Ginkgo biloba does not prevent dementia: study

The subjects swallowed round, reddish tablets twice a day for an average of more than six years, but at the end of the study, those who received ginkgo biloba were slightly more likely to be diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer’s than their counterparts who received dummy pills.

The results, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, are sure to disappoint the millions of people who take ginkgo in the hopes of boosting their brainpower and staving off the ravages of dementia and Alzheimer’s, which affect more than 5.2 million Americans. Alzheimer’s passed diabetes two years ago as the sixth-leading cause of death in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“No one is more disappointed that we didn’t have any traction in slowing down the disease than the group that did the study,” said Dr Steven T DeKosky, who led the clinical trial.

“Let’s keep in mind that... no conventional pharmaceutical drug has shown any benefit for either preventing the onset of Alzheimer’s or dementia, or even slowing it down,” he said.

Ginkgo extract was used in ancient times to promote general wellness, said Dr Wallace Sampson, editor of the Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine. About 30 years ago, Europeans began testing its effects on the mental decline that often comes with aging.