BENEFITS OF GINKGO BILOBA
✓ Source of antioxidants, fights the effects of aging
✓ Improves blood circulation
✓ Boosts memory
✓ Reduces anxiety
✓ Reduces symptoms of premenstrual syndrome
What is ginkgo biloba?
Ginkgo biloba is a tree, the only representative of the family Ginkgoaceae. This venerable family is the oldest known tree species, since it appeared on Earth 270 million years ago, well before the dinosaurs!
The species is native to China. It arrived in Japan in the 12th century and then in Europe at the beginning of the 18th century. The lifespan of ginkgos is very long: they have no known predators, except humans or the climate; that is why ginkgos can be called living fossils.
A ginkgo biloba planted in a Japanese botanical garden can reach, for example, 1,250 years of age. And the first specimen planted in France in 1778, at the Jardin des Plantes in Montpellier, is still alive! The word “ginkgo” comes from Chinese Yin Kuo, which means “silver apricot”. This is how the Chinese refer to its fruits. “Biloba” comes from the shape of its leaves, which are split into two lobes.
Ginkgo biloba has been known in traditional Chinese medicine for millennia. The Chinese traditionally use the fruit’s kernel to treat asthma and respiratory disorders.
In the West, its leaves are preferred as an extract. It is used mainly to improve blood circulation and for the brain: it helps to treat memory disorders and related diseases – Alzheimer\’s disease in particular. Its active compounds are also rich in antioxidants, and help fight cellular aging.
Ginkgo is found in many medications or dietary supplements to improve memory or blood circulation.
Its benefits therefore make it an excellent ally for older adults in reducing age-related problems.
Nutritional composition
- Antioxydants : flavonoïdes
- Terpènes : ginkgolides, bilobalides
The benefits of ginkgo biloba
🥝 Source of antioxidants, fights the effects of aging
Ginkgo’s richness in flavonoids and terpenes gives it antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help fight the effects of free radicals.
These attack cells, with consequences for skin aging or the hair, but also, in the longer term, increased risks of cancer or degenerative diseases.
Ginkgo biloba can also combat age-related inflammations: this is the case, for example, with arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, or certain cancers.
This study, conducted by the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil on rats, confirms the antioxidant power of ginkgo biloba extract.
This meta-analysis combining several studies on ginkgo biloba, shows the effectiveness of ginkgo biloba leaf extract on several age-related diseases (cognitive disorders, memory loss, depression in older adults…).
♻️ Improves blood circulation
In traditional Chinese medicine, the leaves and ginkgo seeds are used to “open the channels” of energy in various organs, such as the kidneys, liver, or lungs.
This tree does indeed have a vasodilatory action, as well as anticoagulant and antiplatelet effects (it prevents the formation of blood clots).
This study conducted by Hebei Medical University in Shijiazhuang, China, among patients with cardiovascular disease confirms these claims. It shows that people treated with ginkgo biloba extract immediately benefited from a greater blood supply to all organs. An average 12% increase in blood nitric oxide levels was observed, a compound essential for good blood circulation.
👩🏫 Boosts memory
Ginkgo biloba is traditionally prescribed to improve brain functions, notably memory. Some of its components, notably flavonoids and terpenes, are responsible for this property. By helping to better oxygenate our neurons, they help us remember better.
Similarly, it has been proven effective for people suffering from psychiatric disorders or dementia. This benefit can be explained by increased blood flow to the brain following its consumption.
The World Health Organization has recognized the effectiveness of ginkgo biloba extract in treating the symptoms of vascular or degenerative dementia (memory loss, attention problems, depression).
This study from Liberty University in Lynchburg in the United States, conducted on 262 healthy patients aged 60 and over, demonstrated these benefits. Indeed, people who were given ginkgo biloba showed an improvement in memory, attention, concentration, and even well-being, more than those who took a placebo.
This review of four scientific studies, published in 2018, shows that consuming ginkgo significantly reduces a range of symptoms related to dementia during a 22 to 24-week treatment.
In contrast, studies on the effectiveness of ginkgo biloba in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease show rather contradictory results; scientific research must continue.
🧘🏻♀️ Reduces anxiety
A more common but difficult-to-treat condition, anxiety can be alleviated with natural remedies like ginkgo biloba.
In this study conducted by a psychiatric clinic in Germany with 170 people suffering from anxiety disorders, part of the patients were treated with a placebo, the other with a standardized ginkgo extract (EGb 761 at 480 mg or 240 mg). A significant reduction in anxiety-related symptoms was observed in the group treated with the highest dose of ginkgo biloba.
🌺 Reduces symptoms of premenstrual syndrome
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS), which occurs in women before their period, is a combination of physical and mental symptoms: irritability, anxiety, fatigue, headaches, abdominal pain, water retention…
Often mild, these disorders can be disabling for some women. The consumption of ginkgo biloba during this period can reduce these symptoms.
It is still unknown which active compounds from the plant are effective in treating these disorders, and further scientific research should be carried out.
This study from Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, conducted among 90 female students, shows that taking ginkgo biloba leaf extracts three times a day during the premenstrual period reduces PMS symptoms by 23%.
How to take ginkgo biloba?
Standardized ginkgo biloba extract
In the West, ginkgo biloba leaves are most often used internally. They are consumed dried as a tea. They are also available as loose powder, in capsules, and in bottles or vials.
Dietary supplements commonly recommended by doctors are the standardized ginkgo biloba extracts called EGb 761 and Li 1370. They have a regulated content of active ingredients (flavonoid glycosides and terpene lactones).
Ginkgo biloba seeds
The Chinese consume ginkgo biloba seeds both for their therapeutic effects and as a food: the seeds are then dried and roasted (raw, they are toxic).
Ginkgo biloba for external use
The Chinese also traditionally use leaf poultices for burns, ulcers, or to promote better healing.
Because of its antioxidant properties, ginkgo is used as an ingredient in the manufacture of anti-aging creams and anti-redness products.
Dosage
⏳As for standardized ginkgo extract, it is recommended to take it occasionally, for one to two weeks, for circulatory or memory problems (for example when taking an exam). For age-related disorders, ginkgo biloba’s effectiveness has been demonstrated during treatment courses of at least three months. Regarding neurodegenerative diseases, it’s better to consult a specialist.
💊In capsules: 120 to 240 mg per day of standardized extract taken with meals
🍵As a tea: 2 to 3 cups per day using 2 teaspoons of dried leaves per liter of water
🧪In mother tincture: 20 to 40 drops per day
Contraindications and side effects
- Ne pas consommer les fruits du ginkgo biloba ni les noyaux crus, qui sont toxiques.
- Consommer du ginkgo biloba peut occasionner de légers troubles digestifs.
- En raison de ses vertus anticoagulantes et fluidifiantes pour le sang, on recommande de l’utiliser avec précaution. On ne l’associe pas avec d’autres aliments censés améliorer la circulation sanguine (ginseng, sauge) ni à des médicaments anticoagulants ou antiagrégants. On le déconseille en interaction avec l’aspirine.
- Les hémophiles devront éviter de consommer du gingko biloba, ainsi que les épileptiques (risques de convulsions) et les personnes devant subir une opération chirurgicale.
History, cultivation, and market of ginkgo biloba
The long-term resilience of ginkgo biloba is beyond doubt: it would be one of the few living organisms to have survived the atomic explosion at Hiroshima! It’s not uncommon for ginkgo biloba trees to reach the age of one thousand years.
In France it’s also nicknamed the “tree of 40 écus”, the fortune paid by a French botanist in 1788 to acquire the trees. This also comes from the golden color the ginkgo biloba leaves take on in autumn.
In the wild, it is now almost extinct. The tree we know today is a cultivated species, mainly in Asia, but also in the United States and in the south of France to meet the needs of the pharmaceutical industry, and also as an ornamental species.
It is indeed an easy-to-grow tree. It is often found in parks and cities in France. Look closely — its lobed leaves are very recognizable! The ginkgo biloba leaf is also the symbol of the city of Tokyo.
It is valued in cities because of its great resistance to pollution. The only downside: female trees produce fruits that, when they fall, give off a very foul odor. Do you want to plant a ginkgo biloba in your garden? Instead, choose a male specimen to avoid this inconvenience!
Report compiled by Pauline Petit and Charlotte Jean
Sources and scientific studies
Bridi R, Crossetti FP, Steffen VM, Henriques AT, 2001. The antioxidant activity of standardized extract of Ginkgo biloba (EGb 761) in rats.
Wei Zuo, Feng Yan, Bo Zhang, Jiantao Li, Dan Mei, 2017. Advances in the Studies of Ginkgo Biloba Leaves Extract on Aging-Related Diseases.
Wu YZ, Li SQ, Zu XG, Du J, Wang FF, 2008. Ginkgo biloba extract improves coronary artery circulation in patients with coronary artery disease: contribution of plasma nitric oxide and endothelin-1.
Mix JA, Crews WD Jr, 2002. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial of Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761 in a sample of cognitively intact older adults: neuropsychological findings.
Savaskan E, Mueller H, Hoerr R, von Gunten A, Gauthier S, 2018. Treatment effects of Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761® on the spectrum of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Woelk H, Arnoldt KH, Kieser M, Hoerr R, 2007. Ginkgo biloba special extract EGb 761 in generalized anxiety disorder and adjustment disorder with anxious mood: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Ozgoli G, Selselei EA, Mojab F, Majd HA, 2009. A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of Ginkgo biloba L. in treatment of premenstrual syndrome.
