How Does Ginkgo Biloba Work? Mechanisms of Action on the Brain

How does Ginkgo Biloba work?

After reading countless user reviews boasting about the incredible memory and thinking benefits of the popular herbal remedy, many people want to know if there is any real science behind the claims.

Used as a folk remedy in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years, Ginkgo has been used to cure headaches, boost energy, make asthma symptoms vanish, and lift libido.

While it has been widely known as the “memory pill” for years, it wasn’t until recently that scientist have developed a more sophisticated understanding of why Ginkgo’s effects take place.

This article will provide a summary of the history, biology, and chemistry of how Ginkgo Biloba works in the brain and body. Find out if this plant-based nootropic supplement can add to your overall well being safely and effectively.

Ginkgo Biloba

Herbal Supplement

Memory Recall

Cognitive Function

Concentra- tion

How It Works:

• Supports short & long-term memory
• Improves concentration & circulation to brain
• Neuroprotective & anti-oxidant

Dosage:

Between 120 - 360 mg per day

Safety:

Rated Likely Safe

Top Ginkgo Biloba Products* ❯

View User Ratings* ❯

Gingko Extract – A Nearly Extinct Remedy

Ginkgo Biloba is an artifact to a long-past era in the history of the planet. Ginkgo grew wild in forests on almost every continent 270 million years ago.

Each individual tree can live to be 2500 years old or more, and in that time it is always producing bioactive leaves loaded with compounds which can benefit human health.

These qualities were discovered and used in traditional Chinese medicine remedies at least 1500 years ago. Over the following dozen centuries, the herb also became a staple in Eastern medicine, widely prescribed to cure a very long list of ailments in all parts of the body.

The early answer to “how does Ginkgo Biloba work?” had more to do with energy flow than technical chemistry. The plant extract was thought to enhance energetic flow through the body, which in turn delivered its health-boosting effects. Truthfully though, this concept is not that removed from what we know know about Ginkgo’s mechanisms of action in the body.

How Does Ginkgo Biloba Work in the Body?

Much like the esoteric Chinese principle of increased energetic flow, Ginkgo is said to boost bloodflow in the body. Through its main active components – flavonoids, ginkgolides, and bilobalides – Ginkgo improves circulation of oxygen-rich blood through the body and brain.

Ginkgo also blocks the excessive formation of clots in blood vessels through the action of ginkgolide B. Additionally, it helps keep vessel walls intact and strong with the platelet-busting prostacyclin. These factors all combine to keep blood pumping to the tissues of the brain, promoting healthy growth of neural structures and connections.

To further this goal, Ginkgo protects the amounts of Acetylcholine in the brain. This neurotransmitter is responsible for a healthy, highly adaptable mental environment, allowing for the easy formation of new memories and enhanced reasoning abilities.

Ginkgo also may boost the subjective perception of clear thoughts, concentration, and mental energy by preserving balanced levels of Dopamine, Serotonin, and Norepinephrine. This is achieved through the inhibition of MAO levels (monoamine oxidase), chemicals which are known to siphon off valuable hormones and result in brain fog and depression.

What Benefits Does Ginkgo Provide?

How does Ginkgo Biloba work to deliver its most famous benefits for mind and body? Ginkgo’s enhanced circulation is the key – this one action can improve memory, create a mental feeling that is alert and concentrated, and help protect the brain against cerebrovascular insufficiency.

Headaches are eliminated, and protection is provided against stroke. According to user reviews, Ginkgo also boosts mood and mental energy – much like caffeine but without the jitters.

Ginkgo fights bacterial and fungal infection. It can also reduce inflammation in bronchial tubes, nasal passages, and ear canals. Over thousands of years, Ginkgo has been used to treat a myriad of small aches, pains, and illnesses. However it is primarily used today in brain supplement stacks for enhanced cognition and alertness.

The Natural Medicines database has rated Ginkgo biloba as Possibly Effective for improving symptoms of anxiety, cognitive function, dementia, diabetic retinopathy, peripheral vascular disease, premenstrual syndrome, schizophrenia, tardive dyskinesia, and vertigo.

Scientific research on Ginkgo has been very promising so far, however more research is still needed to fully understand Ginkgo’s effects. At this time, Ginkgo biloba is available as a dietary supplement only, and the FDA has not approved Ginkgo biloba as a drug to prevent or treat any conditions.

Are There Any Side Effects?

The Natural Medicines database has rated Ginkgo biloba as Likely Safe when taken orally and appropriately by adults. Use in children is considered Possibly Safe, however it is advised to get a doctor’s opinion. Use in pregnant women is considered Possibly Unsafe due to potential complications with the pregnancy. Use in nursing women has not been rated due to a lack of safety information.

Ginkgo biloba supplements are generally well tolerated by most users. There are some side effects to be aware of, but none which significantly interfere with safe enjoyment of benefits. Some people have sensitivities to Ginkgo’s stimulating properties, and can develop light nausea, rapid heart beat, or headaches when using the supplement.

However, over more than a thousand years, most people have found the remedy very easy to tolerate. Ginkgo Biloba is used by the majority of people with no side effects at all.

If you are on medication for a liver condition or are currently taking prescribed antidepressants or anticonvulsants, Ginkgo is not advised.

Ginkgo is contraindicated with the following medications and supplements: anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs or supplements, antidiabetes drugs, ibuprofen, seizure medication, Trazodone, Warfarin, and St. John’s wort.

Some other interactions do exist, and it is recommended that you speak with your doctor before starting to take Ginkgo biloba supplements.

Ginkgo biloba seeds may contain ginkgotoxin (4-O-methoxypyridoxine), which can interfere dangerously with the brain’s GABA levels and be fatal. As long as the Ginkgo supplement is made from leaf sources and not the seeds of the tree, it is non-toxic. All reputable Ginkgo supplements come from leaf sources, however it is always smart to check your supplement’s source.

Ginkgo Biloba Effects at Various Dosages

Proper dosage is dependent on many different factors, and it is recommended that you speak with your doctor to determine the best dosage for your needs. The following dosage recommendations are general guidelines only, and your personal dosage may be different.

Ginkgo biloba as is considered safe and effective at low to moderate dosages. Starting at 120 mg per day, divided evenly over three sittings, Ginkgo produces mild, enjoyable, noticeable effects which can last all day long.

At 600 mg per day the effect is stronger, with a sharp onset, and shorter duration overall, if taken all at once. There is no benefit to taking amounts higher than this, and the risks of side effects will increase.

A better way to boost effects is by pairing Ginkgo with another nootropic, such as a cholinergic. This stack will multiply effects without increasing side effects.

Ginkgo has been safely tolerated by countless millions of people over more than a thousand years. Starting with a moderate dose, you can explore the mental benefits of this ancient remedy.

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