A Warm Glow

By: Alison Cullen

Ginkgo biloba is probably one of the oldest known medicinal herbs as its use can be traced to the oldest Chinese Materia Medica dating back to around 3,000 BC.

Ginkgo trees take a long, long time to mature, with one Chinese emperor waiting for most of his lifetime for the fruit of his transplanted Ginkgo tree to grace his table. Diseases and insects attack Ginkgo trees to no avail. Modern day atmospheric pollutants seem unable to deter them from strong growth. They genuinely appear able to weather all storms. This may be due to the amount of antioxidants found in the plant itself, which in turn makes it of benefit to those who supplement their diet with extracts from the tree.

Research carried out on Ginkgo biloba showed very clearly the role that Ginkgo plays in improving the microcirculation and thus relieving a range of common symptoms.

The research looked at patients of 60 to 70 years old, as this is the age group worst affected by poor microcirculation. Their microcirculation was assessed at the start of the trial and then at various points for 30 days.

It was seen that blood flow through the capillaries increased, and a number of unused capillaries opened up over the 30 days. The increase was actually apparent even after 10 days. Another element was the rate of blood flow in the small veins. By Day 30, this had considerably improved.

The positive result on red blood cells was not the only thing identified. Due to the improved blood flow, the number of white blood cells in circulation increased. White blood cells will leave the circulation if it's stagnant, and this has implications for immune function. Improving the flow of blood to outlying areas will therefore also improve the ability of the immune system to do its job.

Reference: A. Suter, S. Bommer, R. Schoop, R. Klopp. A New Holistic Ginkgo Fresh Extract Increases the Microcirculation in Elderly Patients52. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Arzneipflanzenforschung, Phoenix, Arizona, USA. 31.07 to 04.08.2004