Ginkgo does not prevent Alzheimer's

The report in the Sept. 6 edition of The Lancet Neurology details results from 2,800 people aged 70 and older who reported having memory problems. These patients were randomly assigned to take ginkgo biloba extract or an inactive placebo. After five years, 61 (4 percent) of those taking ginkgo biloba developed Alzheimer's as did 73 (5 percent) of those taking a placebo. This difference was not statistically significant, the researchers noted. In addition, there were no significant differences between the groups in the number of strokes or deaths, the investigators found.

Bonnie: If you or anyone you know are taking ginkgo for this purpose, you are wasting your money. Ginkgo has consistently underwhelmed for this issue. We have not recommended it for years.