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Gingko
Improves tinnitus, relieves Alzheimer's symptoms,
reduces inflammation caused by asthma and allergies,
fights stroke damage, eases multiple sclerosis
outbreaks, lessens peripheral vascular disease and
Raynaud's symptoms
Talk about late bloomers! Ginkgo, the oldest living
tree species on earth, has been used medicinally by
the Chinese for some 4,000 years. Yet only in the last
two decades have Western medical researchers found
evidence that ginkgo may offer hope for a host of
age-related problems. Ginkgo trees, also known as
maidenhair trees, are often planted on city streets.
The tree's fruit smells awful when decomposed and can
cause skin irritation, but the almondlike seed within
is prized as a commodity in Asian markets.
It is the ginkgo's pretty, fan-shaped leaf, not its
foul fruit, that excites scientists these days.
Although little known in this country outside of
health food stores, a concentrated extract of the
plant has been the number-one prescription drug in
Germany, where it is used to help asthma and
circulation problems. And unlike many plant-based
therapeutic agents, "ginkgo preparations have
been extensively tested in people, not just in animals
and test tubes," says Norman R. Farnsworth,
Ph.D., director of the Program for Collaborative
Research in the Pharmaceutical Sciences at the
University of Illinois at Chicago.
Powerful Medicine
What's in ginkgo extract, and what can it do? The
active constituents include unique compounds called
ginkgolides. One of these compounds, ginkgolide B, has
been shown to suppress a clot-promoting substance in
the human body called platelet activating factor, or
PAF. Since PAF is a key player in body processes such
as allergic inflammation and asthma, the
disease-fighting potential of ginkgo is intriguing.
This and other substances in ginkgo extract have shown
various benefits for the ills of old age, especially
those resulting from decreased blood supply to the
brain and other parts of the body. These effects are
believed to stem from ginkgo's ability to dilate
arteries and capillaries, the tiny blood vessels that
nourish the body's tissues.
Perhaps most exciting is ginkgo's potential for
improving short-term memory loss and depression in
elderly people. "The research on ginkgo and
Alzheimer's disease is producing extremely good
results in France and Germany," says Daniel B.
Mowrey, Ph.D., director of the American Phytotherapy
Research Laboratory in Salt Lake City, Utah, and
author of The Scientific Validation of Herbal
Medicine. "It seems that the earlier you catch
the disease, the greater the chances that you can
reverse it by taking ginkgo extract."
The extract has also reduced symptoms of peripheral
vascular disease and Raynaud's disease, two painful
conditions involving impaired circulation in the feet
and hands. And "there are many clinical studies
showing it can reduce tinnitus, or ringing in the
ears, which affects many older people," according
to Dr. Farnsworth.
German research performed on laboratory rats confirmed
previous evidence that ginkgolide B may minimize the
devastation of stroke. And a French study on humans
showed that it may even allay bouts of multiple
sclerosis.
Rx: Going Ginkgo
Remember, though, the only well-demonstrated benefits
of ginkgo have been from a concentrated extract, not
from the leaves themselves. Such extracts are
available in the United States, and they are labeled
as food supplements, not drugs, in accordance with
U.S. regulations. Regular use of such products is
widespread in Europe, according to Varro E. Tyler,
Ph.D., professor of pharmacognosy at Purdue University
School of Pharmacy in West Lafayette, Indiana, and
author of The Honest Herbal.
Ginkgo extract is generally considered safe, says Dr.
Tyler, although it has been noted to cause some
generally mild side effects, including restlessness
and digestive upset. If you experience such symptoms,
he advises, discontinue use. And since ginkgo also
affects the body's clotting mechanism, Dr. Tyler
warns, use it cautiously if you take anti-clotting
medications, including aspirin, or have a clotting
disorder.
Dr. Tyler also warns against ginkgo hype aimed at
older folks. "While ginkgo has apparently been
effective in treating ailments associated with
decreased cerebral blood flow in old age," he
says, "claims that ginkgo extract will 'reverse
the aging process' and increase longevity are, of
course, unproven."
By organicfood.co.uk
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