Group items tagged

Ginkgo has many alleged nootropic properties, and is mainly used as memory[25] and concentration enhancer, and anti-vertigo agent. However, studies differ about its efficacy. The largest and longest independent clinical trial to assess ginkgo biloba's ability to prevent memory loss has found that the supplement does not prevent or delay dementia or Alzheimer's disease.[26] Some controversy has arisen over the conclusions drawn by some studies that were allegedly funded by a firm which marketed Ginkgo.[27] In 2002, a long-anticipated paper appeared in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) titled "Ginkgo for memory enhancement: a randomized controlled trial." This Williams College study, sponsored by the National Institute on Aging rather than Schwabe, examined the effects of ginkgo consumption on healthy volunteers older than 60. The conclusion, now cited in the National Institutes of Health's ginkgo fact sheet, said: "When taken following the manufacturer's instructions, ginkgo provides no measurable benefit in memory or related cognitive function to adults with healthy cognitive function." ... The impact of this seemingly damning assessment, however, was ameliorated by the almost simultaneous publication of a Schwabe-sponsored study in the less prestigious Human Psychopharmacology. This rival study, conducted at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University, was rejected by JAMA, and came to a very different-if not exactly sweeping-conclusion: There was ample evidence to support "the potential efficacy of Ginkgo biloba EGb 761 in enhancing certain neuropsychological/memory processes of cognitively intact older adults, 60 years of age and over." According to some studies, in a few cases, Ginkgo can significantly improve attention in healthy individuals.[28][29] Allegedly, the effect is almost immediate and reaches its peak in 2.5 hours after the intake.[30] [edit] In dementia A 2004 conference paper[31] summarizes how various trials indicate that Gi

"Dec. 29, 2009 - The hot-selling herbal supplement ginkgo biloba doesn't slow age-related mental decline, a six-year clinical study shows. The study has already shown that ginkgo does not prevent dementia or Alzheimer's disease in the elderly. Now study leader Steven T. DeKosky, MD, and colleagues have sifted through the data to look for some sign that ginkgo might slow mental decline in healthy, aging individuals -- or, perhaps, in those already showing the first signs of cognitive impairment. No such sign was found. "Compared with placebo, the use of Ginkgo biloba, 120 mg twice daily, did not result in less cognitive decline in older adults with normal cognition or with mild cognitive impairment," the researchers conclude."

"Study highlights: * Ginkgo biloba doesn't prevent cardiovascular death, heart attacks or strokes, and should not be recommended as a way to prevent them. * Further research should explore its potential benefit to people with peripheral vascular disease. DALLAS, Nov. 24, 2009 - Ginkgo biloba didn't prevent cardiovascular death or major events such as heart attack and stroke in people age 75 and older, but the herb may affect peripheral vascular disease, according to research reported in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, a journal of the American Heart Association. "Surprisingly, Ginkgo was associated with a reduction in peripheral artery disease, but the number of patients was small. The difference was statistically significant," said Lewis H. Kuller, M.D., Dr.P.H., first author of the study and distinguished university professor of public health and professor of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh. Gingko biloba contains a class of nutrients - flavonoids - found in fruits, vegetables, dark chocolate and red wine, which are believed to offer some protection against cardiovascular events. "

Benefits of Ginkgo Biloba - Elevate mood and restore energy, control platelet activity factor, regulates neurotransmitter, elevate mood and restore energy

Ginkgo biloba extract EGb(R)761 exerts anti-angiogenic effects via activation of tyrosine phosphatases. Koltermann A, Liebl J, Fürst R, Ammer H, Vollmar AM, Zahler S. J Cell Mol Med. 2008 Oct 23. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 19175691

Inhibitions of vascular endothelial growth factor expression and foam cell formation by EGb 761, a special extract of Ginkgo biloba, in oxidatively modified low-density lipoprotein-induced human THP-1 monocytes cells. Liu HJ, Wang XL, Zhang L, Qiu Y, Li TJ, Li R, Wu MC, Wei LX, Rui YC. Phytomedicine. 2009 Jan 7. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 19135347