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GINGKO BILOBA - A LIVING
FOSSIL
Article by herbalist Dave
Hawkins, MH, CNC
One of the leading herbal
products being prescribed by physicians in Europe today is Gingko Biloba.
This article will help you understand the benefits of this
living fossil and give you insights about how to use it.
Gingko has a long history of being on this planet. It can
be traced back over 200 million years, which is why it is
called a living fossil. Once a common tree in North America
and Europe, it was nearly destroyed by the Ice Age except
in China where
it is considered a sacred tree.
It is very common now in
this country as an ornamental, and you can find it in many
yards or along streets. Gingko is a very hardy tree. It is
resistant to harmful insects and micro-organisms and even
survives modern day pollutants. One interesting bit of
history is that it survived the atomic blast in the center
of Hiroshima Japan in 1946. It began to
sprout the following spring after the explosion.
The medicinal uses of Gingko
date back over 2000 years ago in Chinese
Materia
Medica. It stated that it is beneficial to the brain
and relieves symptoms of asthma and cough. As mentioned
earlier, it is one of the leading prescription medicines in
France and
Germany where it accounts for
over 1% of total prescription sales. Approximately 10
million prescriptions were written worldwide.
Gingko
Biloba extracts are marketed under different names
in
Europe but only 5 meet the German E
Commission standards for therapeutic preparations. This is
a standardized herbal drug. The monograph states that only
acceptable extracts are those that have an herb to solvent
ratio of 35:1 to 67:1. This is averaged out to be 50:1
ratio or 50 pounds of leaf to 1 part of solvent. This is
very potent, and you will see later in the article the
relationship to therapeutics conditions.
This does not mean that a
cup of gingko tea is valueless; but if used in clinical
applications for specific conditions, the concentrated
extract will perform differently in the body.
Gingko has been the subject
to over 300 scientific clinical and experimental studies.
Let’s look at some of the aspects of how it works in the
body and the conditions for which it is recommended. Gingko
extracts exert a widespread influence on tissues of the
body. Meaning it stabilizes them. It works as an
anti-oxidant and enhances utilization of cellular oxygen
and glucose (sugar). The stabilization effects are most
evident in the nerve cells and the brain tissue. The
extract prevents metabolic disturbances that affect the
blood supply mainly to the frontal lobes of the brain. It
basically aids the circulation to the arterial and vein
system of the brain. Gingko’s vascular effects are
attributed to its toning ability of blood vessels
structures. It also has a relaxing effect.
Another factor about this
plant is its ability to have anti-platelet factors, meaning
that it inhibits red blood cells from becoming too sticky,
thus enhancing blood flow and reducing the risk of coronary
problems.
Now let’s look at some of
the applications where Gingko can be applied in relation to
specific health conditions. The following are documented
pharmacological actions:
* Helps prevent oxygen starvation
* Inhibits fluid build-up due to toxins
or post-traumatic injury.
* Improves memory and learning capacity
* Scavenges free radicals which are
cancer causing
* Has anti-platelet factors.
The clinical applications of
the plant have great potential in helping disorders
associated with:
·
Vascular
Insufficiency: Due to the fact that as we age vascular
insufficiency becomes a problem for many of us with
hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) being the main
one. Symptoms attributed to this are short-term memory
loss, vertigo, headaches, ringing in the ears (Tinnitus),
lack of vigilance and depression.
·
Alzheimer’s Disease:
Many of the studies in Germany have been with patients
with senile dementia or Alzheimer’s. Its main action is in
delaying mental deterioration in early stages of this
disease.
·
Tinnitus:
This is a very difficult problem for many people that
has become more prevalent in the
last few years. Gingko has been shown to be somewhat
effective as a treatment. Even though some studies have not
shown that great of an improvement there have been many
people reporting that it has helped them. It is worth the
try.
·
Senile
Macular Degeneration: This disorder of the eye specifically
in elderly has again seen some improvement with the use of
Gingko extracts. This is mainly due to the ability to
prevent free radical damage to the macula.
·
Intermittent Claudication:
Better known as peripheral arterial insufficiency which is
a narrowing of the arteries, thus reducing blood flow
throughout the body causing leg pain, fatigue, cramping and
tightness. Again Gingko has been shown effective in
numerous studies to be effective.
·
Impotence:
Many times this disorder is due to poor circulation to
erectile tissue. Improving blood flow which is one of the
actions of Gingko has shown some benefits.
·
Antidepressant Effects: These are due to the fact that
depression also is due in part to low oxygen levels in
brain tissues. By enhancing blood flow, more oxygen is
present. This has been used concurrently with some
anti-depressant medications with good success.
·
Antiallergenic Properties: Due to
antiplatelet factors and the constituent
Quercetin which is present in
gingko leaves, those suffering from allergies, asthma, and
eczema have seen some benefits of using gingko.
The future is promising for
this particular botanical. Research is ongoing for
conditions like angina, congestive heart failure, and acute
respiratory distress syndromes, multiple sclerosis,
thrombosis and burns.
The recommended daily dose
of this extract is 120-240 mg 2-3 times per day, depending
on the individual condition. Most of the clinical studies
ranged from 120mg-160mg/day. A minimum of eight weeks is
the recommended treatment protocol with reevaluation within
a three-month period of time. Side effects are rare and
consist of mild gastric upset, headaches, dizziness or
allergic skin reactions. There are no known interactions
with other drugs at this point in time.
Gingko is a very safe and
effective plant and has many positive attributes. Be sure
to consult with a qualified health care professional when
considering the use of this product. This will insure you
are taking a researched product with a potential for
beneficial outcomes.
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