COMMON NAME

Ginkgo | Maidenhair tree

TOP BENEFITS OF GINKGO BILOBA

• Supports brain health and cognitive performance *
• Supports neuroprotection *
• Supports mood *
• Supports vascular function *

WHAT IS GINKGO BILOBA?

Ginkgo biloba is one of the most widely used and researched herbs for brain health. G. biloba has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for several hundred years. Standardized extracts of G. biloba have been used since the mid-1960’s. The Ginkgo biloba tree is native to China and has been called a living fossil because it is the only surviving species of the order Ginkgoales that existed on earth 190 million years ago. The trees are very long-lived, with some specimens claimed to be as much as 1,500 years old. It contains several bioactive substances, including flavonoid glycosides such as quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin, and terpene lactones such as ginkgolides A, B and C, and bilobalide. Through the action of these compounds, Ginkgo is able to support several neurotransmitter systems, support neurogenesis, and promote healthy vascular function and cerebral blood flow. G. biloba is best known for supporting attention, concentration, memory and mood [1].

NEUROHACKER’S GINKGO BILOBA SOURCING

Ginkgo biloba extract is made from plants harvested in China and uses a 35:1 (or greater) herb to extract ratio.

Ginkgo biloba extract  is standardized to contain 24% flavone glycosides and 6% terpene lactones. 

Ginkgo biloba Leaf Extract is non-GMO and vegan.

GINKGO BILOBA DOSING PRINCIPLES AND RATIONALE

We consider Ginkgo biloba to be an herbal adaptogen, so expect it to follow hormetic dosing principles. Herbal adaptogens tend to have a hormetic zone (or range) where there’s a favorable biological response. It’s important to be in this zone; it’s just as important not to be above it (see Neurohacker Dosing Principles). Therefore, it’s important to identify the lowest dose that can produce the desired responses when using Ginkgo biloba. In clinical trials, standardized Ginkgo biloba leaf extracts have most commonly been used at doses ranging from 120 mg to 240 mg/day. When used in combination with other ingredients, standardized Ginkgo biloba leaf extracts have been used at lower doses, most commonly between 50 and 120 mg/day. Since we’re using a standardized Ginkgo biloba leaf extract as part of a combination of ingredients with which it may have additive effects, we chose a dose in the range used in combination studies. 

GINKGO BILOBA KEY MECHANISMS

Brain and cognitive function

• Supports memory [2–6]
• Supports working memory [3,7,8]
• Supports attention [9,10]
• Supports information processing speed [7,11]
• Supports executive function [7]
• Supports cognitive health [12–14]
• Supports healthy cerebral blood flow [15–17]
• Supports acetylcholine levels [18]
• Influences anticholinesterase activity [19]
• Supports dopamine levels [20,21]
• Supports noradrenaline levels [20]
• Supports serotonergic neurotransmission [22–24]
• Supports neurogenesis [25–27]
• Supports synaptogenesis [25]
• Supports brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) [24,25,28,29]
• Supports cyclic-AMP response element binding protein (CREB) activity [26]
• Supports neuronal membrane fluidity [30]
• Supports neuroprotective functions [31–35]

Mood and stress response

• Supports a calm mood and positive affect [24,36–39]
• Supports healthy stress responses and stress hormone levels (adaptogenic) [40,41]
• Modulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis [42]

Vascular health

• Supports healthy blood flow [43–46]
• Supports endothelial function [47–51]
• Supports vascular function [52–54]
• Influences platelet-activating factor (PAF) activity [55–57]
• Supports blood antioxidant capacity [29]

Healthy aging and longevity

• Supports mitochondrial function [47,50,58–60]
• Supports mitochondrial responses to age-related oxidative stress [61]

Complementary ingredients

• Ginger for mood support [62–65]
• Ginseng for cognitive performance [66–71]
• Rhodiola for cognitive performance [72]