* Please Note: Traditional Use information is provided as a courtesy only. Although we have done our best to review the validity of these uses and we continue to revise this information as new data emerges, the traditional uses indicated on this page for this product may be wrong. This information is based on Traditional and Folklore Medicine which uses natural materials to support health. This information has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA and is not necessarily based on scientific evidence from any source. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor.
Ginkgo biloba L. (Ginkgoaceae), commonly called ginkgo or maidenhair tree. In German the leaves are Ginkgoblatter. It is the sole surviving species of the plant family known as Ginkgoaceae.
Source
Ginkgo was brought to Europe, from China in the 1700s as an ornamental tree, and today it can be found in parks around the world. Commercial ginkgo extracts come from the leaves. In Europe, Asia, and even the United States, trees are specifically grown for producing extract. Ginkgo leaves contain two types, of molecules; flavonoids and terpenoids. Ginkgo extracts sold in Europe are standardized to contain 22-27 percent flavonoids and 5-7 percent terpenoids. At the moment, no one is quite sure which component exerts the beneficial effects.
History
Ginkgo is mentioned in Chinese texts dating back more than 3,000 years. It has been suggested that Ginkgo extract was a key component of the ancient Ayurvedic elixir called "soma." An extract of ginkgo biloba, known as EGb 761, is very widely used in Europe to treat "cerebral insufficiency." It is, in fact, the best selling herbal medication in Europe, with annual sales amounting to well over half a billion dollars a year.
Traditional Claims
For circulatory disorders and to improve memory.
Commission E. Recommendations
Ginkgo biloba leaf extract is used to treat arterial occlusive disease, circulatory disorders, depression, free radical deactivation, retinal lesions and edema, tinnitus, vertigo, and to improve memory and mental concentration.
Proven Effects
The flavonoids and the terpenoids in ginkgo are both classified as antioxidants. They combine with "free radicals," unstable molecules that are thought to play a role in aging, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease. Europeans use ginkgo extract to treat "cerebral insufficiency." Results have been mixed, partly because most of the drug trials have been poorly designed, and partly because "cerebral insufficiently" is such a vague term, referring to deficits of short-term memory and concentration, as well as lack of energy, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), headache, and even depression.
However, when the extract is used just to treat patients with dementia (Alzheimer's disease is one kind of dementia), then it does seem to help. In 1997, a highly publicized study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Standardized extract was given to hundreds of patients suffering from dementia for six months to a year, while a control group received placebo. The group taking ginkgo showed modest, but very definite signs of improvement.
The other earlier use for ginkgo, is in the treatment of circulatory disorders. Published trials claim improvement in Reynauds syndrome, in leg pain from arterial insufficiency (known as intermittent claudication) and in erectile dysfunction. The evidence for all these claims is much less substantial than for the improvements seen in the patients with dementia.
Still other laboratory studies suggest that ginkgo extract may (1) be useful in preventing contact dermatitis, (2) help patients with HIV protect against recurrent pneumocystis carinii infection, when taken on a regular basis, (3) heal some of the blood vessel damage seen in patients with chronic venous ulcers, and, most interesting of all, (4) may prevent some of the cellular changes associated with aging when used on a regular basis. Unfortunately, the findings of these studies have never been independently confirmed in clinical trials.
Dosage
In more than 30 different European clinical trials the total dose of EGB 761 has ranged from 120-240 mg per day in divided doses.
User Group Forum
Share your questions and information with the ZooScape community!
Be the first to post!
Directions
Take 1 capsule, 3 times daily, with meals.
Cautions
Concerns
Ginkgo products made in Germany carry labels warning that the product can cause mild gastrointestinal symptoms, occasional headache, and sometimes allergic reactions. Nonetheless, years of experience have shown that ginkgo extract is an incredibly safe product. In 1991, a German drug company surveyed nearly 11,000 people with dementia who had used their ginkgo extract. Side effects were reported in fewer than 2 percent, and all of those effects were minor and transient. Given the millions and millions of prescriptions written for ginkgo in Germany, the safety record is quite extraordinary.
European ginkgo extracts are standardized. Purchasers in Europe can expect to get a product containing 22-2 7 percent flavonoids and 5-7 percent terpenoids. That is not always the case with ginkgo supplements made in the United States. As with any other product, buyers should read the label. If the concentration is too low, the product may not work. If the concentration is too high, there may be unanticipated, adverse side effects. "Super" strength formulations of ginkgo are not necessarily a good thing!
Warnings
One of the terpenoid compounds found in ginkgo extracts interferes with a natural body chemical called platelet activating factor, and prevents it from working normally. The ability of blood to clot may be compromised. And there are, in fact, three reports of brain hemorrhage in ginkgo users; one individual was taking coumadin and another was taking aspirin (another blood thinner). Ginkgo's antiplatelet action probably is of no consequence for any normal person, but anyone taking blood thinners (coumadin, heparin, etc.) should think long and hard before taking ginkgo biloba. Another toxic compound, 4-0-Methylpyridoxine (MPN) is found only in ginkgo seeds. Seeds are not used by Western herbalists, but they are used in Japan where overdoses are not rare. Convulsions and coma can occur after large amounts of seed-containing remedies have been ingested.
Drug Testing
Ginkgo extract is not known to have any effect on any of the standard urine screening tests used for workplace testing.
Additional Information
TerraVita is an exclusive line of premium-quality, natural source products that use only the finest, purest and most potent ingredients found around the world. TerraVita is hallmarked by the highest possible standards of purity, potency, stability and freshness. All of our products are prepared with the highest elements of quality control, from raw materials through the entire manufacturing process, up to and including the moment that the bottles or bags are sealed for freshness and shipped out to you. Our highest possible standards are certified by independent laboratories and backed by our personal guarantee.
TerraVita exists to meet and ensure your family's health and wellness without the harmful effects or chemicals and prescription medications. We strive to make all of our products affordable and reliable and are constantly searching the market to maintain our affordability and to look for new ways to serve you and the ones you love. TerraVita has become a trusted household name for many families and can bring you and yours the very best herbal supplements, blends, teas and spices that are on the market today.
TerraVita is packed in childproof, tamper-proof pharmaceutical-grade recyclable containers.
ZooScape is proud to be the exclusive distributor of TerraVita teas, herbs and supplements in the United States, Canada and around the world. Please direct all wholesale and bulk inquiries to Simona Heather at 905-494-1785.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor. The essence of the current American rule on Traditional Uses is, as stated by FTC, "Claims based on historical or traditional use should be substantiated by confirming scientific evidence, or should be presented in such a way that consumers understand that the sole basis for the claim is a history of use of the product for a particular purpose."
