Gingko seeds are contained in the fruit of the gingko biloba or maidenhair tree, which dates back to about 200 million years ago. The Chinese have grown the tree for thousands of years and have long used its seeds for food as well as medicine, according to Georgetown University Medical Center.
Ginkgo Seeds
The Chinese consider ginkgo seeds a delicacy and eat them steamed, boiled, grilled, roasted, candied and canned. You can eat them by themselves or put them in appetizers, soups and desserts. The leaves of the tree have been used to treat many health problems, and the seeds have also been used for problems like urinary conditions, wheezing and respiratory mucus. However, you should boil the seeds before eating, because they contain a toxin known as 4’-O-methylpyridoxine, also called ginkgotoxin.
Ginkgotoxin
In the past, when rice was scarce in China and Japan, the overconsumption of starchy ginkgo seeds resulted in a syndrome called Gin-nan sitotoxism, which had a 27 percent mortality rate, according to Georgetown University Medical Center. Ginkgotoxin has been linked to headache, fever, tremors, difficulty breathing, seizures and the loss of consciousness. Ginkgotoxin is a compound that acts as a vitamin B6 antagonist, according to researcher Keiji Wada at the University of Hokkaido.
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Ginkgotoxin is similar to B6 and can inhibit its action. Although ginkgo leaves contain very small amounts of ginkgotoxin, the seeds have much higher levels. Children under 6 years old are especially susceptible to the toxin. Individuals with vitamin B6 deficiency should not eat the seeds, and daily consumption should generally be avoided. Consuming as few as six seeds can result in symptoms.
Additional Information
Boiling inactivates the toxin. Doctors also can treat the poisoning by giving patients vitamin B6 in the form of pyridoxal phosphate. The shells of the seeds are also considered an antidote to the toxin. Eating them together helps to alleviate any side effects, according to the website eMedicinal. Adverse symptoms like dermatitis similar to that caused by poison ivy can also occur from physical contact with the fruit containing the seeds.
