Medicinal Uses of Ginkgo Biloba and Indications:

Medicinal Uses of Ginkgo Biloba and Indications:

Dementia and Alzheimer's disease

Ginkgo is widely used in Europe for treating dementia. It was first used because it improves blood flow to the brain. Now further study suggests it may directly protect nerve cells that are damaged in Alzheimer's disease. A number of studies have found that ginkgo has a positive effect on memory and thinking in people with Alzheimer's or vascular dementia.

Clinical studies suggest that ginkgo may have the following benefits for people with Alzheimer's disease:

• Improvement in thinking, learning, and memory (cognitive function)
• Improvement in activities of daily living
• Improvement in social behavior
• Fewer feelings of depression
• Several studies have found that ginkgo may work as well as prescription Alzheimer's medications in delaying the symptoms of dementia.

However, one of the longest and best-designed studies found ginkgo was no better than placebo in reducing Alzheimer's symptoms. In a 2008 study, 176 people in the United Kingdom with Alzheimer's took either ginkgo or placebo for 6 months. At the end of the study there was no difference in mental function or quality of life between the groups.

Ginkgo is sometimes suggested to prevent Alzheimer's and dementia, as well, and some studies have suggested it might be helpful. But in 2008, a well-designed study (the GEM study) with more than 3,000 elderly participants found the ginkgo was no better than placebo in preventing dementia or Alzheimer's.

Intermittent Claudication

Because ginkgo improves blood flow, it has been studied in people with intermittent claudication, or pain caused by reduced blood flow to the legs. People with intermittent claudication have a hard time walking without feeling extreme pain. An analysis of eight studies revealed that people taking ginkgo tend to walk about 34 meters farther than those taking placebo. In fact, ginkgo has been shown to be as effective as a prescription medication in improving pain-free walking distance. However, regular walking exercises work better than ginkgo in improving walking distance.

Glaucoma

One small study found that people with glaucoma who took 120 mg of ginkgo daily for 8 weeks had improvements in their vision.

Memory Enhancement

Ginkgo is widely touted as a "brain herb." It has been studied to see whether it can improve memory in people with dementia, and some studies found it did help. It's not as clear whether ginkgo helps memory in healthy people who have normal, age-related memory loss. Some studies have found slight benefits, while other studies have found no effect on memory. The most effective dose seems to be 240 mg per day. Ginkgo is commonly added to nutrition bars, soft drinks, and fruit smoothies to boost memory and enhance mental performance, although it's unlikely that such small amounts of ginkgo would work.

Macular Degeneration

The flavonoids found in ginkgo may help stop or lessen some retinal problems -- problems with the back part of the eye. Macular degeneration, often called age-related macular degeneration or ARMD, is an eye disease that affects the retina. It is a progressive, degenerative eye disease that tends to affect older adults and is the number one cause of blindness in the United States. Some studies suggest that ginkgo may help preserve vision in those with ARMD.

Tinnitus

Nerve damage and certain blood vessel disorders can lead to tinnitus -- ringing, hissing, or other sound in the ears or head. Because ginkgo improves circulation, it has been studied to see whether it can treat tinnitus. A few poorly designed studies found it might reduce the loudness of the sound. However, a well-designed study including 1,121 people with tinnitus found that ginkgo was no better than placebo in relieving tinnitus symptoms. In general, tinnitus is a very difficult problem to treat.

Raynaud' s Phenomenon

One well-designed study found that people with Raynaud' s phenomenon who took ginkgo over a 10-week period had fewer symptoms than those who took placebo. More studies are needed.

Side effects of Ginkgo Biloba

Side effects of Ginkgo Biloba

Ginkgo may have undesirable effects, especially for individuals with blood circulation disorders and those taking anticoagulants such as aspirin or warfarin, although recent studies have found ginkgo has little or no effect on the anticoagulant properties or pharmacodynamics of warfarin in healthy subjects.

 Ginkgo inhibits monoamine oxidase,so people who are taking certain types of antidepressants (such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), as well as pregnant women, may experience side effects.
Additional side effects include increased risk of bleeding, gastrointestinal discomfort, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, dizziness, heart palpitations, and restlessness

Ginkgo Biloba Medical Uses In dementia

Ginkgo Biloba Medical Uses In dementia
Ginkgo has been proposed as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease on the basis of positive preclinical results in mice and a 2006 study found 160 mg of ginkgo extract to be as effective as a daily 5-mg dose of the cholinesterase inhibitor donepezil in human subjects.

•  A 2008 randomized controlled clinical trial found ginkgo ineffective at treating dementia in humans at a daily dose of 120 mg.
•  A similar trial published in 2010, however, found ginkgo effective at treating mild to moderate dementia at the higher single dose of 240 mg daily.
•  Another randomized controlled trial, published in 2009, found no benefit from ginkgo in preventing cognitive decline or dementia when given at a dose of 120 mg twice daily.
•  A similar study reported in 2012 concluded the long-term use of Ginkgo biloba extract does not affect progression to Alzheimer's disease.
• A recent meta-analysis of 9 studies of ginkgo for use in the treatment of dementia concluded it was more effective than placebo, although, like other dementia drugs, the clinical significance of these moderate effects was difficult to quantify.
•  An editorial in The Lancet concluded ginkgo biloba does not prevent dementia in elderly individuals with or without memory complaints or cognitive impairment and is not effective for prevention of Alzheimer's disease

Medicinal Use of Ginkgo Biloba In memory enhancement

Medicinal Use of Ginkgo Biloba In memory enhancement
Ginkgo is believed to have nootropic properties, and is mainly used as memory and concentration enhancer, and antivertigo agent. However, studies differ about its efficacy. The largest and longest independent clinical trial to assess Ginkgo biloba published the finding in 2008 that the supplement does not reduce incidence of all-cause dementia or Alzheimer's disease in adults 75 years or older who had normal cognition or mild cognitive impairment when given a twice-daily dose of 120 mg extract of G. biloba. However, a similar trial published in 2010 concluded the same extract formulation of G. biloba (EGb 761), when given as a single 240-mg daily dose, "was found significantly superior to placebo in the treatment of patients with dementia with neuropsychiatric symptoms."
According to some studies, ginkgo can significantly improve attention in healthy individuals. In one such study, the effect was almost immediate and reaches its peak 2.5 hours after the intake.
One study suggests ginkgo's effect on cognition may be attributable to its inhibitory effect on norepinephrine reuptake.
Nonetheless, a meta-analysis in 2012  reported zero effect sizes for the impact of Ginkgo biloba on memory, attention and problem-solving.

Culinary use of Ginkgo Biloba

Culinary use of Ginkgo Biloba

The nut-like gametophytes inside the seeds are particularly esteemed in Asia, and are a traditional Chinese food. Ginkgo nuts are used in congee, and are often served at special occasions such as weddings and the Chinese New Year (as part of the vegetarian dish called Buddha's delight). In Chinese culture, they are believed to have health benefits; some also consider them to have aphrodisiac qualities. Japanese cooks add ginkgo seeds (called ginnan) to dishes such as chawanmushi, and cooked seeds are often eaten along with other dishes.
When eaten in large quantities or over a long period, especially by children the gametophyte (meat) of the seed can cause poisoning by 4'-O-methylpyridoxine (MPN). MPN is heat stable and not destroyed by cooking.Studies have demonstrated the convulsions caused by MPN can be prevented or terminated with pyridoxine.
Some people are sensitive to the chemicals in the sarcotesta, the outer fleshy coating. These people should handle the seeds with care when preparing the seeds for consumption, wearing disposable gloves. The symptoms are allergic contact dermatitis or blisters similar to that caused by contact with poison ivy. However, seeds with the fleshy coating removed are mostly[clarification needed][quantify] safe to handle.

Ginkgo Biloba Cultivation and uses

Ginkgo Biloba Cultivation and uses

Ginkgo has long been cultivated in China; some planted trees at temples are believed to be over 1,500 years old. The first record of Europeans encountering it is in 1690 in Japanese temple gardens, where the tree was seen by the German botanist Engelbert Kaempfer. Because of its status in Buddhism and Confucianism, the ginkgo is also widely planted in Korea and parts of Japan; in both areas, some naturalization has occurred, with ginkgos seeding into natural forests.
In some areas, most intentionally planted ginkgos are male cultivars grafted onto plants propagated from seed, because the male trees will not produce the malodorous seeds. The popular cultivar 'Autumn Gold' is a clone of a male plant.
Ginkgos adapt well to the urban environment, tolerating pollution and confined soil spaces.They rarely suffer disease problems, even in urban conditions, and are attacked by few insects.For this reason, and for their general beauty, ginkgos are excellent urban and shade trees, and are widely planted along many streets.
Ginkgos are also popular subjects for growing as penjing and bonsai; they can be kept artificially small and tended over centuries. Furthermore, the trees are easy to propagate from seed.
In cultivation in the United Kingdom G. biloba has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
The ginkgo leaf is the symbol of the Urasenke school of Japanese tea ceremony. The tree is the national tree of China, and is the official tree of the Japanese capital of Tokyo, and the symbol of Tokyo is a ginkgo leaf.

Ginkgo Biloba

Ginkgo Biloba
Ginkgo Biloba; in Chinese and Japanese also spelled gingko and known as the maidenhair tree, is a unique species of tree with no close living relatives. The ginkgo is a living fossil, recognisably similar to fossils dating back 270 million years. Native to China,the tree is widely cultivated and introduced early in human history, and has various uses as a food and in traditional medicine.


Ginkgos are large trees, normally reaching a height of 20–35 m (66–115 feet), with some specimens in China being over 50 m (164 feet). The tree has an angular crown and long, somewhat erratic branches, and is usually deep rooted and resistant to wind and snow damage. Young trees are often tall and slender, and sparsely branched; the crown becomes broader as the tree ages. During autumn, the leaves turn a bright yellow, then fall, sometimes within a short space of time (one to 15 days). A combination of resistance to disease, insect-resistant wood and the ability to form aerial roots and sprouts makes ginkgos long-lived, with some specimens claimed to be more than 2,500 years old.
Ginkgo is a relatively shade-intolerant species that (at least in cultivation) grows best in environments that are well-watered and well-drained. The species shows a preference for disturbed sites; in the "semiwild" stands at Tian Mu Shan, many specimens are found along stream banks, rocky slopes, and cliff edges. Accordingly, ginkgo retains a prodigious capacity for vegetative growth. It is capable of sprouting from embedded buds near the base of the trunk (lignotubers, or basal chi chi) in response to disturbances, such as soil erosion. Old individuals are also capable of producing aerial roots on the undersides of large branches in response to disturbances such as crown damage; these roots can lead to successful clonal reproduction upon contacting the soil. These strategies are evidently important in the persistence of ginkgo; in a survey of the "semiwild" stands remaining in Tian Mu Shan, 40% of the specimens surveyed were multistemmed, and few saplings were present.


The leaves are unique among seed plants, being fan-shaped with veins radiating out into the leaf blade, sometimes bifurcating (splitting), but never anastomosing to form a network.Two veins enter the leaf blade at the base and fork repeatedly in two; this is known as dichotomous venation. The leaves are usually 5–10 cm (2–4 in), but sometimes up to 15 cm (6 in) long. The old popular name "maidenhair tree" is because the leaves resemble some of the pinnae of the maidenhair fern, Adiantum capillus-veneris.
Leaves of long shoots are usually notched or lobed, but only from the outer surface, between the veins. They are borne both on the more rapidly growing branch tips, where they are alternate and spaced out, and also on the short, stubby spur shoots, where they are clustered at the tips.