Ginkgo biloba is one of the oldest living tree species. It is
cultivated around the world for its medicinal properties and
aesthetic value. The seeds and the leaves have been used in
traditional medicine to treat respiratory diseases, circulatory
disorders, sexual dysfunction, and loss of hearing. Ginkgo
biloba extract exhibits anti-infective (1), chemopreventive (2),
anticancer (3), and cytotoxic (4) effects in vitro.
Supplementation with Ginkgo improved cognitive performance in
healthy adults (5), and demented patients (6) but data are
conflicting (7) (8) (9) (10) (11). However, findings from the
Gingko Evaluation of Memory (GEM) study, the largest trial of
Ginkgo for dementia so far, indicate that Ginkgo is ineffective
in decreasing the incidence of dementia or Alzheimer's disease
in elderly individuals (30); another randomized trial reported
similar findings (43). Further, gingko did not slow down
cognitive decline in older adults with normal cognition or with
mild cognitive impairment (32). It was less e