GINKGO BILOBA HEALTH BENEFITS
OVERVIEW
Ginkgo Biloba, also known as Maidenhair, has been traced back nearly 300 million years making it the oldest surviving tree species on earth! Ginkgo has proven benefits to elderly people. This ancient herb acts to enhance oxygen utilization and thus improves memory, concentration, and other mental faculties. The herbal has also been shown to significantly improve long-distance vision and may reverse damage to the retina of the eye.
ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES
Although oxygen is essential for life, it can have adverse effects on your body. Unstable oxygen molecules can often be created during our body's normal break down and use of oxygen or can form in response to external factors and pollutants. These unstable molecules, called free radicals, can damage cells and structures within cells. If the genetic material in cells is affected and not repaired, it can replicate in new cells, contributing to cancer and other health problems. These free radicals may also weaken artery walls, allowing fatty deposits that can lead to hear disease. As an antioxidant, Ginkgo Biloba combats free radicals and repairs molecular damage. A great deal of research suggests that antioxidants such as Ginkgo Biloba may play important roles in preventing or delaying heart disease, cancer and other ills. Antioxidants may even halt the damage to cells, thereby slowing the effects of aging.
REDUCE RETINAL DAMAGE
In studies, Ginkgo Biloba has been reported as demonstrating antioxidant abilities with improvements of the platelet and nerve cell functions and blood flow to the nervous system and brain. It has also been reported as reducing blood viscosity. Its ability to increase vascular dilation may help reduce retinal damage due to macular degradation and may reverse deafness caused by reduced blood flow.
HEALING PROPERTIES
It is said to be effective in improving the blood flow to the hands and the feet as well as stimulating the brain and reducing short-term memory loss. It increases blood flow to the brain, the uptake of glucose by brain cells, and has been said to improve the transmission of nerve signals.
DEPRESSION
Patients suffering from varying degrees of vascular insufficiency also noted an improvement in mood while taking Ginkgo Biloba extract. This has prompted a surge of interest in its use as a treatment for depression, especially in the elderly. Many people have found Ginkgo Biloba extract to enhance other depression treatments and even prevent the need for pharmaceutical treatments in mild cases of depression.
MENTAL FUNCTION
As more than 300 studies demonstrate, Ginkgo Biloba facilitates better blood flow through out the body, most notably the brain, where it both protects and promotes memory and mental function, even for people with Alzheimer's disease.
IMPOTENCY
Another use for Ginkgo Biloba is in the treatment of impotency. The main cause of male impotence is poor circulation and impaired blood flow through the penis, which is often the result of atherosclerosis. Since Ginkgo Biloba increases blood flow, it's been found to help up to fifty percent of patients after six months of use.
RAYNAUD’S DISEASE
Raynaud's disease is believed to be caused by blood vessels that over react to the cold and spasm, reducing blood flow and thereby depriving extremities of oxygen. Ginkgo Biloba may help this condition by widening the small blood vessels, which would keep these spasms from completely blocking the blood flow.
PARKINSON’S DISEASE
The lack of dopamine is believed to produce the progressive stiffness, shaking and loss of muscle coordination typical in Parkinson's disease. Along with other treatments, Ginkgo Biloba may help symptoms by increasing the brain's blood flow and thereby allowing more of the depleted dopamine to be circulated to the areas that need it most.
NOTE
Individuals who take medications to prevent seizures and individuals who have ever had a seizure should avoid taking ginkgo. Ginkgo should be avoided two days before and one to two weeks after surgery to avoid bleeding complications. Ginkgo is not recommended during pregnancy, breast-feeding, or early childhood.
This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
