Ginkgo Biloba - Benefits, Virtues, Dose, Side Effects
- Gingko biloba
- Active Ingredients
-
Benefits and virtues
- Combating senile dementia, cognitive decline, and early Alzheimer's disease
- The results are encouraging, but the methodology is insufficient to affirm the effectiveness of ginkgo.
- Fighting Glaucoma
- Varicose veins, heavy legs, leg edema, intermittent claudication...
- Vertigo
- Prevention of cardiovascular diseases
- Dosage
- Side effects and contraindications
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Gingko biloba
He didn't steal the nickname of Tree of Youth, this majestic tree that can live beyond 1000 years! Its exceptional longevity and endurance reflect its many virtues. Focus on ginkgo biloba...
Photo Lerkrat Tangsri by Pexels
Also called fossil tree, the ginkgo biloba is the last representative of the Ginkgoaceae family and also the oldest species of terrestrial tree.
Its genesis is believed to date back almost 300 million years, some 40 million years before the appearance of the dinosaurs.
Native to Southeast China, ginkgo cultivation is rapidly spreading to several regions of Asia.
This huge tree, up to 40 meters high, is exceptionally strong.
It has survived the various ice ages and, much more recently, was the first plant to grow on the island of Hiroshima after the atomic bombing.
The first medicinal uses of ginkgo date back to 2600 BC, and are mentioned in the medical treatise Chen Noung Pen T'sao.
He explains that at that time, the tree fruit stone was used as a medicine to treat respiratory disorders.
In 1730, the ginkgo was introduced to Europe and then to the American continent, where it was first appreciated for its ornamental qualities and its resistance.
Only around the middle of the 20th century, German researchers studied the medicinal efficacy of standardized ginkgo leaf extract in attenuating cognitive decline in the elderly.
Today, the tree is grown all over the world to meet the diverse needs of the pharmaceutical industry.
Active Ingredients
Today, ginkgo leaves are used for medicinal purposes because of their richness in active ingredients. They contain in particular..:
- Polyphenols
- Antioxidant flavonoids: catechin derivatives and procyanidins
- Terpenic lactones: ginkgolides A, B and C, and bilobalides, with anticoagulant properties
Most studies on ginkgo have been conducted using two types of standardized extracts:
- EGb 761: which contains 24% glycoflavonoids and 6% terpenic lactone.
- Li 1370: contains 25% glucoflavonoids and 6% terpenic lactone.
Benefits and virtues
Combating senile dementia, cognitive decline, and early Alzheimer's disease
Numerous clinical studies have examined the effect of ginkgo on cognitive decline, whether or not it is related to Alzheimer's disease.
A first Swiss study, dating back to 20001, demonstrated the efficacy of ginkgo in people with early Alzheimer's disease.
Two years later, a second study2 examined the effect of ginkgo in the treatment of dementia and cognitive disorders.
The results are encouraging, but the methodology is insufficient to affirm the effectiveness of ginkgo.
In 2010, a German meta-analysis3 brings together all previously published studies as well as several new studies.
It shows that ginkgo has a significant effect on cognitive functions, all dementias combined.
A latest German study conducted in 20124 examines the effects of ginkgo in patients with moderate dementia (Alzheimer's disease or vascular dementia) associated with neuropsychiatric symptoms.
He concluded that "treatment with EGb 761 at a daily dose of 240 mg was safe and resulted in significant and clinically relevant improvements in patients' cognition, psychopathology, functional measures, and quality of life.
Fighting Glaucoma
Ginkgo biloba is believed to improve the vision of people with glaucoma and slow its progression.
These are the results of a Korean study dating from 20135 on the eyes of 42 glaucoma patients treated with ginkgo biloba (GBS) extract.
The study concludes that "GBS administration slowed the progression of VF lesions in patients with GTN, particularly in zone 1 corresponding to the upper central field. »
Varicose veins, heavy legs, leg edema, intermittent claudication...
Ginkgo improves blood circulation, both arterial and venous, and acts as an antiplatelet agent.
Thus, natural ginkgo extracts can be used to combat circulatory disorders such as varicose veins, lower limb edema or intermittent claudication.
The WHO recognizes the use of ginkgo "to improve walking in intermittent claudication or after phlebitis.
Vertigo
Ginkgo extracts have been shown to be as effective as the reference treatment (betahistine) in reducing vestibular disorders in an Italian study dating from 19986 .
Prevention of cardiovascular diseases
The antioxidant flavonoids contained in large numbers in the ginkgo extract are both vasodilators and antiplatelets.
Thus, they allow the diameter of the blood vessels to be increased and prevent the formation of atheromatous plaques.
A 2007 German study7 shows that ginkgo extract (EGb 761) is effective in reducing atherosclerotic plaques, which are widely implicated in the development of many cardiovascular diseases.
Dosage
It is recommended to choose standardized extracts of EGb 761 or Li 1370, used in most of the mentioned clinical trials.
These extracts are analyzed with 24% or 25% of glycoflavonoids and 6% of terpene lactones.
The usual dose is 120 to 240 mg of standardized extracts 2 to 3 times a day with water and with meals.
Ginkgo also exists in dried flowers, to be consumed in the form of herbal teas or decoctions in case of circulatory problems.
It is recommended to prepare 3 teaspoons of dried ginkgo flowers per liter of water and drink two to three cups a day.
Side effects and contraindications
At recommended doses, ginkgo consumption rarely causes side effects. In rare cases, mild intestinal problems, headaches, dizziness, etc. are reported.
People suffering from epilepsy should avoid taking the ginkgo cure, as it may increase the frequency of seizures.
Due to its fluidizing properties, people with hemophilia, those about to be operated or pregnant women should avoid the consumption of ginkgo.
Finally, ginkgo can cause an interaction with certain anticoagulant treatments (warfarin, aspirin...). People treated with these drugs must remain vigilant.
Other Options:
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