< previous page | page_36 | next page >
Page 36
| male and female trees produce leaves whose medicinal properties have generated a flurry of scientific research. |
| In China, ginkgo leaves were traditionally used as a brain tonic, to relieve asthma symptoms and to treat coughs, filariasis (a chronic disease caused by parasitic nematodes) and diarrhea. Externally, ginkgo was used to treat skin sores and freckles and a decoction of boiled leaves is still used for frostbite. |
| Today's ginkgo research focuses on the plant's ability to treat asthma, toxic shock, Alzheimer's disease and various circulatory disorders. It has repeatedly been shown to increase the flow of blood through aging vessels, especially in the brain. This explains its effectiveness in the treatment and prevention of problems as varied as asthma, hearing loss (cochlear deafness), stroke, heart attack, dementia, depression, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), fatigue, vision problems such as macular degeneration, high blood pressure, kidney problems, allergies, brain function impairment, memory loss, dizziness, impotence and poor circulation. Many hundreds of papers have been published in scientific and medical journals around the world reporting on laboratory tests and clinical trials examining ginkgo preparations. |
| Gingko's active constituents are present in the leaves just as they change from green to yellow in the fall. They consist of flavonoid glycosides and ginkgolides, both of which prevent inflammation and blood clotting. In most extraction processes, dried ginkgo leaves are ground and mixed with organic solvents that release their chemical compounds. The blend is heated and the process repeated several times before further refining, which results in an extract with a 24 percent concentration of flavonoids believed by European pharmaceutical researchers to be the optimum therapeutic concentration. However, whole ginkgo leaves remain a popular ingredient in medicinal tea |
< previous page | page_36 | next page >

If you like this book, buy it!