Ginkgo biloba is an ancient species of tree that is unlike any other. Ancestors of the ginkgo tree has been found in fossils dating back to millions of years and has been used in Chinese medicine as far back as 2000 years. Many believed that this tree had become extinct but there are two small areas in Zhejiang province in Eastern part of China where the plant still grows. With years of research, people believe that this extinct tree was actually replanted by Chinese monks thousands of years ago. Ginkgo’s are quite a large species of plant which can grow anywhere from 20 meters to as much 50 meters tall. Ginkgo nuts are used in traditional Chinese rice dishes and are often served during special occasions such as weddings. People who are allergic to the nuts must always be very careful when preparing this for consumption.
Ginkgo is said to have medicinal values and is most commonly used to help with memory and also used for anti vertigo. Ginkgo has been used to treat Alzheimer’s disease and has shown to help patients slow down the disease. This has also been used in trials to see if it can help with memory enhancement and results showed that in some cases memory enhancement took place in as little as two and a half hours. However other studies have also concluded that long term use of ginkgo had no visible effect in healthy people above the age of 50. Other than memory, ginkgo may have positive effect in three other functions of the body. Improved blood flow in patients taking ginkgo helped with better circulation in the heart and respiratory system. In 2003 a study by department of dermatology also showed that ginkgo helps with skin pigmentation. Ginkgo may also be beneficial in the treatment of multiple sclerosis showing improvement in fatigue.
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