1. Now ... Where Did I Put That?
Ginkgo, also known as ginkgo biloba, is an herbal supplement that reportedly enhances your memory and improves circulation. Some scientific studies have given validity to the claim. Since some memory loss is caused by decreased blood flow, an increase in this flow would then obviously improve it. Lab studies have shown that Ginkgo improves the circulation of the blood when it dilates the vessels, and thus helps you remember things better. It also reduces the potential for the platelet "stickiness" that forms clots.
2. Leaves are a Chemical Factory
Ginkgo comes from the slow-growing maidenhair or ginkgo tree, originally from Asia. Manufacturers use these leaves to produce supplements. The leaves are processed and the extract used to form the pills and elixirs found in stores. There are two chemical components of the ginkgo leaves and extract, and both believed to be powerful antioxidants. These two chemicals are flavinoids and terpenoids.
3. Remove the Free Radicals
The antioxidants in ginkgo aid in removing free radicals from the body. Free radicals come from many places and toxins that are created outside the body. Pollution, smoking and even ultraviolet light can participate in the bodies lowered resistance to heart disease, dementia, Alzheimer's and even cancer. There is some evidence that the antioxidants in ginkgo may actually aid in reversing some of the damage these free radicals cause.
4. Reduce Hot Flashes with Ginkgo
Recent studies show that ginkgo biloba may actually aid in an easier transition through menopause. Women given the ginkgo extract in a clinical study saw a reduction in many of the side effects of menopause, including hot flashes. There was also a reduction of other risks associated with menopause, such as osteoporosis and heart disease. Ginkgo might very well be a viable alternative to hormone replacement therapy which has increasingly become more unpopular.
5. Help from Your Eyes to Your Feet
Other treatments that ginkgo biloba have been successfully used on are retinal problems, tinnitus and leg pain caused by low blood circulation. The chemical flavonoids in ginkgo reduce many problems located in the back of the eye. Ginkgo slows some Macular degeneration, another eye problem. Ringing in the ears or tinnitus was slightly reduced with ginkgo, along with the pain in the legs from bad circulation. This allowed the subjects to walk further since they were free of pain longer and further improved their circulation as a result.
