Growing Older Gracefully with Ginkgo

Ginkgo is the oldest surviving tree on Earth. As a healing herb, it can help prevent and treat many conditions associated with aging thus passing on its potential for survival to humans. Medical excitement over ginkgo comes from the herb's ability to interfere with the action of a substance the body produces called platelet activation factor (PAF). By inhibiting PAF, ginkgo has shown enormous healing potential.
As people grow older, blood flow to the brain can decrease, leaving less oxygen for brain cells, or if blood flow is blocked, a stroke can result. Studies show ginkgo significantly increases blood flow to the brain and may even speed recovery from stroke. Also as blood flow to the brain improves, so do short-term memory and response time.
Ginkgo also improves blood flow to the heart, and may prevent heart attacks by reducing the risk of internal blood clots that trigger them.
Macular degeneration is a leading cause of adult blindness. In one study, ginkgo produced significant improvement in the vision of sufferers of this disease. Other studies showed it to improve tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and chronic dizziness (vertigo).
PAF causes the kind of bronchial constriction typical in asthma. Because ginkgo interferes with PAF, it is often used for treating asthma and other respiratory complaints.
PAF plays a key role in blood clotting, so it may cause problems for those people with clotting disorders. Ginkgo is considered safe in recommended amounts of 60-80mg twice a day as a preventative dose and 240mg daily for existing problems.




by Judy Burger