Provides information on the use of ginkgo biloba extract against
Alzheimer's disease. Age group of people who benefits most from ginkgo;
Physiological effects of ginkgo's active component, flavonoids.
By
PT Staff, published on March 01, 2000
The ginkgo biloba tree, a living fossil that has flourished for
over 200million years, has also been used for 5,000 years in traditional
Chinese medicine. Only now is it beginning to pop up in modern-day
medicine cabinets, and the U.S. government is taking note: The first
major, federally funded examination of ginkgo will begin this year,
tracking 2,000 healthy 75-year-olds, to see if taking the herb delays the
onset of Alzheimer's disease or dementia.
Ginkgo's newfound status can be traced to recent studies showing
that extracts of the ancient plant improve memory and neural function by
increasing blood flow to the brain. A review of ginkgo research published
in the Archives of Neurology in 1998, for example, revealed that of more
than 200 patients with Alzheimer's disease, those given 120 mg to 240 mg
of ginkgo biloba extract daily for three to six months displayed a small
but significant improvement in mental ability.
Ginkgo's benefits may be especially suited to the elderly. A 1999
study published in the journal Phytotherapy Research gave ginkgo biloba
extract to 31 healthy individuals between the ages of 30 and 59 in doses
ranging from 120 mg to 240 mg daily. Researchers noted a slight increase
in memory among those that took the ginkgo, but the effect was most
highly pronounced in subjects 50 to 59 years old.
The key to ginkgo's mind-sharpening success seems to be a group of
active ingredients known as flavonoids, which are antioxidants also found
in many fruits, and vegetables. Standardized ginkgo formulas contain 24%
flavonoids, and the substance, along with the other main component of
ginkgo, terpene lactones, seems to keep red blood cells and platelets
from forming clots. This increases the blood flow, and therefore the
oxygen, to neurons, tiny blood vessels and even the eyes--which is why
ginkgo is taken not just to boost mental function, but also to increase
blood circulation.
A word of caution: Ginkgo is a blood-thinner, so consult your
doctor before taking it if you're already taking an anticoagulant, such
as aspirin or a prescription medication like Coumadin.
PHOTO (COLOR): Ginkgo's benefits may be tailor-made for the
elderly.
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