Ginkgo has been used in traditional Chinese herbology for numerous problems. Both leaf and seed provide similar action and used for respiratory illness and asthma. Seed was  commonly used but rarely the leaf. In 1950s, German researchers started to investigate the medical possibilities of ginkgo leaf extracts rather than remedies using the seeds. Ginkgo contains many different chemical substances, but mostly flavonoids and terpene lactones. Flavonoids are natural substances that are also found in fruits and vegetables. Flavonoids act as antioxidants, have an influence on the immune system. Most ginkgo products on the market list a flavonoid concentration of 24%. The most important terpene lactones are ginkgolides and bilobides. Ginkgolides have not been found in other plant species.

Ginkgo extracts are among the most widely studied herbs in Europe on their usage for memory functions. There were positive and negative research result of ginkgo’s memory effect for Alzheimer’s dementia, age-related cognitive decline and healthy subjects. In fact, it is hardly to compare and justify the result on various studies which had different design, protocol, using material and validated methods. Major professionals still believe ginkgo can help to improve memory either to sickness of healthy person. And ginkgo is still has a big market share in Europe and US.

However, ginseng seems can fire the action of ginkgo. Clinical study leading by Keith Wesnes at the University of Northumbria gave 256 healthy volunteers between the ages of 36 and 66 either a combination of ginkgo and ginseng or a placebo. The Ginkgo/ginseng combination was found significantly to improve an Index of Memory Quality. This effect represented an average improvement of 7.5% and reflected improvements to a number of different aspects of memory, including working and long-term memory. This represents the first substantial demonstration of improvements to the memory of healthy middle-aged volunteers produced by a phytopharmaceutical. Combining phosphatidylserine (PS) along with ginkgo might increase its efficacy.

How it works:

• Acts as an antioxidant.
• Prevents red blood cells and platelets from aggregating to form clots.
• Allows more oxygen to supply neurons.
• Improves circulation in the tiny blood vessels by inducing relaxation of the muscles surrounding blood vessels.

Positive Effects:

• Improves mood.
• Enhances memory.
• Improves concentration.
• Increases energy.

Safety:

No serious side effects have been noted. Rare side effects of headache, stomach or intestinal complaints, nosebleeds have been reported at high doses. Use caution if taking blood-thinning medication.

References:

• Kennedy DO, Scholey AB, Wesnes KA. The dose-dependent cognitive effects of acute administration of Ginkgo biloba to healthy young volunteers. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2000;151:416-423. 
• Wesnes KA, Ward T, McGinty A, Petrini O. The memory enhancing effects of a Ginkgo biloba/Panax ginseng combination in healthy middle-aged volunteers. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2000 Nov;152(4):353-61 
• Wesnes KA, Faleni RA, Hefting NR el al. The cognitive, subjective, and physical effects of a ginkgo biloba/panax ginseng combination in healthy volunteers with neurasthenic complaints. Psychoparmacol Bull. 1997;33:677-683. 
• Kennedy DO, Haskell CF, Mauri PL, et al. Acute cognitive effects of standardized ginkgo biloba extract complexed with phosphatidylserine. Hum Psychopharmacol. 2007 Apr.25. 
• Brautigam MR, et al. Treatment of age-related memory complaints with Gingko biloba extract: a randomized double blind placebo-controlled study. Phytomedicine. 1998;5:425-434. 
• Mix JA, Crews WD Jr. An examination of the efficacy of Ginko biloba extract on the neuropsychologic functioning of cognitively intact older adults. J Altern Complement Med. 2000;6:219-229. 
• Hofferberth B. The efficacy of Egb 761 in patients with senile dementia of Alzheimer type, a double-blind, placebo-controlled study on different levels of investigation. Hum Psychopharmacol. 1994;9:215-222. 
• Le Bars PL et al. A placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized trial of an extract of Ginkgo biloba for dementia. North American EGb Study Group. JAMA. 1997;278:1327-1332.