Ginkgo

(Berkeley Wellness)
Interesting article...

Ginkgo: An Herb to Remember?
Many people take ginkgo to sharpen their memory and concentration, as well as for other positive effects on mind and body. Should you believe these claims or forget about them?

What it is: A centuries-old Chinese herbal medicine, ginkgo comes from the dried leaves of the maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba). It contains a complex mix of compounds. Like aspirin, it can keep blood clots from forming and may increase blood flow. Ginkgo has become one of the top-selling herbal products.

What the studies show: Ginkgo made headlines a dozen years ago when a study found that it improved mental and social functioning in some people with Alzheimer’s disease, though the effects were small and limited in duration. The study looked only at people with dementia, but many healthy people assume that ginkgo will boost their brain power—something that has never been demonstrated.

In fact, a review by the Cochrane Collaboration in 2007 looked at 35 studies and concluded that the overall evidence for ginkgo as a treatment for dementia or cognitive impairment is “inconsistent and unconvincing.”

Few studies have looked at ginkgo’s effects on normal age-related memory decline, and they have come up with mostly disappointing results. Notably, the largest and longest clinical trial ever to assess whether ginkgo could help prevent dementia appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2008. The six-year study looked at more than 1,500 people 75 and older, none of whom had dementia at the outset. The herb, taken twice a day in standardized doses, did not reduce the incidence of dementia, including Alzheimer’s. An editorial accompanying the study noted that it added to the “substantial body of evidence” showing similar findings. Moreover, in late 2009 a follow-up study in the same journal found that the ginkgo supplements did not slow the rate of cognitive decline or memory loss in any way.

Bottom line: Though ginkgo is one of the best-studied herbs, there is no convincing evidence it has any effect on memory or other mental functions in healthy older people. That is, ginkgo doesn’t sharpen an already-clear mind, help prevent what is considered normal age-related memory loss, or delay or prevent dementia. Nor is there evidence that ginkgo helps treat tinnitus or intermittent claudication, as is sometimes claimed. If you or a family member has Alzheimer’s or another dementia, talk to your doctor about trying ginkgo, but keep in mind that drug treatments may be better.