Ginkgo ineffective against dementia

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Ginkgo ineffective against dementia

A major clinical trial has found that Ginkgo biloba extract did not

lower the overall incidence of dementia or Alzheimer's disease among

adults age 75 or older who were normal or had mild cognitive

impairment when the study began. The trial, which is the largest and

longest ever done to determine whether ginkgo can prevent mental

deterioration, involved over 3,000 people who received either a

ginkgo product or a placebo for a average of 6.1 years. The study's

authors noted that the ginkgo group had more hemorrhagic strokes and,

although the incidence was low and the difference was not

statistically significant, the fact that ginkgo has anticoagulant

properties means that this finding deserves further exploration.

[DeKosky S and others. Ginkgo biloba for prevention of dementia: A

randomized controlled trial. JAMA 300:2253-2262, 2008]

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/300/19/2253 An

accompanying editorial stated:

" The . . . study adds to the substantial body of evidence that G

biloba extract as it is generally used does not prevent dementia in

individuals with or without cognitive impairment and is not effective

for Alzheimer disease. . . . Users of this extract should not expect

it to be helpful. Moreover, the potential adverse effects of G biloba

extract illustrate why it is untenable to recommend a drug or

nutraceutical in the absence of efficacy evidence simply because it

could possibly help and initially appears harmless. [schneider LS.

Ginkgo biloba extract and preventing Alzheimer disease. " JAMA

300:2306-2308, 2008]

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/extract/300/19/2306

Meanwhile, ConsumerLab.com has tested seven ginkgo products and found

that two appeared to contain adulterated material, two contained less

ginkgo than claimed on their label, and one of the latter pair was

contaminated with lead and failed to break apart properly.

[Adulteration suspected with some memory supplements,

ConsumerLab.com, Nov 18, 2008]

http://www.consumerlab.com/index.asp?claffid=101024

Ginkgo products have been widely promoted for improving improve

memory and possibly delaying mental deterioration. These reports add

to the evidence that taking it with the hope of improved mental

function is a waste of money.