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Ginkgo Biloba for Alzheimer's DiseaseFrom About.comAbout.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by Suman Jayadev, MD
Alternative treatments for Alzheimer's diseaseGinkgo biloba is a Chinese medicine that has been used for centuries. Ginkgo is one of the most popular herbs in the USA and Europe. The medicine is extracted from leaves of the ginkgo biloba tree and is believed to improve brain function.
Research however shows only minimal benefits. Various studies claim ginkgo biloba has; The difficulty of stating absolutes about ginkgo's effectiveness is that research findings vary in their results. Some clinical trials do show some small positive effects on people with Alzheimer's disease, other studies no effect. Gold, Carhill and Wenk (2003)say in their prospective study (extensive review) that, "Our overriding impression, however, is that we do not have enough information to say conclusively whether ginkgo does or does not improve cognition". At the present time there is no evidence that ginkgo biloba will cure or prevent Alzheimer's disease. One large scale clinical research project by the National Institute on Aging may soon give us more insight into the therapeutic effects of ginkgo and whether it prevents dementia.
Dosage of ginkgo biloba
Side effects of ginkgo biloba As with many herbal remedies the amount of the active ingredients are not standardized and can vary between the various gingko products. 01/07/2006
Sources: Updated: January 7, 2006 New posts to the Alzheimers Disease forums:More on Alternative Treatments for Alzheimer's |
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