Can Ginkgo enhance memory? Doctors and pharmacists debunk myths about how ginkgo can prevent dementia!

Editor’s note: Should you eat ginkgo biloba if you have memory loss? Can Ginkgo fight dementia? Are Ginkgo (scientific name: Ginkgo biloba) supplements really suitable for you? Doctors and pharmacists will tell you the real effects of Ginkgo, and further clarify how to take brain supplements! Jiang Shoushan (famous doctor in the Department of Nephrology) Ginkgo is suitable for people who have these troubles, such as Alzheimer's disease, dementia and other brain diseases, family history, poor memory, want to improve premenstrual syndrome, prevent and treat glaucoma, macular degeneration, frequent dizziness, tinnitus, and diabetes. 6 unique health tips of Ginkgo for cold limbs and poor peripheral blood circulation! Ginkgo has existed on earth for at least 270 million years, so it was called a living fossil by Darwin. It is an ancient medicinal material in China. According to the "Compendium of Materia Medica", the fruit of Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) has the effects of warming the lungs and replenishing qi, calming asthma and relieving coughs, while the leaves of Ginkgo can treat chest tightness, heartache, and improve blood circulation. Ginkgo was introduced to Europe in the 1970s, setting off a research boom in Germany and France. Now in Germany and France, ginkgo leaf extract has been made into tablets or intravenous injection drugs, and has become a clinical prescription drug for doctors. It has been confirmed that The effects of Ginkgo include: The effect of Ginkgo improves cerebral blood flow and protects brain nerve cells. Movie star Julianne Moore won the 2015 Oscar for Best Actress for "Still Alice", which not only made her wish to become the best actress in history. The first Grand Slam actress to win 20 consecutive awards including the Golden Globe, British Film Academy and Oscar, she has also aroused public attention and awareness of diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and dementia. In order to prevent such diseases that can cause permanent memory loss, people began to look for nutritional supplements to prevent mental decline and improve memory. However, although there are many such products on the market, most of them are unfounded. The only two products that have been proven by research are the fish oil, and the other is ginkgo. Ginkgo is not only the best-selling memory-improving health care product in the United States, but is also often prescribed by doctors in Europe to treat "brain dysfunction." Many high-quality double-blind controlled studies have shown that ginkgo can slow down the progression of diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and dementia, activate human brain function, and enhance memory. In 1997, the New York Medical Center in the United States discovered that Ginkgo biloba can slow down the progression of Alzheimer's disease. They extracted a substance called "EGb761" from Ginkgo biloba and asked the experimenters to take placebo and 40 mg, 120 mg and 240 mg of ginkgo extract at equal doses. It was found that patients who took ginkgo extract deteriorated six months slower than other patients who took a placebo, and their memory also improved. improved. A 2006 study that followed for 22 weeks also confirmed that ginkgo is as effective as the Alzheimer's drug donepezil. A 2007 study involving 400 Alzheimer's patients noted that patients who took 80 mg of ginkgo extract three times a day had significant improvements in cognitive abilities after 22 weeks; another study A randomized controlled study published in the "BMC" medical journal on 2,372 people suffering from Alzheimer's or dementia showed that patients who took ginkgo had improved cognition and daily life. Ginkgo's help to the brain is mainly related to improving cerebral blood flow and *** nerve cell activity. Because if the brain does not receive enough blood, insufficient blood supply to the cerebral blood vessels will affect nerve cells, which will then cause headaches, poor memory, and inability to concentrate. The flavonols contained in Ginkgo can improve the body's blood circulation. (Including peripheral blood circulation), increase the oxygen supply to the heart, brain and other organs, help restore cerebral blood flow, improve cerebral blood flow deficiency, and protect nerve cells from further damage. Ginkgo can not only prevent and treat brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and dementia, but is also helpful for ordinary people. Because even if you do not suffer from brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease or dementia, the blood flow circulating from the human body to the brain will gradually decrease with age. If it decreases too much (that is, the blood flow to the brain is insufficient), it will It can cause memory loss and even other cognitive dysfunction.

A study by the University of Leeds in the UK also showed that after eight healthy volunteers aged 25 to 40 took EGb761 extracted from Ginkgo biloba every day, their memory was significantly improved and they could focus more at work; another study Tests on forty healthy seniors aged between 55 and 86 also showed that their thinking ability and reactions became better after they continued to take Ginkgo biloba. Therefore, in Germany, ginkgo leaf extract has been approved to treat symptoms of cerebral insufficiency, including memory difficulties, drowsiness, tinnitus and headaches. Editor's note: Should you eat ginkgo biloba if you have memory loss? Can Ginkgo fight dementia? Are Ginkgo (scientific name: Ginkgo biloba) supplements really suitable for you? Doctors and pharmacists will tell you the real effects of Ginkgo, and further clarify how to take brain supplements! Jiang Shoushan (famous doctor in the Department of Nephrology) Ginkgo is suitable for people who have these troubles, such as Alzheimer's disease, dementia and other brain diseases, family history, poor memory, want to improve premenstrual syndrome, prevent and treat glaucoma, macular degeneration, frequent dizziness, tinnitus, and diabetes. 6 unique health tips of Ginkgo for cold limbs and poor peripheral blood circulation! Ginkgo has existed on earth for at least 270 million years, so it was called a living fossil by Darwin. It is an ancient medicinal material in China. According to the "Compendium of Materia Medica", the fruit of Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) has the effects of warming the lungs and replenishing qi, calming asthma and relieving coughs, while the leaves of Ginkgo can treat chest tightness, heartache, and improve blood circulation. Ginkgo was introduced to Europe in the 1970s, setting off a research boom in Germany and France. Now in Germany and France, ginkgo leaf extract has been made into tablets or intravenous injection drugs, and has become a clinical prescription drug for doctors. It has been confirmed that The effects of Ginkgo include: The effect of Ginkgo improves cerebral blood flow and protects brain nerve cells. Movie star Julianne Moore won the 2015 Oscar for Best Actress for "Still Alice", which not only made her wish to become the best actress in history. The first Grand Slam actress to win 20 consecutive awards including the Golden Globe, British Film Academy and Oscar, she has also aroused public attention and awareness of diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and dementia. In order to prevent such diseases that can cause permanent memory loss, people began to look for nutritional supplements to prevent mental decline and improve memory. However, although there are many such products on the market, most of them are unfounded. The only two products that have been proven by research are the fish oil, and the other is ginkgo. Ginkgo is not only the best-selling memory-improving health care product in the United States, but is also often prescribed by doctors in Europe to treat "brain dysfunction." Many high-quality double-blind controlled studies have shown that ginkgo can slow down the progression of diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and dementia, activate human brain function, and enhance memory. In 1997, the New York Medical Center in the United States discovered that Ginkgo biloba can slow down the progression of Alzheimer's disease. They extracted a substance called "EGb761" from Ginkgo biloba and asked the experimenters to take placebo and 40 mg, 120 mg and 240 mg of ginkgo extract at equal doses. It was found that patients who took ginkgo extract deteriorated six months slower than other patients who took a placebo, and their memory also improved. improved. A 2006 study that followed for 22 weeks also confirmed that ginkgo is as effective as the Alzheimer's drug donepezil. A 2007 study involving 400 Alzheimer's patients noted that patients who took 80 mg of ginkgo extract three times a day had significant improvements in cognitive abilities after 22 weeks; another study A randomized controlled study published in the "BMC" medical journal on 2,372 people suffering from Alzheimer's or dementia showed that patients who took ginkgo had improved cognition and daily life. Ginkgo's help to the brain is mainly related to improving cerebral blood flow and *** nerve cell activity. Because if the brain does not receive enough blood, insufficient blood supply to the cerebral blood vessels will affect nerve cells, which will then cause headaches, poor memory, and inability to concentrate. The flavonols contained in Ginkgo can improve the body's blood circulation. (Including peripheral blood circulation), increase the oxygen supply to the heart, brain and other organs, help restore cerebral blood flow, improve cerebral blood flow deficiency, and protect nerve cells from further damage. Ginkgo can not only prevent and treat brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and dementia, but is also helpful for ordinary people.

Because even if you do not suffer from brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease or dementia, the blood flow circulating from the human body to the brain will gradually decrease with age. If it decreases too much (that is, the blood flow to the brain is insufficient), it will It can cause memory loss and even other cognitive dysfunction. A study by the University of Leeds in the UK also showed that after eight healthy volunteers aged 25 to 40 took EGb761 extracted from Ginkgo biloba every day, their memory was significantly improved and they could focus more at work; another study Tests on forty healthy seniors aged between 55 and 86 also showed that their thinking ability and reactions became better after they continued to take Ginkgo biloba. Therefore, in Germany, ginkgo leaf extract has been approved to treat symptoms of cerebral insufficiency, including memory difficulties, drowsiness, tinnitus and headaches. Avoid peripheral arterial ischemia: Cold limbs? Don’t ignore the warning signs of peripheral blood circulation. Our human body’s tissues and organs must maintain smooth blood flow to function normally. Once ischemia occurs, various functional problems will occur. This situation may occur in various parts of the human body, such as the heart, which may cause Angina pectoris and myocardial ischemia can cause stroke if they occur in the brain, while if they occur in the peripheral blood vessels of the limbs, they are called "peripheral arterial occlusive disease". In other words, cold limbs are a warning signal of poor peripheral blood circulation. If obstruction occurs, it may cause ischemic pain in mild cases, or lead to intermittent claudication or even ischemic necrosis of limbs in severe cases. This is often the case in the elderly in clinical practice. Wearing shoes, but not feeling something (such as a stone) in the shoes, the result is that the foot muscles become necrotic for too long, and in the end the leg has to be amputated. These are all problems caused by peripheral blood circulation disorders. So how to prevent or improve peripheral blood circulation disorders? In addition to diet control, reducing blood thickness and avoiding thrombosis, developing regular exercise habits can make blood circulation active and smooth, and can also strengthen peripheral blood circulation. In addition, Ginkgo leaf extract also has a good effect on improving peripheral blood circulation. The flavonoids, biflavonoids, ginkgolides and other substances contained in Ginkgo can activate platelets, prevent blood from clotting and reduce thrombosis. It can also improve blood flow velocity and tissue blood supply, so that tissues or organs with poor blood supply can regain sufficient blood supply, thereby improving tissue oxygen supply capacity and alleviating symptoms caused by local tissue ischemia or hypoxia. Numerous studies have shown that eating ginkgo biloba every day can effectively improve walking distance, and for those who already have claudication symptoms, if they eat more than 120 mg of ginkgo extract every day, their walking ability can be significantly improved after 24 weeks. Improve Premenstrual Syndrome: After 3 months of conditioning, you will be able to have a "safe month" from now on. About 85% of women will feel physical and emotional discomfort before menstruation, such as headaches, vaginal pain and emotional agitation. At this time Taking ginkgo extract can also help; a study of 143 women aged 18 to 45 showed that taking 80 milligrams of ginkgo extract daily reduced pain after two menstrual cycles. Symptoms such as emotional anxiety and anxiety were significantly relieved. Improve vision, prevent and treat glaucoma and macular degeneration: Increase blood flow and protect the optic nerve. Glaucoma is a disease of optic nerve atrophy caused by excessive intraocular pressure. It is one of the main causes of blindness in the country. Patients are most worried about the deterioration of their visual field, and these are usually It proceeds slowly and unconsciously, especially in normal tension glaucoma (NTG). The patient's intraocular pressure is within the normal range, but the optic nerve gradually shrinks. In addition to using eye drops to reduce intraocular pressure, at the same time It is also necessary to strengthen the protection of the optic nerve. The study found that patients with glaucoma who took 120 mg of ginkgo extract daily could achieve meaningful improvements in visual field after eight weeks; a 12 to 3-year treatment follow-up showed that oral ginkgo extract had an effect on normal intraocular pressure. A study on visual field improvement in glaucoma found that 42 patients took 80 mg of ginkgo extract orally twice a day. There was no significant difference in intraocular pressure and visual field changes before and after treatment. This shows that ginkgo extract can indeed improve normal intraocular pressure. Persistent visual field loss caused by glaucoma. In addition to improving glaucoma, Ginkgo biloba can increase blood flow, promote cell metabolism, and increase blood circulation in the eyeballs and brain. It also has preventive and therapeutic effects on the vision-killer "macular degeneration." Studies have found that patients with macular degeneration who take 160 mg of ginkgo extract per day can improve their vision after six months, and the higher dose (240 mg) per day is more effective than the lower dose (60 mg). ) well come.

Improve dizziness and tinnitus: Feeling dizzy for no reason? Please pay attention to peripheral blood circulation. People who stay glued to the computer at work and play video games online for a long time are prone to dizziness. At this time, they will feel a sudden dizziness and even vomiting. But as long as they take a short rest, they will be fine. Some people will also have similar sudden attacks. Tinnitus symptoms of sexual deafness (very loud tinnitus). There are many possible causes of dizziness. Apart from stroke, cardiovascular disease, and excessive psychogenic stress, the most common clinical cause is poor peripheral blood circulation in the inner ear, especially if it is combined with diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, etc. Eight out of ten people with "three high" problems are caused by poor blood circulation. Dizziness and tinnitus caused by poor peripheral blood circulation are sometimes warning signs of "stroke" and should not be ignored. At this time, you can take Ginkgo to improve blood flow dynamics. A multi-center controlled study showed that 70 patients with frequent dizziness and tinnitus due to poor peripheral blood circulation took ginkgo extract and placebo for three months (160 mg twice a day). ), 40% of patients who took ginkgo extract could achieve meaningful improvements; in a small study published in "European Otolaryngology", one hundred and six outpatients with primary sudden deafness were randomly divided into two groups. One group took 240 mg of ginkgo leaf extract every day, and the other group took 120 mg of ginkgo leaf extract every day. After eight weeks, the patients in both groups improved, and the patients who took the high dose recovered significantly faster. Reduce free radical interference and avoid complications. In recent years, many studies have pointed out that the occurrence of diabetes is closely related to the role of free radicals. The terrible thing about diabetes is not the symptoms of diabetes itself, but the complications it causes. Such as nephropathy, retinopathy, neuropathy, etc. Ginkgo leaf extract has antioxidant effects, which can protect the body from free radical interference and help slow down the progression of diabetes. How to make good use of the natural health care power of Ginkgo biloba? So far, there have been more than 660 relevant medical research reports, confirming the clinical therapeutic effect of Ginkgo biloba preparations. Its preparations are also widely used in clinical applications in neurology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, metabolism, etc., and are the best in China. One of the drugs often used in large medical centers; however, there are also many health foods made from Ginkgo on the market. Is Ginkgo a drug or a food? How to choose and use it so that it can be truly effective? Key points for eating Ginkgo biloba: Ginkgo biloba leaves? Ginkgo? We must first understand whether Ginkgo is a medicine or a food? Basically, it depends on the extraction part of Ginkgo biloba and the regulations of each country. Ginkgo is indeed beneficial to health, but different parts of Ginkgo are extracted and the effects will be different. Currently, the main applications of Ginkgo in health care are "Ginkgo leaf" and "Ginkgo fruit (seed)". The former contains ingredients such as EGb761, which is medically proven to inhibit platelet coagulation, reduce thrombosis, thereby increasing blood flow velocity and tissue blood supply, improving tissue oxygen supply capacity, and relieving symptoms caused by local tissue ischemia or hypoxia; while "Ginkgo biloba" "Ginkgo" is also commonly known as ginkgo. Its main ingredients include Albumin. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that it has the effects of astringing lungs and replenishing qi, treating asthma, dilating capillaries, and promoting blood circulation. Therefore, it is often used as a medicinal ingredient. In other words, if you want to improve peripheral blood circulation and prevent Alzheimer's disease, you should refer to products containing "Ginkgo leaf extract". Currently, Ginkgo biloba extract is classified as a drug in Taiwan, and its approved indication is to improve peripheral blood circulation disorders. However, in fact, in many countries, Ginkgo biloba leaf is classified as a functional food. It is safer to choose products tested in Germany and the EU. It is worth noting that commercially available ginkgo products generally have the problem that the product content is less than the labeled value. A 1999 U.S. Consumer Laboratory survey found that a quarter of the ginkgo products contained ginkgo that did not match the labeled value. In 2003, the number increased to 75%, although there was a slight slowdown in 2007. , but there are still 41% of products with insufficient ingredients. There is also the issue of pollution to be aware of. Ginkgo products in the United States have been tested for lead contamination, and since ginkgo is a plant, pesticides are inevitably used during cultivation. However, ginkgo products in most countries (including the United States) are not tested for pesticides, making it more difficult to purchase ginkgo. My suggestion is to choose products that have passed testing in Germany and the European Union, because the regulations on the composition of ginkgo ingredients in this region are much stricter than other regions and are relatively more secure.

Ginkgo has a blood-activating effect, and some people should not take it. If it is used for daily health care, the recommended intake of ginkgo is 100 milligrams a day. If you have brain diseases, you can increase the dosage. It is safe within 240 milligrams. dose. However, because ginkgo has a blood-activating effect, taking it together with anticoagulant drugs or aspirin may have a synergistic effect, making it difficult for wounds to heal, bleeding, and increasing the risk of bleeding. Therefore, taking anticoagulant drugs or aspirin Patients with mental disorders should avoid supplementing with ginkgo leaf extract. In addition, patients with abnormal platelet function, blood cancer, and pregnant women should not take ginkgo. The elderly, children, and patients with gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer should seek medical advice before taking it. In addition, ginkgo may have additive effects with blood pressure-lowering drugs. It is recommended to discuss the dosage with your doctor before taking it. This article is excerpted from "Eating the Right Health Foods 2 Natural Chapters: Dr. Jiang Shoushan teaches you to eat natural health products smartly" / Jiang Shoushan (famous doctor in the Department of Nephrology) / New Naturalism ※Knowledge Supply Station Pharmacist: Ginkgo activating blood circulation and prevention-focused pharmacist Liao Weicheng It is pointed out in the article that in fact the main functional ingredients of Ginkgo are Ginkgoflavon (flavonoids) and Ginkgolide A, B, C, M (diterpenoids). Flavonoids have antioxidant and free radical scavenging effects, thereby protecting brain nerve cells from oxidative stress and reducing nerve cell damage. Ginkgolide is a platelet activating factor (PAF) antagonist that inhibits platelet aggregation and prevents thrombosis. In addition, flavonoids can inhibit cyclo-oxygenase and lipoxygenase, thereby increasing blood fluidity and improving peripheral blood circulation disorders (ex. intermittent claudication) and poor cerebrovascular circulation. . Simply put, ginkgo is antioxidant and promotes blood circulation, but it does not help reduce the concentration of common "neurotransmitters", so it has no improvement effect in international research. Perhaps it should be positioned like this: "Ginkgo is helpful in preventing Alzheimer's disease", but eating it may not be effective because it has no effect on increasing the concentration of acetylcholine. Ginkgo tends to have a preventive effect. If you feel that your brain power has declined, then supplementing it will usually not be effective. However, "elderly people whose memory has not yet deteriorated, or whose blood circulation is poor and who often feel dizzy (but not anemic) have started to complain recently." People with poor memory, probably due to poor blood circulation in the brain, are more suitable to eat ginkgo. Studies have shown that supplementing ginkgo can indeed increase blood circulation in the brain.