Study finds ginkgo has no impact on Alzheimer’s, dementia
December 31st, 2009 joshua
The wildly popular herbal supplement ginkgo biloba has no effect on Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, according to the largest study on the impact of the botanical to date.
In a report at USAToday.com, the public-funded Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory study, funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, found the only positive for ginkgo is that it’s safe.
Ginkgo has been touted as a supplement that can increase memory and brain function and stem the decline due to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The study found it does none of those.
Twice-daily doses of the supplement had no effect on one control group in the study, at preventing symptoms of Alzheimer’s or dementia.
Sales of ginko were actually down in 2008 to about $99 million, but the supplement still ranks 8th most popular among the “healing” herbs and botanicals.
