Ginkgo Biloba has been used for thousands of years in traditional Chinese Medicine and the tree itself is one of the oldest trees in existence. It is one of the most widely purchased herbs in the US today. It’s best known for its memory boosting capabilities. The list of uses is very long probably because it has been around for so long.
On a personal note our neighbors behind us has a huge Ginkgo tree that hung over our yard. What a beautiful tree it was. Just truly an awe inspiring site. In the spring it would bloom and seed – my husband would call the seeds "Satan’s Spawn" because these little fuzzy looking seeds went everywhere. We could not open our pool until this tree was done seeding. In any event the neighbor built an addition onto their house and had to cut down this magnificent tree and still today I am sad about it. My husband on the other hand really has no love loss for this tree.
Now to get back to the effectiveness of Ginkgo Biloba:
Ginkgo leaf extract has been used to treat a variety of ailments and conditions, including memory disorders, asthma, bronchitis, fatigue, and tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and even macular degeneration. Extracts are usually taken from the ginkgo leaf and are used to make tablets, capsules, or teas. Occasionally, ginkgo extracts are used in skin products. Taken raw Ginkgo can be toxic.
Of course this herb is not approved by the FDA and has had some successful studies that do indicate that taking Ginkgo is beneficial to your health but some adverse studies that show no benefit at all. The true believers in Ginkgo will swear by it benefits and take it daily.
To research more about Ginkgo Biloba, try this site.
Warm regards and love –
Erin
