There was no evidence that Ginkgo Biloba had any impact on cognitive performance including memory.
--end of quote--
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
