Historical Medicinal Uses: Ginkgo is supposedly one of the oldest living tree species. Its fossil records dates back to the Permian period over 270 million years ago. For this reason it is considered the "living fossil." Its extract is used extensively throughout the world to improve mental function, treat age-related memory, alzheimer's disease, macular degeneration, sexual disfunction and to enhance blood circulation. Gingko is believed to contain compounds that thin the blood and help to increase muscle strength in the walls of blood vessels.
Many studies have indicated that use of the herb stimulates body production of adenosine tri-phosphate or ATP a universal energy molecule that boost the brain's energy metabolism of glucose and increases electrical activity.
Recently, studies have shown that gingko my be used to prevent Acute Mountain Sickness for trekkers ascending to high atltitudes.
The herb should be avoided by people with bleeding disorders as its believed it may interfere the clotting process.
Folklore: Extracts of the herb and leaves of the ginkgo tree have been used in China for over 5000 years. Earliest mention of the herb as a medicine is found in the Chinese materia medica, Pen T'sao Ching (The Classic of Herbs), published in 2800 B.C.E. The herb is recommended for respiratory ailments and for brain function.
In 213 B.C.E, when the Emperor Shi Huangdi, the last builder of the Great Wall of China, destroyed the books of the scholarly elite, he spared the texts relating to medicine, divination and agriculture. The surviving manuscripts urge the use of gingko to treat impotence, chilblains, memory loss, asthma and bedwettting. The herb has traditionally been used as an aphrodisiac and for promoting longevity.
Originally the growth of the tree was widespread over the face of the globe. but the arrival of the Ice Age decimated the herb in all places except in China.
Be sure to consult your physician before taking this herb!
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