Gingko biloba for Memory

Ginkgo biloba extracts have already been widely used to counter memory loss and while there have been many studies suggesting that these extracts may prevent or delay the onset of dementia, the current data remains inconclusive. Some speculate that the extraction procedure has a huge impact on the efficacy, and therefore not all Ginkgo extracts are equally effective.

In a recent 3-year study conducted with elderly participants, data indicates that people who reliably took the supplement had a 68 percent lower risk of developing mild memory problems than those who took the placebo. Taking the entire data set, though, the keyword in this claim seems to be reliably.

The three-year study involved 118 people age 85 and older with no memory problems. Half of the participants took ginkgo biloba extract three times a day and half took a placebo. During the study, 21 people developed mild memory problems, or questionable dementia: 14 of those took the placebo and seven took the ginkgo extract. Although there was a trend favoring ginkgo, the difference between those who took gingko versus the placebo was not statistically significant.

The authors also issued a caveat regarding taking Ginkgo supplements:

… the study also found that people taking ginkgo biloba were more likely to have a stroke or transient ischemic attack, or mini stroke. Seven people taking ginkgo had strokes, while none of those taking placebo did.

Source: American Academy of Neurology
Photo Credit: Reinhard Kraasch, Wikipedia