How Ginkgo May Help Brain Cells
Ginkgo biloba has been used medicinally for thousands of years, and today remains one of the most widely-used herbs in the world. Research shows that it can improve blood circulation and protect nerve tissue, including the brain, from aging-related damage. It has been used for intermittent claudication (poor circulation in the legs), chemotherapy-induced organ damage, ringing in the ears, Raynaud’s disease, to limit post-stroke brain damage, and to help protect and enhance memory.
Ginkgo is also one of the most studied herbs. In general, the scientific literature suggests that ginkgo (120 to 240 mg daily) benefits people with early stage Alzheimer’s disease and multi-infarct dementia, and may be as helpful as acetylcholinesterase inhibitor drugs such as donepezil (Aricept). Though a long-awaited trial, sponsored by the National Institute on Aging, and completed in 2002, found that 120 mg of ginkgo taken for 6 weeks by more than 200 healthy adults over 60 did not improve memory, experts say this study may have been too short, or used too small an amount, to see results.
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is conducting a large clinical trial of ginkgo with more than 3,000 volunteers. The aim is to see if the herb prevents the onset of dementia and, specifically, Alzheimer’s disease, slows cognitive decline and functional disability (for example, inability to prepare meals), reduces the incidence of cardiovascular disease, and decreases the rate of premature death. Participants will be studied in a randomized trial of 240 mg of Ginkgo biloba as compared to placebo in healthy men and women, at least 75 years old. The trial will last approximately eight years, and will be completed in July of 2009.
Meanwhile, others are speculating on just how ginkgo seems to work in the brain. A new review article, published in the journal Antioxidants and Redox Signaling (2007: 9(10);1659-1675) looks at the scientific findings to date on the cellular damage that sets the stage for age-related neurodegenerative diseaeses, particularly Alzheimer’s. It suggests that trouble in cells’ tiny power plants, called mitochondria, is the precipitating event for a vicious cycle of brain cell damage that follows, and that Ginkgo biloba can play a very specific role in controlling mitochondrial dysfunction by acting as a potent scavenger of several kinds of reactive oxygen species (free radicals). Reducing free radical damage may help prevent formation of the microscopic plaques and tangles, inside and outside of brain cells, that characterize Alzheimer’s disease.
Further research is needed to clarify all the benefits of ginkgo. But not everyone is willing to wait until all the proof is in. The benefits of this ancient herb on memory may become apparent only over time, and the best time to start taking it may be middle age. If you decide to take ginkgo, it’s a good idea to review your health history and any other medications you are taking with your doctor or pharmacist first.
The Anti-Aging Bottom Line: If you are over 50, you should seriously consider taking 120 mg of ginkgo daily. Given the terrible consequences that cognitive decline can have on your overall well-being and taking into consideration the strong research and backing of the scientific community, ginkgo seems like a safe and effective preventative measure with numerous other health benefits.
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Written exclusively for Stop Aging Now, the authority on anti-aging research, anti-aging nutrition, and anti-aging supplements.
