Ginkgo Biloba For Alzheimer's Disease

Ginkgo biloba, an herbal extract,increases memory in demented and non-demented elderly [82]. How effective is ginkgo biloba? A recent study compared the ability of metrifonate, donepezil, tacrine, rivastigmine, and ginkgo biloba on cognitive ability in alzheimer patients. The study used the ADAS-cognitive subscale as a measure of cognition in patients. The study reports that ginkgo biloba improves cognitive scores as much as the other drugs tested [83]. Two other studies find that 26 to 27 percent of alzheimer patients show more than 4 point improvements on the ADAS cognitive subscale,which is comparable to results found with cholinesterase inhibitors, such as donepezil [84-85].Ginkgo biloba also increases the abilities of alzheimer patients to perform routine activities of daily living and decreases depression [86].
    How does ginkgo biloba work? Researchers are not certain how ginkgo biloba works. Ginkgo biloba is known to greatly increase blood flow. In fact, the extract has been used to treat painful intermittent claudication in the legs; this condition is partly caused by poor blood flow to the legs [87], which ginkgo biloba reverses. In addition,ginkgo biloba protects cultured brain cells from the toxic effects of amyloid beta protein [88]. Ginkgo biloba also increases the frequency of brain waves, by promoting higher frequency alpha waves [89].

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