Therapeutic Uses
- Alzheimer’s Disease and Multi-Infarct Dementia (MID) – Ginkgo not only slows mental deterioration in people with Alzheimer’s disease but, in some cases, actually improves their cognitive abilities. In studies, the response to ginkgo was similar to what physicians would expect from the pharmaceuticals currently approved to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s or MID. The fact that the herb is a powerful antioxidant and it improves bloodflow through the brain could play a role.
- Cerebral Insufficiency – As people get older, bloodflow through the brain tends to decline, a condition known as cerebral insufficiency. This slows reaction time and impairs memory, concentration, and problem-solving ability. Ginkgo improves bloodflow through the brain and, as a result, reduces symptoms of cerebral insufficiency.
- Memory Loss – Human trials have shown that ginkgo improves memory. Studies have shown that ginkgo improves memory as well as reaction time.
- Stroke – As bloodflow through the brain decreases with age, the blood delivers less food and oxygen to brain cells. If bloodflow becomes blocked, the result is a stroke. Ginkgo improves bloodflow through the brain.
- Heart Disease – Ginkgo improves bloodflow through the heart muscle. It contains antioxidants that help prevent heart disease. It reduces blood pressure. It also helps prevent the blood clots that trigger heart attacks.
- Intermittent Claudication (IC) – When cholesterol deposits narrow the arteries in the legs, the result is IC, which causes pains, cramping, and weakness, particularly in the calves. Ginkgo improves bloodflow through the legs, thus relieving IC symptoms.
- Erectile Dysfunction (ED) – Ginkgo helps relieve ED caused by narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the penis.
- Antidepressant-Related Sexual Problems – Pharmaceutical antidepressants often cause sex problems: ED in men, loss of vaginal lubrication in women, and in both sexes, loss of libido and difficulty with orgasm. In one study, patients were given 207 milligrams of ginkgo daily. Of the people who were experiencing antidepressant-related sex problems, 91% of the women and 76% of the men reported significant improvement: enhanced sexual desire, greater ability to have erections or produce lubrication, and generally more pleasurable sex.
- Anxiety – Researchers gave 107 anxious elders either a placebo or 240 milligrams or 480 milligrams of ginkgo per day. After 4 weeks, both ginkgo groups showed significantly less anxiety.
- – Macular degeneration involves the deterioration of the macula, the part of the eye’s nerve-rich retina responsible for central vision. In a French study, people with macular degeneration who took ginkgo experienced “significant vision improvement.”
- Diabetic Retinopathy – This complication of diabetes involves substantially reduced bloodflow through the retina. Researchers gave people with retinopathy from type 2 diabetes 240 milligrams of ginkgo daily. After 3 months, the ginkgo group showed improved retinal bloodflow.
- Cochlear Deafness – Researchers believe that cochlear deafness results from decreased bloodflow to the nerves involved in hearing. A French study that compared ginkgo with standard therapy showed significant improvement in both groups, but greater benefit in the ginkgo group.
- Chronic Dizziness (Vertigo) – Researchers gave 70 people with vertigo either a placebo or ginkgo. After 3 months, 18% of the placebo group no longer felt dizzy, compared with 47% of the ginkgo group. This is a highly significant difference.
- Mental Function in Healthy Adults – In one study, ginkgo improved memory in healthy young adults. This has been corroborated by other studies, including one in which middle-aged people who worked on computers experienced a 30% decrease in errors.
- Chronic Ringing in the Ears (Tinnitus) – One French study deemed ginkgo “conclusively effective” for chronic tinnitus. The herb improved the condition in all of the patients who took it.
Medicinal Uses: * Allergies * Alopecia/baldness * Asthma * Bronchitis * Chinese* Circulation * Eyes/Vision * Libido * Longevity Tonics * Memory/Focus * Varicose Veins
Ginkgo Side Effects: Mild headaches and upset stomach have been reported in a very small percentage of people using ginkgo. Skin irritations have been known to occur in some cases. Some people who take extremely large doses experience diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and/or restlessness. If this should occur, you should reduce the dosage. If side effects are severe, discontinue use. In addition, excess bleeding can occur.
Ginkgo Drug Interactions: If you have a history of seizure disorders or are taking anti-seizure medications, you should avoid ginkgo. Ginkgo may interact with a class of antidepressants known as monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) in such a way as to increase the risk of seizures. It is important to avoid taking ginkgo if you take amitriptyline (Elavil), bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban), or maprotiline (Ludiomil), or if you have used any of these drugs within the past six weeks. You should avoid ginkgo if you take blood-thinning medications, and discuss its use with your doctor before having any type of surgery if you regularly take over-the-counter painkillers such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Use of sedation medication and ginkgo is not advised. It is possible that ginkgo may alter blood glucose levels, so if you are using insulin, you should monitor blood glucose levels frequently. Speak to your healthcare provider before combining ginkgo with antihypertensive drugs or thiazide diuretics. Taking ginkgo and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors for depression may result in a hypomanic episode. Speak to your doctor before starting ginkgo if you are using antidepressants.
