It may not matter if you forget to take your ginkgo. A new study from France and published in The Lancet Neurology included 2,800 people over 70 who were complaining about memory problems. Half were given ginkgo extract while the other half took a look-alike placebo for five years. The difference between those on ginkgo and those on placebo was not significant. There were just as many strokes, heart attacks, and diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease in both groups. A subgroup that got high doses of ginkgo for four years was less likely to be diagnosed with dementia, but the statisticians could not rule out this finding by chance. The scientists say ginkgo is not dangerous, but it is not appropriate for anyone on a prescription anticoagulant such as warfarin or Plavix.
[Lancet Neurology, online Sept. 6, 2012]
The People's Perspective on Medicine