Ginkgo biloba extract is well known for its medical value. The extract is rich in terpenoids, flavonoids, and proanthocyanidins, which have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, vasodilatory, and platelet inhibitory effects. It has been widely used in the past hundred years. It is used to improve blood circulation disorders, tinnitus, vertigo, and cognitive deterioration. Is Ginkgo Biloba extract safe?
After years of research and clinical trials, Ginkgo biloba extract can be safely used by people, but we need to pay attention to some contraindications when using Ginkgo biloba extract.
What are the proven benefits (benefits) of Ginkgo biloba extract?
1. Good for angina
2. Beneficial for vertebrobasilar insufficiency
3. Beneficial for Alzheimer's
4. Beneficial for tinnitus improvement
5. Beneficial for acute mountain sickness
6. Prevent or improve dementia
7. Improve memory and concentration (for those in good health)
8. Improving peripheral arterial disease: intermittent claudication
9. Prevent or improve with stroke
10. Improve tardive dyskinesia
Are there any side effects of Ginkgo biloba?
For most people, Ginkgo biloba extract is safe when used in moderation, but possible side effects or adverse reactions that have been reported include diarrhea, upset stomach, stomach pain, headache, abnormal heartbeat, dizziness, constipation, and rash.
In addition, eating raw ginkgo fruit or excessive consumption of cooked ginkgo fruit can cause poisoning. The main symptoms of poisoning are breathing difficulties, weak pulse, seizures, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, confusion, shock, and convulsions. This is due to ginkgo biloba. The fruit contains 4'-methoxypyridoxine and cyanogenic glycosides and other biological toxins, among which 4'-methoxypyridoxine can inhibit the biosynthesis, metabolism, and function of vitamin B6, GABA, and glutamate.
What do I need to pay special attention to when using Ginkgo biloba extract?
1. Do not use it for women who are trying to conceive or during pregnancy, as it may cause difficulty in conception, premature birth, or bleeding during childbirth
2. Not to be used by breastfeeding women, as the safety is unknown
3. Do not use it in epilepsy patients, it may increase the risk of disease
4. Ginkgo fruit and pulp can cause severe allergic skin reactions and mucous membrane irritation
5. People who have been allergic to poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac, mango rind, or cashew shell oil may also have an allergic reaction to Ginkgo Biloba
6. Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase deficiency should not be used in patients with acute hemolytic anemia.
7. Please stop using ginkgo-related products two weeks before surgery, because ginkgo may delay blood clotting and increase the risk of bleeding during and after surgery
8. Do not use drugs with anticoagulant effects or those with abnormal coagulation function, which may increase the risk of bruising or bleeding. This is due to the anticoagulant effect of Ginkgo biloba. Common related drug names are: Aspirin, clopidogrel, diclofenac, ibuprofen, naproxen, dalteparin, enoxaparin, heparin, warfarin
9. Do not use in combination with commonly used psychiatric drugs, which may affect the efficacy of the drug. Commonly related drug names are: Alprazolam, Buspirone
10. Do not use in combination with the anti-human immunodeficiency virus (also known as HIV) drug Efavirenz, which may affect the efficacy of the drug
11. Do not use in combination with St. John’s wort and antidepressant fluoxetine, which may cause hypomania (symptoms: irritability, nervousness, restlessness, and excitement).
12. Do not use in combination with drugs that need to be metabolized by Cytochrome P450 enzymes, which may affect the efficacy of drugs. Commonly related drug names are as follows:
Clozapine), cyclobenzaprine, fluvoxamine, haloperidol, imipramine, mexiletine, olanzapine, pentazocine, propranolol, tacrine, theophylline, zileuton, zolmitriptan, Amitriptyline, carisoprodol, citalopram, diazepam, lansoprazole, omeprazole, phenytoin, warfarin, celecoxib, diclofenac, fluvastatin, glipizide, ibuprofen, irbesartan, losartanpiroxicam, tamoxifen, tolbutamide, torsemide, clozapine, codeine, desipramine, donepezil, fentanyl, flecainide, fluoxetine, meperidine, methadone, metoprolol, olanzapine, ondansetron, tramadol, trazodone, lovastatin, clarithromycin, cyclosporine, diltiazem, estrogens, indinavir, triazolam
13. Do not use hypoglycemic drugs, which may affect the efficacy of the drug. Common related drug names are as follows: Glimepiride, glyburide, insulin, pioglitazone, rosiglitazone, chlorpropamide, glipizide, tolbutamide
14. Do not use in combination with the antidepressant Trazodone. There have been cases of co-administration leading to coma.
15. Do not use in combination with drugs that increase the chance of seizures (such as anesthetics, theophylline, antiarrhythmic drugs, antibiotics, antidepressants, antihistamines, immunosuppressants, stimulants), which may greatly increase epilepsy risk of seizures.
16. Do not use in combination with antiepileptic drugs, which may affect the efficacy of the drug. The related drug names are: Phenobarbital, primidone, valproic acid, gabapentin, carbamazepine, phenytoin
17. Do not use in combination with the antihypertensive drug Hydrochlorothiazide, which may cause blood pressure to rise.
18. Do not use in combination with Omeprazole, a drug for peptic ulcer or reflux esophagitis, as it may affect the efficacy of the drug.
Ginkgo Biloba Extract (GBE) is a kind of product enriched with active ingredients extracted from Ginkgo biloba L. Various preparations made from GBE are widely used in the fields of medicine, health care products, food additives, functional beverages, cosmetics, and so on. The product is one of the most successful cases of botanical medicine (a Chinese medicine) developed by modern science and technology. It is included in Chinese Pharmacopoeia, American Pharmacopoeia, and European Pharmacopoeia.
If you would like to know more about Ginkgo biloba extract, please contact medical@ysgcn.com
