One of the most important preliminary barometers for the safety and effectiveness of an herbal supplement is how long it’s been used by humans. Ginkgo biloba is the world’s oldest type of tree, an incredible fact that many people are unaware of. It’s been estimated that humans have been taking ginkgo biloba for medicinal and focus purposes for over two thousand years. It’s a staple of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), a medical system over 2,000 years old. 

What is Ginkgo Used For?

The main reason people take ginkgo biloba is because it can improve brain function. The herb has the ability to produce marked short-term improvements in cognition in humans. This may sound like snake oil, but it’s true. A medical research study in the Human Psychopharmacology Journal showed ginkgo to improve mental processing efficiency, and concluded that this effect was due to the enhancement of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex of the brain.  

The amazing thing about ginkgo biloba is that it not only improves cognitive function in those with cognitive deficiencies, but can improve cognitive function in healthy subjects as well. It’s uncommon for herbal supplements to be able to improve results in those who are already healthy at baseline. A study completed by the University of Northumbria proved that ginkgo exhibited a sustained improvement in attention in the test subjects, who were healthy young volunteers.

Do I Need Ginkgo?

The main population demographic that takes ginkgo biloba supplements are older adults. Memory and cognitive processes begin to decline as a natural result of aging, so it makes sense to take a safe and non-toxic supplement to reverse this decline somewhat. Ginkgo has especially powerful effects in this demographic, since their memory is already worse at baseline (on average) than healthy young people. 

For those who already have exceptional memory and focus, there is likely no need to take ginkgo biloba extract. Many people even in this demographic experiment with the supplement, to test the subjective effects of cognitive improvement. It’s typically taken before the most mentally strenuous work of the day, whether that’s a vocation or child-rearing.

What Ginkgo Brand Should I Take?

Since this herbal supplement is so popular, there are thousands of ginkgo supplement brands on the market. I would recommend Illuminate Labs Ginkgo for a couple of reasons:

1. They actually test their ginkgo at an outside laboratory to make sure it’s low in heavy metals and other contaminants like mold and yeast. This is not common for U.S. supplement brands, because the industry is unregulated.

2. They use a potent extract of 24% flavoneglycosides and 6% terpene lactones. These standardization ratios ensure that the supplement is as strong as those used in the medical studies.

3. They have good reviews (so far at least).

I’ve been trying this brand for over a week now and I’ve noticed an improvement in my mental clarity.

Do you take ginkgo? Are you interested in trying it but hesitant? Let me know in the comments!

Health, Love & Happiness,

Courtney