Ginkgo
Ginkgo biloba
also known as Maidenhair tree, Silver apricot
Moderate
Leaves from one of the oldest tree species on earth — ginkgos have been growing for over 200 million years. Standardized extracts are among the most-studied herbs for circulation and cognitive support, with effects that are real but modest.
- Improves circulation, especially to small blood vessels in the brain and limbs
- May support cognitive function in older adults — effects are modest, not dramatic
- Eases symptoms of intermittent claudication, the cramping leg pain caused by reduced circulation
- May help with tinnitus in some people, though results are mixed
- Antioxidant action from flavonoids and terpenes in the leaf
- Most evidence comes from standardized extracts — typically standardized to 24% flavone glycosides and 6% terpene lactones
Active in Ginkgolides, Bilobalide, Flavonoid glycosides, Quercetin.
Significant blood-thinning effect — do not combine with warfarin, aspirin, or other blood thinners without medical supervision
Stop two weeks before any surgery, dental work, or procedure with bleeding risk
Use caution with seizure disorders — ginkgo seeds can lower the seizure threshold (the leaf is safer but caution is warranted)
Use caution with antidepressants, especially MAOIs and SSRIs
May lower blood sugar — caution with diabetes medication
Skip during pregnancy and nursing
Never eat raw or roasted ginkgo seeds — they contain a neurotoxin and have caused seizures and death
Research
- Ginkgolic acid targets HSPA8 to trigger ferroptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma via chaperone-mediated autophagy-dependent GPX4 degradation.
- Effect of a combination of Ginkgo biloba leaf extract and triangle health management in patients with ischemic vertigo- An exploratory investigation.
- Network pharmacology and machine learning reveal multi-target mechanisms of poly herbal formulation against atherosclerosis.
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