It appears that Ginkgo can help protect against glaucoma, by improving circulation to the eyes. Though 'intra-occular pressure' - the pressure within the eyeball - can be reduced by drugs or operation, the sight may still continue to deteriorate. The use of Ginkgo at this time is thought to protect the optic nerve in a way as yet little understood. Surprising Additional Benefits... (SEX!) Some men who are taking Ginkgo for other purposes have also noticed an improvement in sexual function! Again, presumably because of improved blood circulation. In fact, in a study in California, 84% of men with sexual dysfunction produced by taking antidepressants, said their situation improved after taking Ginkgo. (Sexual dysfunction - ie erectile difficulty - is a common side-effect of antidepressant drugs.) An even higher proportion of women - 91% - reported that Ginkgo improved all aspects of their sex lives. This could make Ginkgo a very beneficial choice for many women.
This is a use of Ginkgo which has not been studied by scientists, because the concept of 'free radicals' is one currently of more interest to those in the alternative therapies. Free radicals are the by-products of normal
metabolic activity, which are known to promote aging. Any
supplement which can scavenge, or 'mop up' these free radicals more
quickly is helping to delay the aging process.
We have a preference for using whole herb (leaf in the case of Ginkgo) in general - because if the whole herb (leaf) is not being used, something is being left out. We have seen recently how hypericin, the standardised herbal extract of St John's Wort, is now known almost certainly not to be the main active ingredient of the herb - and may be virtually inactive! Most studies of Ginkgo have been carried out using a standardised extract - so if you want to be certain of duplicating their results, it may be wise to go for an extract. However, we know of no reason not to expect similar results from taking the whole leaf, either in capsules or liquid form (the liquid could be a herbal tincture or fluid extract).
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