Forget Ginkgo as memory enhancer
Hopes that taking the supplement ginkgo biloba will stave off memory problems including dementia appear unfounded, according to a study of the oldest of the old published in the online issue of the medical journal Neurology.
The three-year study involved 118 people age 85 and older with no memory problems. Half of the participants took ginkgo biloba extract three times a day and half took a placebo.
During the study, 21 people developed mild memory problems, or questionable dementia. Of the 21 with memory problems, 14 took the placebo and seven took the ginkgo extract. Although there was a trend favouring ginkgo, the difference between those who took gingko versus the placebo was not statistically significant.
Ginkgo biloba has been used medicinally for thousands of years. Today, it is one of the top selling herbs in the United States. Ginkgo is used for the treatment of numerous conditions, many which are under scientific investigation.
According to the Mayo Clinic, available evidence has demonstrated ginkgo’s effectiveness in managing intermittent claudication, Alzheimer’s/multi-infarct dementia, and “cerebral insufficiency” (a syndrome associated with atherosclerotic disease and characterised by impaired concentration, confusion, decreased physical performance, fatigue, headache, dizziness, depression, and anxiety).
However, on a cautionary note in addition to the memory findings, the new study also found that people taking ginkgo biloba were more likely to have a stroke or transient ischemic attack, or mini stroke. Seven people taking ginkgo had strokes, while none of those taking placebo did.
