Ginkgo, Pad, Tinnitus and Dementia

Ginkgo Biloba

Pad

According to a current study, researchers randomly assigned more than 3,000 adults aged over 75 years, to take either 120mg of ginkgo or inactive placebo pills twice a day. They found that over the next six years, ginkgo users have a lower risk of developing peripheral artery disease (Pad) – a buildup of artery-clogging plaques in the legs that reduces blood flow and lead to pain and cramps when a person walks. It confirms with previous research that ginkgo supplements help people with Pad walk farther without pain.


Tinnitus

Tinnitus has been referred to as ringing in the ear. Studies showed that 120mg to 240 mg twice per day of ginkgo biloba can help ease up the tinnitus. It is effective because ginkgo contain two potent chemicals substance: flavonoid glycosides and terpenoids.


Dementia

The Daily Telegraph and other news sources report that a study has found that ginkgo biloba does not improve mental function or quality of life in people with dementia. The study included 176 people with mild-to-moderate dementia who received daily doses of either ginkgo or an inactive placebo for six months. Using a standard test of mental function, the study found no difference between the groups. The Telegraph described the Alzheimer’s Society-funded study as “one of the longest and most rigorous ever conducted on ginkgo biloba”.


Out of the many conflicting research reports, ginkgo extract may have three positive effects on the human body:

• Improvement in blood flow
• Protection against oxidative cell damage from free radicals
• Blockage of many of the effects of platelet-activating factor