Ginkgo Biloba comes from one of the oldest trees on the planet - the maidenhair tree. It is the oldest living type of tree on planet Earth. Archeologists have found fossils that are as old as 200 million years old. [1] Imagine, the Gingko Biloba tree growing alongside a herd of Terranasorous Rex! [2] It has been discovered that Gingko Biloba trees even survived the atomic bomb blast in Hiroshima, Japan ending the Second World War.
It has been used for thousands of years for its medicinal purposes to improve everything from circulation to memory. The Ginkgo leaf is a fan shaped leaf and contains several different flavanoids which we now know are important in fighting free radicals and oxidative stress on our cells. This is the root cause of many diseases and chronic health conditions like heart disease, stroke, and cancers. Flavonoids are “attributed to their anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic and anti-carcinogenic properties coupled with their capacity to modulate key cellular enzyme function.” [3] Research on flavonoids really developed when there was a correlation made with diets that included alot of flavonoids and a low mortality rate from cardiovascular disease. Flavonoids are important natural metabolites widely found in fruits and vegetables. [4] They have biochemical and antioxidant effects associated with various diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's disease.[5] With all of Ginkgo Biloba's list of benefits however, in North America it is most widely used for mental clarity and emotional balance.
We rarely ever think of our brain as being nothing more than an organ we depend upon like any other organ. The truth is - our brain is crucial to decision making, body movement, bodily functions, our emotional response system, and….. life itself. It seems like a Universe unto itself as we navigate our understanding of an organ where only 20% of it is actually utilized by a human being! The brain is much more that just a body part that holds memories as it is basically the control tower for our body and all of its different functions. EVERYTHING is controlled through the brain. In deciding just to run for example, our brain stimulates thousands of messages throughout the neurons, to the muscles, and finally to the legs to complete this action. The brain is consistently giving instructions to the body and never sleeps. In fact, during sleep the brain continues to pump the heart, sort out all the stored information throughout our dreams, make sure the sympathetic and nervous system are all still working, etc…the task is enormous.
Even our emotions are controlled by the brain center. When we consider that our emotions like fear, depression, anxiety all have a physical effect our our bodies, our brain health becomes more important than ever before. When our brain is stimulated with exercise or an event where pleasure is invoked (ie. sex or intimacy) , the brain then releases “happy hormones” called endorphins. Endorphins cause our body to relax and not suffer from the flight or fight response. This is where my friends Ginkgo Biloba comes in - it aids our brain in stimulating blood flow and flavonoids while increasing energy all at the same time. Does this sound like a miracle yet?!
The body is a walking material of connecting interactive systems on an intergalactic scale. For this reason any inflammation can effect other parts of the body and make thinking difficult. Pain is a huge distraction for the mind. Ginkgo Biloba however, decreases inflammation. This is important for kidney function - the body's detoxifying organs that filter out toxins from our blood stream. Our kidneys are imperative to cleanse out our inner system from environmental chemicals, pollutants, and heavy metals now in our environments. Now talk about pressure.
Supplementing with Ginkgo Biloba may be one of the smartest things we can feed our brain (no pun intended). It supports healthy brain function and improves our cognitive ability. It may very well aid in protecting our brain from diseases such as Alzheimers, senility, and dementia. Natural plant based treatments are not only to treat, but are also meant to be used as preventative approaches to aging and long term illness. It is highly recommended to use Ginkgo Biloba for adults of all ages who want to stay sharp and emotionally balanced…and that's a fact!
Endnotes:
[1] https://e360.yale.edu/features/peter_crane_history_of_ginkgo_earths_oldest_tree
[2] https://bebrainfit.com/ginkgo-biloba-memory/
[3] J Nutr Sci. 2016; 5: e47. Published online 2016 Dec 29. doi: 10.1017/jns.2016.41
[4] J Nutr Sci. 2016; 5: e47. Published online 2016 Dec 29. doi: 10.1017/jns.2016.41
[5] J Nutr Sci. 2016; 5: e47. Published online 2016 Dec 29. doi: 10.1017/jns.2016.41
