Herbal Hub

How many of you experienced leaving your keys, wallets, and cell phones? Or you’re answering today’s crossword puzzle but all of a sudden you forget the answer? You know darn well the correct answer, its even “on the tip of your tongue.” But for some reason you can’t remember. Worst, you forgot the names of people whom you just met a while ago. It may sound like absent-mindedness and its OK to have memory lapse once in a while with so many things that distract us, its inevitable. But what if your forgetfulness is a regular occurrence? This may not be normal memory loss after all…worst it may be symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. In the article “Memory loss: When to Seek Help,” from Mayo Clinic, they gave a good list of questions you may want to ask your doctor to sooth your worries.

Many herbal supplements came out in to the market to help combat the problem in memory loss especially in older people.  But one herb stood out from the rest, the Ginkgo. Ginkgo is often misspelled as “gingko,” a rare herb tree species and the only member in its genus. Some say its a “living fossil tree” because it predates the evolution of mammals. The leaves and seeds are the parts principally used for medicinal purposes. Now available in powdered extracts or capsules. Bonsai ginkgo’s are also available for decorative purposes.

What’s hot: The University of Maryland Medical Center gave the following list of ginkgo’s medicinal uses:

• Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease – showing evidence that ginkgo’s may help people with these conditions is promising
• Eye problems – the flavonoids in ginkgo’s is  believed to lessen or halt retinal problem
• Intermittent Claudication (pain caused by inadequate blood flow to the legs) – ginkgo’s reported function in improving blood circulation may prevent this condition
• Memory Impairment
• Tinnitus (the perception of ringing, hissing, or other sound in the ears or head when no external sound is present) – researchers investigated that ginkgo’s moderately reduce the loudness of tinnitus
• other ailments, including altitude sickness, asthma, depression, disorientation, headaches, high blood pressure, erectile dysfunction, and vertigo

“responsible for the herb’s beneficial effects in humans — flavonoids and terpenoids. Flavonoids (such as quercetin and rutin) have potent antioxidant effects. Terpenoids (such as ginkgolides) improve blood flow by dilating blood vessels and reducing the stickiness of platelets.”

The Ginkgo tree is a good decorative tree in any garden specially in Autumn.

What’s not-so-hot: Ginkgo’s seeds are readily available but may be difficult to cultivate; the fruits are inedible; reported side effects – gastrointestinal upset, headaches, skin reactions, and dizziness.

Loosing one’s memory is one of the leading problems in old age. In fact, just watching how Alzheimer’s disease come into play in the hit novel and movie, “The Notebook,” is enough to make you teary-eyed.  But don’t despair…cheer up! You can start boosting your memory with this guide from Mayo Clinic.

Photo source: Kalyx.com, wikipedia.org

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