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are sometimes called cerebral insufficiencies -- symptoms such as absent-mindedness
and confusion -- which may be associated with Alzheimer's disease.”^14
Still, Mayo concludes: “Studies have found ginkgo isn't an overall ‘brain booster,’ and
the safety and effectiveness of ginkgo haven't always been proved."^15
Berkeley Wellness is the most critical of ginkgo, stating flatly that: “Although ginkgo is
one of the best studied herbs, there is no convincing evidence that it has any effect on
memory or other mental functions in healthy older people -- that is, it doesn't sharpen
an already clear mind, help prevent what is considered normal age-related memory
loss, or delay or prevent dementia.”^16
Berkeley Wellness concludes: “If you or a family member has Alzheimer's or another
dementia, talk to your doctor about trying ginkgo, but keep in mind that drug
treatments may be better."^17 Thus, Berkeley does not recommend ginkgo as a CAM
treatment to slow or prevent memory of other cognitive problems in healthy people.
Based on the 2008 GEM study, Berkeley does not support prophylactic use of ginkgo to
slow or avoid dementia, cognitive impairment, or Alzheimer’s disease. It has gone so
far as to drop ginkgo from its list of dietary supplements (in the 2011 edition ff.).
- CHALLENGING GINKGO
THE 2008 NCCAM-FUNDED GINKGO EVALUATION OF MEMORY (GEM) STUDY of the
standardized ginkgo product, EGb 761, found it INEFFECTIVE in lowering the overall
incidence of dementia and Alzheimer's disease in older people with normal cognition.
Further analysis of the data also found ginkgo to be ineffective in slowing cognitive
decline.^18 In this landmark clinical trial, researchers recruited more than 3,000
volunteers age 75 and over who took 240 mg of ginkgo or placebo daily, in two doses.
Participants were followed for an average of approximately 6 years.
Five hundred twenty-three individuals developed dementia (246 receiving placebo and
277 receiving ginkgo) with 92% of the dementia cases classified as possible or probable
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), or AD with evidence of vascular disease of the brain. Rates of
dropout and loss to follow-up were low (6.3%), and the adverse effect profiles were
