Ginkgo: Application and Effect of the Medicinal Plant

Ginkgo trees can easily live for over 1000 years. The use and effect of ginkgo have been tested in traditional Chinese medicine for many thousands of years.

Ginkgo: application and effect of the medicinal plant

In its country of origin, China, the ginkgo is often referred to as a living fossil. After all, the gigantic tree, which is said to have all sorts of healing powers, has been proven to have settled on earth for well over 200 million years.

• The ginkgo has only been known to us for a comparatively short time. Around 1720, seafarers brought the first seedlings back to Europe from their voyages.
• Ginko leaves were valued as particularly health-promoting in ancient Chinese medicine. This is mainly due to the ginkgolides, flavonoids, and terpenes contained in ginkgo. Ginkgo is one of the so-called radical scavengers and also promotes blood circulation. Ginkgo is therefore also popular in beauty care.
• So far, however, the ginkgo is not necessarily something special and does not differ significantly from other medicinal plants. However, the ginkgo is said to have extremely positive effects on our mental performance. Thanks to ginkgo we can concentrate better, our memory improves and learning is said to be easier for us. At least that’s what the manufacturers of the countless ginkgo preparations promise.
• However, ginkgo should not only support mental fitness and counteract forgetfulness. With the help of ginkgo, even diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia can be successfully delayed. The emphasis is on “should” because there is no scientific evidence for this. The opposite is even the case.
• In a six-year study on 3,000 elderly subjects, scientists at the University of Pittsburgh examined the effects of ginkgo on mental decline. Unfortunately, the results of the study are sobering. As the researchers explained in their study published in the “Journal of the American Medical Association”, no positive effect on brain performance could be found. And that’s not the only sobering study on the effects of ginkgo leaves that comes to this conclusion, with the manufacturers of ginkgo preparations arguing with counter-studies.
• Conclusion: The medicinal plant certainly has positive properties for our health, but you should not expect miracles from the ginkgo. In addition, the following applies: Especially if you suffer from any previous illnesses, you should definitely discuss the intake of ginkgo preparations with your family doctor in advance. If you are pregnant, ginkgo is generally unsuitable for you.