Papaya - a world class meat tenderizer, natural digestive aid, prevents ulcers, and also a soft contact lense cleaner.Healing with Ginkgo
Medical excitement over ginkgo comes principally from the herb’s ability to interfere with the action of a substance the body produces called platelet activation factor (PAF). Discovered in 1972, PAF is involved in an enormous number of biological processes: asthma attacks, organ graft rejection, arterial blood flow, and the internal blood clots involved in heart attacks and some strokes. By inhibiting PAF, ginkgo has been shown to have enormous Healing potential, particularly in conditions associated with aging.
Stroke - As people grow older, blood flow to the brain can decrease. That means less food and oxygen for brain cells. If blood flow becomes blocked, the result is a stroke, the third leading cause of death in the United States. Dozens of studies show ginkgo significantly increases blood flow to the brain and may even speed recovery from stroke.
Memory and Reaction Time - As blood flow to the brain improves, so do memory and mental functioning. In one small study involving eight women, short-term memory and reaction time improved “very significantly” after they took ginkgo.
Heart Attack - Ginkgo also improves blood flow to the heart muscle itself. And it may help prevent heart attacks by reducing the risk of the internal blood clots that trigger them.
Intermittent Claudication - When cholesterol deposits narrow the arteries in the legs, the result is intermittent claudication-pain, cramping, and weakness, particularly in the calves. Ginkgo may improve blood flow through the legs. A year-long study of 36 intermittent claudication sufferers showed ginkgo produced “significantly greater pain relief than standard treatment.”
Impotence - A study published in the Journal of Urology showed ginkgo helps relieve impotence caused by narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the penis. Sixty men with erection problems caused by impeded penile blood flow were given 60 milligrams of ginkgo a day. By the end of the yearlong study, half the men had regained erections.
Macular Degeneration - This is deterioration of the retina, the nerve-rich area in the eye necessary for sight. Macular degeneration is the leading cause of adult blindness. In one small French study, ginkgo produced “significant improvement” in the vision of people suffering from this disease.
Cochlear Deafness - Researchers believe this form of hearing loss results from decreased blood flow to the nerves involved in hearing. One study by French researchers comparing ginkgo to standard therapy showed “significant recovery in both groups, but distinctly better improvement in the ginkgo group.”
Chronic Ringing in the Ears (Tinnitus) - A 13-month study of 103 chronic tinnitus sufferers done in Paris showed ginkgo “conclusively effective.” Ginkgo “improved all the patients” taking the herb.
Chronic Dizziness (Vertigo) - In one study, 70 people with chronic vertigo were treated for three months with either ginkgo extract or a look-alike placebo. At the conclusion of the trial, 18 percent of the the placebo-takers no longer felt dizzy, compared with 47 percent of those who took ginkgo, a highly significant difference.
Asthma - PAF causes the kind of bronchial constriction typical in asthma. Ginkgo interferes with PAF and helps prevent bronchial constriction, lending credence to the traditional Chinese use of ginkgo in treating asthma and other respiratory complaints.
Intriguing Possibilities - Preliminary reports suggest ginkgo may help prevent the rejection of transplanted organs. It may also be effective against allergies, high blood pressure, kidney problems, and Alzheimer’s disease.
No wonder ginkgo is now one of the most widely prescribed drugs in Europe.
Rx for Ginkgo
Ginkgo is not generally available as a bulk herb, however many herb companies offer commercial preparations. Follow package directions. Taste is not an issue because most preparations are pills.
Even if you have your own ginkgo tree, you can’t just brew up some tea and expect to take advantage of the herb’s Healing benefits. It takes a lot of ginkgo leaves to make medicine. This is one instance in which commercial preparations are preferable.