Ginkgo biloba, also referred to as the Maidenhair tree, is the sole surviving member of the Ginkgoaceae and may be referred to as a ‘living fossil’. It can be traced back to the Permian period. The tree was common to North America and Europe but was destroyed by the Ice Age and only survived in China. It is an elegant deciduous tree that grows up to 40m with notched, fan-shaped leaves that turn yellow in autumn. Now cultivated throughout the temperate zone for its chemical compounds, it also features as a favoured community tree as it is resistant to disease and insect predation.
Ginkgo first appears in the earliest Chinese material medica for its ability to ‘benefit the brain’, relieve symptoms of asthma and expel parasites.
In 1690, Engelbert Kaempfer, a German physician and botanist, became the first European to discover and record the tree. It was introduced into the western world in the mid 18th century and since then it has been valued as a treatment for a wide variety of ailments.
The active compounds are extracted from the leaf either in a standardised procedure to form GBE or as tinctures and decoctions. GBE is marketed in Europe as Tanakan, Ginkgobil, Rokan, and Tebonin.
There have been over 300 clinical and experimental studies into the effect of Ginkgo on the human physiology, which has led to the following conclusion: it works.
One of its most profound benefits is the widespread influence it has on tissue. By stabilising membranes, anti-oxidant, and free radical scavenging, it enhances the utilisation of oxygen; cell membranes are the initial line of defence in maintaining the integrity of the cell. These membranes are extremely fragile and subject to damage by free radicals, which can be prevented by the inhibiting effect of GBE. This is most pronounced in the brain and other nerve cells and is accomplished by increasing oxygen and glucose uptake and thereby restoring energy production. There is a notable improvement in nerve transmission in the area of the hippocampus, the part of the brain most affected by Alzheimer’s disease. While this may be the best known benefit of Ginkgo, there are many others not so commonly encountered.
GBE has a remarkable effect on an enzyme that causes relaxation of the blood vessels – by inhibiting it, the vascular system is toned and able to clear toxins that accumulate during periods of poor blood supply. It also prevents platelet aggregations which cause many arterial problems. It is possibly this function that is responsible for recent research into the use of GBE in cases of impotence through erectile dysfunction. A trial group that did not respond to alternative treatments were given Ginkgo and after six months half of them regained potency.
Ginkgo has shown impressive results in the treatment of ailments as diverse as vertigo, tinnitus, PMS, macular degeneration and depression. In Germany and France over 12 million prescriptions are issued every year for GBE to treat cases of impaired circulation, improve cerebral activity and to reduce the possibility of strokes. This represents more than one per cent of total prescription in those countries, so it appears there might be something in it. What do you think?
By Alexander McCowan
Next week…………….. Garlic
