Ginkgo Biloba supplements do not aid memory, attention or problem solving in healthy people and taking them may be a waste of money, researchers said yesterday.
In the first meta-analysis of its kind into the effects of Ginkgo Biloba on healthy people, researchers at the University of Hertfordshire, England, found that the supplement had no impact on cognitive function on any age of person, regardless of the dose or the length of time that the supplement had been taken.
The study examined the published research of 13 randomised control trials of more than 1,000 healthy individuals across all ages.
Professor of psychology Keith Laws, who led the research, said: “Ginkgo Biloba has been widely used for a number of years to reduce the mental decline associated with aging. But more recently it has been marketed as a memory enhancing supplement for healthy individuals – and it is crucial to establish the validity for such claims.
“Our findings show that taking Ginkgo Biloba supplements at any age to boost memory have no impact at all – and may be a waste of time and money.”
Other recently published studies have also shown that there is no evidence to support taking Ginkgo Biloba supplements to protect against developing Alzheimer’s Disease.
Ginkgo Biloba, the oldest tree living species, has been used extensively in traditional Chinese herbal medicine for thousands of years and is now one of the most widely used plant-based products available without prescription in Europe and North America.
Is Ginkgo Biloba a cognitive enhancer in healthy individuals? A meta-analysis. Keith Laws et al. human psychopharmacology, Hum. Psychopharmacol Clin Exp September 24 2012 doi: 10.1002/hup.2259
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