Ginkgo biloba aids memory

The leaves of the ancient Ginkgo biloba tree can help with memory loss and circulatory disorders. Anne Woodham investigates

Ginkgo biloba is one of the best-known and widely available herbal remedies, particularly popular among people over 50 who are anxious about possible memory lapses.

Chinese herbalists traditionally used ginkgo to treat asthma, bronchitis, bladder infections and brain disorders (Ginkgo nuts are a kidney 'yang' tonic to increase sexual energy and prevent premature ejaculation). In Europe and the US, scientific studies suggest that ginkgo leaf extracts can benefit failing memory, Alzheimer's disease, age-related dementias and circulatory disorders such as Raynaud's disease by improving blood flow to the brain, heart, limbs, ears and eyes. It can also help erectile dysfunction by improving blood flow to the penis.

The name ginkgo is thought to come from the Chinese word sankyo or yin-kuo, meaning 'silver fruit.' Biloba, the European species name, refers to the unique two-lobed leaves that resemble a duck's foot. Ginkgo is also known as 'maidenhair tree' or 'forty-coin tree.' It is among the oldest living tree species, often called a 'living fossil.'

The last Ice Age almost wiped out the tree , but it survived in China and parts of Asia where it has been used for food and medicine for 4,000 years. Nowadays it grows in Europe, North America and Australia, and is often found in city parks and streets because of its extreme hardiness in withstanding pollution, low sunlight, and it?s resistance to disease and insects. Many trees live to 1,000 and even 2,000 years, and a few are thought to be nearly 4,000 years old.

How does it work?

Ginkgo contains antioxidant compounds - flavonoid glycosides and terpenoids such as ginkgolides, bilobalides and quercetin - that scavenge chemicals known as 'free radicals' that cause cell damage and hasten ageing. The central nervous system and brain are especially susceptible to this kind of damage.