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Whats New 2002
Gingko
update
Gingko is a herb that is included in the Neurazest formulation, which is
designed to boost memory, enhance cognitive
capabilities, prevent the neurodegenerative diseases of
aging and help manage tinnitus.
We have had a significant number of folk who have
responded very positively when taking this formulation
with regard to tinnitus and balance problems.
Those who struggle with memory loss and
diminishing mental function have also experienced
benefits. Anybody
taking this remedy needs to realise that any
recognisable improvement can take up to 10 weeks before
materialising. Some
patience needs to be exercised which can be difficult
for some.
This notion puts into focus a recent study recorded in the ‘Journal of
the American Medical Association’ (JAMA) 2002; 288(7):
835-840 which revealed that over a six-week period
healthy adults experienced no benefits with regard to
memory when taking gingko biloba as compared with the
placebo group. Needless
to say the media made an absolute Christmas pudding out
of this claiming that taking gingko was a waste of time.
In fact what this study demonstrates is that it
is optimistic to expect gingko to have demonstrable
benefits in such a short space of time and often we need
to wait longer in order to achieve a positive outcome.
In the October 2002 edition of the ‘Townsend Letter for Doctors and
Patients’ Kerry Bone who is a well-known and respected
herbalist in Australia and internationally presented a
review of the application of gingko in treating problems
of the ear. Studies
indicate that gingko can be used to successfully treat
sudden onset hearing loss, vertigo and tinnitus.
In the November 2002 issue of Life Extension found at www.lef.org
there is an extensive reply to the above-mentioned
negative study.
In fact there are studies indicating that taking gingko improves
cognitive function in healthy young people and what was
especially noted by the author of this article is that a
single daily dose of 120mg of gingko is effective rather
than divided doses taken throughout the day which was
the method of administration in the JAMA study.
The author then goes on to summarise the numerous studies, which testify
to the benefits of gingko.
Gingko can be used to help manage Alzheimer’s
disease, other dementias, depression, poor circulation,
irregular heart rhythms, impotence, macular
degeneration, diabetic eye disease, glaucoma, hearing
loss and tinnitus as already indicated.
Gingko is also a potent antioxidant and
anti-clotting agent, which makes it potentially useful
for prevention of thrombi on airplanes.
There is experimental evidence in mice that
gingko might be useful in the prevention and treatment
of Parkinson’s disease.
One study has demonstrated that gingko decreased serum cortisol levels
by 50%. Cortisol
is the stress hormone, which can lead to premature aging
when produced in excessive amounts. Having too much
cortisol can depress the immune system, get in the way
of insulin function which means that your cells will be
deprived of glucose and reduce mental function by
compromising your memory centres in the brain.
The author of this study concludes that gingko should be recognised as a
long-term preventive remedy and my view is that any
study, which uses gingko for a short space of time might
yield disappointing results.
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Spa
Chakra Wellness Centre
The
Wharf
Woolloomooloo
Sydney
2011
02
93680888
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