| Ginkgo Biloba has been hailed as a cure for early | | | | medicinal purposes. The extract is used for asthmatic |
| stage Alzheimer's disease. In October of 1997, the | | | | problems and to moisturize dry lungs. |
| Journal of the American Medical Association reported | | | | According to traditional Chinese medicine, decreasing |
| in its October 22 issues that 27% of Alzheimer | | | | mental power that is a symptom of Alzheimer's |
| patients from a sample of 300 patients showed | | | | disease is caused by a deficiency in the kidneys. |
| improvements in their mental function after taking the | | | | Ginkgo biloba helps to regulate the flow of blood and |
| Ginkgo extract for six months, compared to only 14% | | | | vital energies in the body that improve kidney functions, |
| who were placed on placebo. | | | | thereby improving mental power as well. |
| The National Center for Complementary and | | | | The Chinese also used additional drugs to treat |
| Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)has been conducting | | | | memory loss such as Eucommia and the Alpinia fruit. |
| clinical trial of ginkgo biloba. The latest trial involves | | | | The seeds of the Ginkgo tree are believed to inhibit |
| more than 3,000 volunteers with the aim to see if the | | | | certain bacteria and fungal infections. In large doses |
| herb can prevent the onset of dementia and | | | | these seeds are thought to have some toxic effect. |
| specifically whether this herb can be used in the | | | | Dozens of investigations and clinical trials have been |
| treatment of Alzheimer's disease. | | | | conducted on this herb with the majority of studies |
| In 1999, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in | | | | involving subjects with mild to moderate mental |
| Bethesda, Maryland, started a $15 million multi center | | | | impairment. The majority of subjects usually have a |
| study to determine if treatment with ginkgo either | | | | diagnosis of early Alzheimer's disease. Most of the |
| prevents or delays the onset of Alzheimer's in older | | | | experiments that show evidence of cognitive |
| people at risk of the disease. The six-year involved | | | | enhancement in Alzheimer's patients have used a |
| 2,000 people recruited at four locations around the | | | | standardized ginkgo extract known as EGb 761. |
| country. | | | | Officials in Germany recently approved the extract for |
| The ginkgo is actually a tree found in Korea, China and | | | | treating dementia. In the U.S. the National Institute on |
| Japan. The tree is found in parks and along the city | | | | Aging has also supported clinical trials to evaluate the |
| sidewalks. The Ginkgo Tree may grow as high as 40 | | | | efficacy of ginkgo in treating the symptoms of |
| meters and live for more than 1,000 years. Its unique | | | | Alzheimer's disease. |
| fan-shaped leaves with two lobes make it one of the | | | | The evidence from all studies seems to be |
| easiest trees to identify because of the unusual leaf | | | | inconclusive. Even though U.S. manufacturers of |
| shape. | | | | over-the-counter ginkgo supplements continue to make |
| Fossils of the tree have been found that are over 250 | | | | claims that the herb "helps memory" or "improves |
| million years old. In Traditional Chinese Medicine the | | | | concentration." The research conclusions do not |
| seeds rather than the leaves are used for various | | | | support these claims. |