Are
you one of the many health-conscious Americans
who purchase gingko biloba in an effort to improve
mental acuity, stave off dementia, and quicken
your wits? If so, you’re in good company.
In 2005, Americans spent an estimated $109 million
in products purported to contain this brain-boosting
miracle extract.
The connection
between gingko biloba and mental acuity has been
honored in Chinese medicine for thousands of years.
The gingko biloba tree is, in fact, one of the
oldest species on the planet. Fossils dating to
the Permian Period (almost 300,000 years ago)
indicate several species of the tree growing abundantly
in many parts of the world but the last Ice Age
seems to have wiped out all but the one remaining
species native to China.
The gingko tree
is resistant to many insects, diseases, and pollution
and it is now grown as an ornamental tree in areas
where others would be quick to die. William Hamilton,
who planted it in his garden in Philadelphia,
first introduced it to the United States in 1784.
It’s now planted throughout the country
and is frequently used in cities where the pollution
and other factors would hinder or prohibit the
growth of other trees.
A number of studies
on the effects of gingko biloba and mental acuity
have been conducted in the last few years but
the outcome of them is controversial. The extract
from the gingko tree has been found to be beneficial
in minimizing the mental effects of aging only
on people who have already attained an advanced
age.
The beneficial
effect of gingko biloba and mental acuity on the
elderly is believed to stem from its effects in
improving the blood and oxygen supply the brain.
Age-related symptoms of short-term memory loss,
headache, dizziness, hearing loss, and ringing
of the ears have been minimized with gingko supplementation.
Even depression and lethargy seem to improve.
Unfortunately,
there is no documented evidence at this time that
clearly demonstrates any enhanced brain function
in younger adults when taking gingko biloba supplements.
In fact, most supplements have only the slightest
amount possible of the tree’s extract although
the ingredient’s presence in the formulation
is highly touted on packaging.
Charles Darwin
dubbed the gingko biloba tree a living fossil.
If you want your friends and family to refer to
you in the same way, take other measures now to
ensure optimum physical and mental health. Save
the gingko biloba for your golden years, when
it just might do you some good.
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