| The Manhattan Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Support Group |
| www.maaddsg.org |
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Our Goal Is To Offer Support And
Information To Adults In New York City And The Surrounding Communities With ADD/ADHD |
| We Are Not "Lazy, Crazy, Or Stupid" |
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| SUPPLEMENTS |
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| GINGKO |
| Newsday, 2/4/03 WHAT'S IN THE BOTTLE DOES GINGKO HELP MEMORY? POPULAR SUPPLEMENT INEFFECTIVE IN A STUDY by Kathleen Kerr THE PRODUCT AND WHERE IT COMES FROM: The supplement ginkgo biloba, long touted as a way to treat memory loss, is extracted from the dried, fan-shaped leaves of the ginkgo tree. It has been a staple of traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of some heart and respiratory problems, including asthma. Ginkgo can be bought in capsule form. WHAT'S KNOWN: In recent years, some people have turned to ginkgo biloba as an aid in enhancing their memory and preventing its loss. There has been hope that ginkgo might be helpful with various forms of dementia, including Alzheimer's. Some believers in ginkgo extract have said it works as an antioxidant and helps to fight cell damage. WHAT'S NEW: A study published in the Aug. 21, 2002 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association quashed hopes of many who were counting on ginkgo biloba to help with memory problems. The study by researchers at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., and at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington, used healthy volunteers who were older than 60 to examine how ginkgo functions. The researchers used standardized memory and learning tests, as well as the opinions of the study's participants and their families, to evaluate the effectiveness of ginkgo in a six-week period. The study found ginkgo did not help performance on standard learning, memory and attention tests. In addition, the self-reported memory functions of the group that received ginkgo biloba didn't differ from a control group, which received lactose gelatin capsules as a placebo. Researcher Paul Solomon and his colleagues found " ... that when taken following the manufacturer's instructions, this compound provides no measurable benefit in cognitive function to elderly adults with intact cognitive function." The researchers, however, said their study was a limited one and that perhaps higher doses than those they administered might have an effect on memory. However, the researchers did administer the dosage recommended by a ginkgo manufacturer (120 mg. daily). PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH IT: The Williams College researchers said some reported reactions to ginkgo have been bleeding, mild gastrointestinal upset and headache. THE BOTTOM LINE: In a recent interview, Solomon, professor of psychology at Williams College and director of the memory clinic at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center, said he still has seen no scientific evidence that ginkgo biloba helps memory and that he has never recommended it. "The key thing here is, if you are prescribing an FDA-approved medication, you know it's gone through a succession of rigorous tests," Solomon said. "When you buy a supplement off the supermarket shelf, you can have no such confidence." Copyright 2003, Newsday, Inc. |