Ginkgo Biloba for Better Memory

Ginkgo biloba is becoming increasingly popular nowadays, thanks to its beneficial effects.

In pharmacies and health food stores, you'll encounter Ginkgo biloba products almost everywhere you turn.

Do you need to concentrate better? Are you facing demanding tests? Do you have cold extremities? These problems can be helped by the maidenhair tree, or Ginkgo biloba, a very resilient conifer native to China.

The Maidenhair Tree

The maidenhair tree is better known by its Latin name Ginkgo biloba, or simply ginkgo. The maidenhair tree is a dioecious deciduous shrub from the Ginkgoaceae family.

The history of the maidenhair tree is very long, with research proving its presence as far back as the boundary between the Carboniferous and Permian periods in the Paleozoic era.

In the past, the maidenhair tree was distributed across almost the entire Northern Hemisphere, but over time the area of its natural occurrence has greatly diminished.

In nature today, it is preserved in only a single species in a small area of southeastern China. The rediscovery of Ginkgo biloba's beneficial effects by modern civilization, combined with this plant's undemanding climate requirements, have made it a part of gardens even in the Czech Republic.

The Maidenhair Tree Deceives with Its Appearance

The maidenhair tree is deceptive in its appearance. Perhaps everyone who encounters the maidenhair tree would classify it among deciduous trees, but in reality it's the opposite – the maidenhair tree belongs to the class of conifers.

The maidenhair tree has flat wedge-shaped leaves with fan-like veining, divided into two lobes that are physiologically closer to needles.

If you grow ginkgos, don't forget that it's a dioecious tree, meaning some plants are male and others female. You'll recognize female plants by their clusters of greenish ovules hanging on thin stalks.

Male plants develop structures resembling catkins. The plants are capable of pollinating at distances of up to approximately 5 km. When growing Ginkgo biloba, you'll have to wait for fruit, as the trees only begin bearing fruit at around 35 years of age.

An advantage may be that Ginkgo biloba's annual growth increments are not very large, so it won't take up too much space in your garden.

Ginkgo Biloba in Your Garden

Ginkgo biloba is a very undemanding plant to grow, which means it can become part of almost any garden. The main condition for good growth is a sunny location.

Ginkgo biloba is satisfied with normal garden soil. Once established, ginkgo can tolerate even drier locations without major problems.

Growing problems usually don't occur even in clay and calcareous soil. The best time for planting seedlings is spring. Seedlings can be obtained by sowing seeds or by cuttings, which are done in summer. Ginkgo biloba is frost-resistant.

Traditional Chinese medicine has been using ginkgo for a long time, while the pharmaceutical industry started profiting from it massively quite recently...

The medicinal part of ginkgo biloba is its leaves, which are collected from spring to early summer. From the leaves, a decoction or tincture is prepared. Ginkgo biloba leaves contain many biologically active substances, thanks to which they have numerous positive effects on the human body. These include flavonoids, terpenes, and organic acids.

Scientifically, this complex of substances is called "ginkgolides" and in this composition it is found only in ginkgo biloba. The leaf extract dilates capillaries in the peripheral vascular system and improves blood flow properties (vasodilation). Its antioxidant effects are also noteworthy.

Ginkgo biloba is known to improve memory: This is caused by improved oxygen utilization by memory cells, which leads to increased concentration and overall mental freshness.

Ginkgo biloba can capture free radicals that cause premature aging. The use of ginkgo biloba extract is recommended for people after a stroke. Thanks to ginkgo biloba, recovery can be accelerated.

Everyone who suffers from constantly cold hands and feet should consider using ginkgo biloba, as ginkgo helps to better circulate blood to the extremities and thus warm them up.

Ginkgo biloba also helps with headaches, dizziness, calf cramps, depression, and anxiety. Gentlemen will certainly appreciate the beneficial effects on potency.

Improvement after using ginkgo biloba is noticeable only after a longer period of regular use, approximately 4-6 weeks. Ginkgo biloba has no side effects, so you don't need to worry about long-term use.

As with medications, you shouldn't overdo it with ginkgo biloba either; the recommended daily dose is approximately 200mg of dry extract divided into three doses. Long-term use of ginkgo biloba is not suitable for children under 12 years of age and for pregnant women.

Did You Know?

• Ginkgo biloba is the national tree of China.

• In Japan, this tree is considered a symbol of fertility.

• Wood from ginkgo is very high quality and perfectly resistant to pests.

From the LenkaZ team