Introduction
Ginkgo Biloba is known to be one of the oldest unique species of tree. It is known for its contributions in medicine and is also used as a food source with nutritional benefits. It is popularly touted as a “brain herb” as it is moderately effective in improving cognition in dementia patients and has the potential of helping to keep an individual’s memory sharp. Dementia is a loss of brain function that occurs with certain diseases. It is also used as a remedy for blood disorder since it is an anticoagulant. Alzheimer’s disease is one form of dementia that gradually gets worse over time. It affects memory, thinking and behaviour. One is most likely to get Alzheimer’s disease if you: are older(developing Alzheimer’s disease is not a part of normal ageing), have a close blood relative such as a brother, sister or parent with Alzheimer’s disease and have certain genes linked to Alzheimer’s disease such as APOE epsilon4 allele. Does Ginkgo Biloba help to improve memory? This is a question that has been brought about by the problem which is Ginkgo Biloba does not improve memory. We therefore hypothesise that Ginkgo Biloba is used to cure Alzheimer’s disease.
Ginkgo was found to be effective in treating mild to moderate dementia at by taking a single dose of 240mg daily. This was discovered in a study done in 2010. Ginkgo is not used in in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease but it is used in delaying the symptoms. Researchers believe that Ginkgo protects the brain from neuronal damage. This is because in the human body, harmful particles known as free radicles accumulate as the body ages and may contribute to heart diseases, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. The Ginkgo leaves have more than forty kinds of chemicals but two kinds of chemicals, which is, flavonoids and terpenoids are useful since they are antioxidants. These antioxidants fight off the free radicals and stop them from destroying other cells such as the nerve cells and damaging DNA. This therefore, helps in prevention of Alzheimer’s disease that is brought about by the destruction of the nerve cells.
Studies suggest that Ginkgo may help individuals with Alzheimer’s disease to: improve thinking, learning and memory, improve social behaviour, have an easier time doing day to day activities and have fewer feelings of depression. Ginkgo does not treat Alzheimer’s disease but it reduces the symptoms and delays the onset of dementia. As the Alzheimer’s disease becomes worse, symptoms are more obvious and interfere with an individual’s ability to take care of himself. A number of studies have found that Ginkgo has a positive effect on thinking and memory in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia. However, studies have clearly proven that Ginkgo does not seem to improve attention and memory among the individuals who are healthy.
Proper blood flow to the brain for sufficient oxygen is vital for proper functioning of the brain. Ginkgo leaves are believed to contain compounds that thin blood and help to improve muscle tone in the walls of blood vessels and this may therefore enhance blood flow. This is the reason why Ginkgo is also known as an anticoagulant. Ginkgo is known to prevent the thickening or rather the clotting of blood thus it is used in laboratories in storing of collected blood and it undoes the work of platelets and thus it cannot be used by patients who suffer from haemophilia. Terpenoids like ginkgolides help enhance blood flow by reducing the stickiness of platelets and also dilate blood vessels.
The cause of Alzheimer’s disease is not clear. An individual’s genes and the environment seem to play a major role. There are two types of Alzheimer’s disease, that is, the early onset Alzheimer’s disease and the late onset Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia usually first appears as forgetfulness but it symptoms include difficulty with many areas of mental function such as memory and thinking. There is no known cure for Alzheimer’s disease. The goals of treatment are: manage the symptoms, support family members, slow the progression of the disease and changing home environment so as to be able to perform daily activities.
Ginkgo helps to improves social behaviour because it can be used to treat anxiety. The connection between the heart and the mind is vital and it brings about coherence, both personal and social. Anxiety is a negative emotion that is produced when the heart is incoherent and thus affects the performance and the relationship of an individual with his family, friends and career. Anxiety greatly affects the thinking of an individual due to the accelerated blood flow to body organs including the brain. EGb 761 is a special extract from the plant Ginkgo Biloba which is an anti-dementia drug that stabilizes mood in cognitively impaired elderly individuals.
Ginkgo just as other medicinal drugs has several effects on an individual. The effects include: digestive problems, headaches, allergic skin reactions or muscle weakness. Consumption of fresh Ginkgo leaves is not advised since it can cause difficulty in breathing, seizures, unconsciousness and death. The seeds of the Ginkgo are also useful in treatment but one is not supposed to take more than ten roasted seed since it has the same effects as the fresh Ginkgo leaves. Ginkgo leaves can cause seizures and they are not to be taken together with some medicines such as aspirin. Ginkgo has some possible drug interactions. For instance, ginkgo is known to elevate the effects of anti-clotting drugs such as heparin, aspirin, ticlopidine and thus may lead to haemorrhage or uncontrolled bleeding. Ginkgo also decreases the effect of cyclosporine, a drug used to supress the immune system.
Conclusion
Despite the fact that Alzheimer’s disease has no known cure, the use of Ginkgo Biloba helps in the management of the disease and delays the process of it getting worse. Therefore, the hypothesis stated is null. Ginkgo does not help in enhancing the memory of healthy individuals but it is proven by various studies that it is used in improving the memory of mild to moderate dementia patients. The use of Ginkgo is not only useful in enhancing memory but also in improving blood circulation since it is an anticoagulant. The discovery of the uses of Ginkgo has been a major step in the medical field since it helps in the management of the diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Ginkgo is also used to treat other conditions such as anxiety and sexual dysfunctions.
References
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Dabov, V. (2013, October 19th). Ginkgo Biloba, the great miracle. Gingk.org.
Dabov, V. (2013, October 19th). Ginkgo Biloba-History and traditional uses. Institute for Natural Products Research.
Dawbarn, D. a. (2007). Neurobiology of Alzheimer's disease. Oxford University Press.
VanBeek, A. T. (2003). Ginkgo Biloba. CRC Press.
