Tuesday, December 8, 2009

GINKGO AND ITS BENEFITS

The Ginkgo is a unique tree known as a living fossil. They are very large trees of 20 to 30 m of height and some of 50 m in china. Some of these trees are claimed to be more than 3000 years old. The botanical name of this tree is Ginkgo biloba.

Ginkgo biloba is useful for the patients suffering from peripheral vascular disease. It has been used medicinally for thousands of years in United States it is one of the top selling herbs. Ginkgo is used for the treatment of numerous conditions based on scientific evidence like Claudication ( painful legs from clogged arteries ), Dementia (multi-infarct and Alzheimer's type) Cerebral insufficiency, Acute hemorrhoidal attacks, Age-associated memory impairment (AAMI), Altitude (mountain) sickness, Asthma, Cardiovascular disease, Chemotherapy side effects reduction, Chronic venous insufficiency, Cocaine dependence, Deafness, Depression and seasonal affective disorder (SAD), Diabetic neuropathy, Dyslexia, Gastric cancer, Glaucoma, Graves' disease, Macular degeneration, Memory enhancement (in healthy people), Mood and cognition in post-menopausal women, Multiple sclerosis, Pulmonary interstitial fibrosis, Quality of life, Raynaud's disease, Retinopathy (diabetes mellitus type 2), Ringing in the ears (tinnitus), Schizophrenia, Sexual dysfunction, Stroke, Vertigo, Vitiligo and Mental performance (after eating).

Ginkgo is useful in curing all these diseases but still there are some side effects. It is well tolerated mostly in healthy adults but still some symptoms like headache, nausea, dizziness, stomach upset, diarrhea, vomiting, muscle weakness, loss of muscle tone, restlessness, racing heart, rash, and irritation around the mouth and intestinal complaints occur among some patients by consuming ginkgo. Bleeding occurs when it is taken by mouth. Doctor’s advice to stop the intake before surgical procedures. Patients suffering from diabetes are not advised to take ginkgo because it can affect the level of blood sugar. Dosage should be decided and it should be consumed under the monitoring of a doctor or a health care professional.