Memory enhancement
An article from The Journal of the American Medical Association, 2002, entitled “Ginkgo for memory enhancement: a randomized controlled trial” reported that the results of a 6-week study indicate that ginkgo did not facilitate performance on standard neuropsychological tests of learning, memory, attention, and concentration or naming and verbal fluency in elderly adults without cognitive impairment. These data suggest that when taken at manufacturer's instructions, ginkgo provides no measurable health benefit.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12186600
Anti Inflammatory
A report published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry. 2012 entitled “Anti-inflammatory and PPAR Transactivational Effects of Components from the Stem Bark of Ginkgo biloba” provided scientific support for the use of Ginkgo biloba stem bark for the prevention and treatment of inflammatory and metabolic diseases. Active compounds found in Ginkgo biloba have been found to effect a transcriptional inhibitory function based on decreases in COX-2 and iNOS gene expression in HepG2 cells. This result suggests that Ginkgo biloba may offer health benefits for inflammation and metabolic diseases.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22352956
Alzheimer’s Disease
An article published in Wiener Medizinische Wochenschrift. 2010 entitled “Ginkgo biloba in Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review” reported a systematic review of the benefit of treatment with Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgo) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) concerning patient-relevant outcomes. It was reported that among studies administering high-dose Ginkgo (240 mg), all studies favor treatment and reported that there are health benefits from of Ginkgo supplementation for daily activities of Alzheimer’s patients. There is evidence of improved cognition and the accompanying psychopathological symptoms show an indication of health benefit. There were no reported side effects from Ginkgo. The report is not conclusive and further study is recommended to establish its health benefits for Alzheimer’s disease patients.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21170694
Lower Blood Pressure
In an article published in Phytomedicine. 2011 entitled “Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761) normalizes hypertension in 2K, 1C hypertensive rats: role of antioxidant mechanisms, ACE inhibiting activity and improvement of endothelial dysfunction” reported that in a study involving rats with induced elevation of systolic blood pressure by kidney clipping showed potential health benefit for hypertensive rats. The treatment of hypertensive rats with Ginkgo biloba extract (60, 90, 180 mg/kg/day orally) showed that the nitric oxide level and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity remained the same in the serum. The observed benefits of the EGb 761 may be attributed to different factors, including ACE inhibition and maintenance of cellular antioxidant capacity as well as preserving vascular reactivity towards endothelium-dependent and -independent vasodilators while inhibiting responses to vasoconstrictors.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21353510
Ovarian Cancer
An article published in European Journal of Cancer Prevention. 2011 entitled “Ginkgo may prevent genetic-associated ovarian cancer risk: multiple biomarkers and anticancer pathways induced by ginkgolide B in BRCA1-mutant ovarian epithelial cells” reported that women carrying BRCA1 mutations have a higher risk of developing ovarian cancers. Ginkgo biloba extracts were considered to provide alternative treatment to inhibit BRCA1 mutations thereby reducing the risk for nonmucinous ovarian cancer. Anticancer activities and the associated networking pathways with the altered proteins were analyzed by using the Pathway Studio software after Ginkgo biloba treatment. Analysis showed that the pathways include cell proliferation, tumor suppression, and DNA damage repair, suggesting that Ginkgo biloba may have cancer-preventive benefit in BRCA1-mutant ovarian epithelial cells.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21857521
Colon cancer
Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry. 2011 entitled “Effects of Ginkgo biloba extract EGb761 on human colon adenocarcinoma cells” reported that EGb 761 an extract from Ginkgo biloba inhibited the growth of HT-29 cells in a time-dose-dependent manner. At 80 and 320 mg/L, EGb 761 increased the number of cells in the G0/G1 phase and reduced cells in the G2/M and S phase. EGb 761 treatment also increased the apoptosis ratio of the HT-29 cells. EGb 761 treatment was associated with an increase in caspase-3 activities, reduction in bcl-2 mRNA expression and elevation in p53 mRNA expression.
These results suggest that EGb 761 offers medical benefit by inhibiting the progression of human colon cancer cells. Its therapeutic effect may be related to enhanced caspase-3 activities, up-regulation of p53 and down-regulation of bcl-2 genes.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21471711
Cancer
There are mixed review on the beneficial effects of Ginkgo biloba in the development of cancer. While some reports suggests that Ginkgo may offer health benefits for ovarian and colon cancer, a report published in the Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Safety. 2010 entitled “Ginkgo biloba and risk of cancer: secondary analysis of the Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory (GEM) Study” indicated that in a 6.1 years of clinical intervention of 75+ year old subjects administered with standardized extract of Ginkgo biloba showed there is no significant reduction of hospital reported cancer incidence. This report suggests that there is no subjective evidence that will support the hypothesis that Ginkgo biloba reduces the risk of cancer.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20582906
Tinnitus
An article in the Journal of Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. 2011 entitled “Ginkgo biloba extract in the treatment of tinnitus: a systematic review” reported that one of the frequently prescribed herbal treatments for tinnitus is Ginkgo biloba extract. Therefore, evidences for this health benefit from Ginkgo biloba were searched and reviewed systematically. Based on the review, there is evidence that standardized extract of Ginkgo biloba, EGb 761(®) (Dr Willmar Schwabe GmbH & Co KG Pharmaceuticals, Karlsruhe, Germany) ahs been found to be effective in the treatment of tinnitus as a result of clinical trials. It further suggests that EGb 761(®), a standardized Ginkgo biloba extract, is an evidence-based treatment option in tinnitus.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21857784
Glaucoma
In a study published in Korean Journal of Ophthalmology. 2011, entitled “Short-term effects of Ginkgo biloba extract on peripapillary retinal blood flow in normal tension glaucoma” the evaluation of the effect of Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) on peripapillary blood flow in patients with normal tension glaucoma (NTG) was done. The study has suggested that Ginkgo biloba extract administration appears to have desirable effect on ocular blood flow in normal tension glaucoma patients.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21976939
Raynaud’s Phenomenon
In a study conducted in Peripheral Vascular Diseases Research Unit, University Department of Medicine, Ninewells Hospital & Medical School, Dundee, UK, entitled “The use of Ginkgo biloba in Raynaud's disease: a double-blind placebo-controlled trial” reported that through a 10 week assessment period of the monitoring the number of attacks per day of Raynaud’s phenomenon in group of patients given with Ginkgo biloba extract and placebo, there were no significant differences in haamorrheology between the two groups. .However, those that are given Ginkgo biloba extract benefited with reduced incidence of attack in comparison to those given with placebo. This study suggests that ginkgo biloba phytosome may be effective in reducing the number of Raynaud's attacks per week in patients suffering from Raynaud's disease.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12710841