ORGANIZATIONS
Alternative Medicine Foundation. P.O. Box 60016, Poto-
mac, MD 20859. Telephone: (301) 340-1960. Fax: (301)
340-1936. Website:http://www.amfoundation.org
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Med-
icine Clearinghouse. P.O. Box 7923, Gathersburg,
MD 20898. Telephone: (888) 644-6226. TTY: (866)
464-3615. Fax: (866) 464-3616. Website:http://nccam.
nih.gov
Ginseng Board of Wisconsin. 555 N. 72nd Avenue, Suite 2,
Wausau, WI 54401. Telephone: (714) 845-7300. Fax: (715)
845-7300. Website:http://www.ginsengboard.com
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medi-
cine Clearinghouse. P.O. Box 7923, Gathersburg, MD
- Telephone: (888) 644-6226. TTY: (866) 464-3615.
Fax: (866) 464-3616. Website:http://nccam.nih.gov
Natural Standard. 245 First Street, 18th Floor, Cambridge,
MA 02142. Telephone: (617) 444-8629. Fax: (617) 444- - Website:http://www.naturalstandards.com
Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of
Health. 6100 Executive Blvd., Room 3B01, MSC 7517,
Bethesda, MD 20892-7517 Telephone: (301) 435-2920.
Fax: (301)480-1845. Website:http://dietary-
supplements.info.nih.gov
OTHER
American Cancer Society. ‘‘Ginseng.’’ American Cancer Soci-
ety, October 3, 2005.http://www.cancer.org/docroot/
eto/content/eto_5_3x_ginseng.asp?sitearea=eto
Harrison, H. C. et al. ‘‘Ginseng.’’ Alternative Field Crops
Manual, University of Wisconsin-Extension, undated;
accessed February 7, 2007.<http://www.purdue.edu/
newcrop/afcm/ginseng.html/ Coo>
Mayo Clinic Staff. ‘‘Ginseng (American Ginseng, Asian Gin-
seng, Chinese Ginseng, Korean Red Ginseng, Panax
Ginseng: Panax ssp. IncludingP. Ginseng C.C. Meyerand
P. quincefolium L.,excludingEleutherococcus senticosus.’’
MayoClinic.com, May 1, 2006.http://www.mayoclinic.
com/health/ginseng/NS_patient-ginseng
Medline Plus. ‘‘Ginseng.’’ U. S. National Library of Medi-
cine, November 1, 2006.http://www.nlm.nih/gov/
medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-ginseng.html
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Med-
icine. ‘‘Asian Ginseng.’’ National Center for Comple
mentary and Alternative Medicine, December 2006.
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/asianginseng
Personal Health Zone. ‘‘Ginseng Side Effects, Interactions
and Warnings.’’ Personal Health Zone October 2006.
http://www.personalhealthzone,com/ginseng.html
Tish Davidson, A.M.Ginkgo biloba
Definition
Ginkgo biloba is an herbal dietary supplement
made from the leaves of the treeGingko biloba.
PurposeGinkgo biloba, sometimes calledbai guo, has been
used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for
about 5,000 years to treat memory loss, mood, nerve,
circulatory and many other health problems. Ginkgo
biloba often is combined withginsengto boost mem-
ory, improve the quality of life, and increase a sense of
well being. The effectiveness of some TCM uses of
gingko, such as relieving pain caused by clogged
arteries in the leg (claudication), treating Alzheimer’s
disease, and improving blood flow to the brain have
been evaluated in well-designed studies and are gener-
ally accepted by practitioners of conventional medi-
cine. Many other TCM uses of gingko biloba are
currently being investigated.DescriptionGingko bilobais the last existing member of an
ancient family of trees. The fossil record shows that
gingko trees existed 200 million years ago. Gingko
bilobais native to China, Japan, and Korea. The tree
was introduced to North America in the 1700s. Ginkgo
trees grow to a height of 65–115 ft (20–35 m). They are
extremely resistant to disease and insect damage and
can live for several hundred years. Female trees pro-
duce bad-smelling fruit-like bodies the size of an apricot
that contains seeds. Herbal practitioners sometimes use
the seeds in treatment. The much cleaner male ginkgo is
a popular tree for urban landscaping.
The fan-shaped leaves of the ginkgo are used for
medicinal purposes. About twenty different compounds
have been identified in ginkgo leaves, but the medically
active ingredients appear to be flavenoids and terpe-
noids. Flavenoids areantioxidantsthat help lower the
level of free radicals in thebody. Terpenoids are thoughtVarious forms of ginko biloba.(Photograph by Robert J.
Huffman. Field Mark Publications. Reproduced by permission.)Ginkgo biloba