- The Ginkgo biloba tree is believed to be the world’s oldest living tree, dating back more than 250 million years. The tree is now cultivated in Asia, Europe, North America, New Zealand and Argentina. The medicinal use of Ginkgo can be traced back to 2800 BC in Chinese medicine, where it was used for brain disorders, circulatory disorders, respiratory conditions, urinary tract conditions and as an antiparasitic.
- Ginkgo contains more than 30 genuine flavonoids, of which the flavanol glycosides, found in the leaves, are the most abundant.
- Ginkgo Biloba 6000 contains Ginkgo extract standardised to 28.8mg of Ginkgo flavonglycosides per capsule. Flavonglycosides have antioxidant activity and reduce free radicals formed in the body.
Cognitive function & memory
- Ginkgo Biloba 6000 supports cognitive function, brain health and memory.
- The brain requires large amounts of energy to function properly in the form of glucose and oxygen. Decreased or impaired circulation impacts both membrane function and energy production. By maintaining blood flow to the brain, Ginkgo enhances oxygen utilisation and improves cellular uptake of glucose, thereby restoring energy production in the brain.
- Ginkgo helps to increase nerve cell transmission rate, improve synthesis and turnover of brain neurotransmitters and helps to normalise acetylcholine receptors in the hippocampus, an area of the brain involved in emotions, feelings and memory processing.
- Cerebral vascular insufficiency is particularly common in the elderly due to changes within the artery walls. This can lead to impaired mental performance, such as mood disturbance, short term memory loss and decreased alertness. Ginkgo increases blood flow to the brain to help maintain cognitive function and memory during ageing.
Blood circulation
- Ginkgo Biloba 6000 supports healthy blood circulation, including to the peripheral areas of the body (legs, hands and feet) and maintains blood capillary health.
- Ginkgo has numerous effects on the vascular system, mainly in the vascular endothelium (lining of blood vessels) and modifies blood vessel tone. Ginkgo has a vasodilatory effect that helps to normalise circulation while inhibiting relaxation of the blood vessels.
- Insufficient peripheral circulation usually occurs from obstruction or narrowing of the peripheral arteries and leads to decreased blood flow during exercise or rest. This causes ischemia (decreased oxygenated blood) to the peripheral parts of the body causing pain and dysfunction. Ischemia can lead to the development of peripheral vascular difficulties, characterised by cold hands and feet, and intermittent claudication which causes cramp-like pain in the calf muscles.
- Ginkgo inhibits platelet aggregation and adhesion of red blood cells. Platelet activating factor (PAF) is a potent inflammatory mediator and can initiate increased vascular permeability, smooth muscle contractions and decreased coronary blood flow. Ginkgo competes with PAF for binding onto PAF receptor sites and therefore inhibits PAF related events.
- A meta-analysis of 5 placebo-controlled clinical trials of Ginkgo extract in patients with peripheral arterial conditions concluded that Ginkgo exerted a highly significant therapeutic effect1 . Another 2 studies showed an increase in walking distance in patients with intermittent claudication after 6 months2 , and an improvement of pain at rest in patients given 200mg of Ginkgo extract for 8 weeks.
Cardiovascular health
- Ginkgo Biloba 6000 supports cardiovascular system health.
- Through its role as a vasodilator, Ginkgo improves blood flow through the arteries, veins and capillaries, increasing blood flow to these areas.
- Ginkgo exerts its cardioprotective activity through its antioxidant, antiplatelet, antithrombotic and vasodilatory properties.
Ginkgo extract
- Globally, 25 million Ginkgo trees are harvested each year to meet the demands for Ginkgo as a medicinal product. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists Ginkgo as “endangered” due to the rapid decline in the number of trees around the world.
- Herbs of Gold Ginkgo Biloba 6000 uses Ginkgo extract that is 100% from sustainably sourced, plantation grown Ginkgo in order to meet the requirements of protecting endangered species.
- The Ginkgo extract is prepared using an ethanol/water extraction process, undergoing filtration steps in order to create a high-strength, standardised herbal extract without the use of excipients