Ginkgo Improves Circulation and Brain Function
by Ken Babal, C.N.
by Ken Babal, C.N.
For at least 5000 years, Ginkgo biloba (pronounced as ging-koh
bi-lo-bah) has been recommended in Chinese medicine as being
good for the heart and lungs, as well as coughs, asthma, and
acute allergic inflammations.
Ginkgo is the world’s oldest living tree. Darwin called
it a "living fossil." A form of Ginkgo first appeared
around 300 million years ago and flourished throughout the time
of the dinosaurs. It is a very hardy tree, resistant to pests
and pollution, and can live as long as one thousand years. In
the U.S., it is often planted as an ornamental tree along freeways
because of its durability. In Japan and China, it is a familiar
sight around temples.
It is the subject of intense worldwide research and over five
million Ginkgo prescriptions a year are written in Europe alone
with sales exceeding more than $500 million. In numerous clinical
trials involving geriatric patients, remarkable success has been
demonstrated using Ginkgo extract to treat cerebral insufficiency
(insufficient blood flow to the brain).
The symptoms of cerebral insufficiency include short-term
memory loss, dizziness, headache, ringing or buzzing in the ears,
lack of alertness and depression. In several studies without
a control group, the symptomatic improvement was found to be
60 to 78%. In double blind studies, results were equally impressive
with an improvement rate which ranged between 44 and 92%. Participants
who took placebos showed a 14 to 44% rate of improvement.
In long-term studies, Ginkgo produced no side effects and
there was no decrease in its effect over time. Like nature, however,
Ginkgo is slow in acting, taking four to eight weeks before benefits
may be noticed. Improvements are gradual, but continue for up
to a year or more.
The positive effect of Ginkgo biloba extract in geriatric
patients has led many health practitioners to advocate its use
in all people over 50. The benefits, however, are not limited
to the geriatric group. In healthy young women, reaction time
in performing a memory test was significantly improved after
administration of Ginkgo extract (Int. J. Clin Pharmacol Res,
1984). Brain waves monitored on an EEG machine one hour after
taking a high dose of Gingko biloba show stronger alpha and beta
brain wave patterns.
Ginkgo’s ability to improve blood circulation to the
brain and extremities makes it useful for many conditions. Hundreds
of scientific studies performed over the past 50 years have demonstrated
its effectiveness in treating hearing and vision problems, impotence,
edema (water retention), varicose veins, leg ulcers, and circulatory
diseases such as stroke and intermittent claudication (pain while
walking). In animal studies, Ginkgo extract increased the ability
of acetylcholine, a brain chemical, to bind to a receptor site.
Reduced receptor binding of this neurotransmitter has been reported
in Alzheimer’s disease.
Ginkgo biloba has certain active components to which its beneficial
properties are attributed. A consistent pharmacological action
can be expected when a 50:1 concentration made from the leaf
is standardized to contain 24% ginkgo-flavone-glycosides and
6% terpene lactones. The terpene lactones are made up of ginkgolides
and bilobalides.
Most research on Ginkgo has focused on the complex molecule
Ginkgolide B, the terpine lactones believed to be responsible
for many of the plant’s potent healing properties. The principle
mechanism for the therapeutic action on Ginkgolide B appears
to be its ability to inhibit PAF (platelet activating factor).
PAF has been implicated in asthma and other allergic reactions.
Ginkgo extract can play an important role in improving circulation
and mental acuity in people of all ages. For young people, this
may translate to enhanced learning ability. In the elderly, it
can mean a keener perception of life and improved mental functioning.
