Ginkgo Biloba: does it work or snake oil?

Does anyone take ginkgo regularly to improve memory? Does it really work? What brand do you swear by and how much you should take daily? Thanks!

I don’t know about the memory bit, but ginko biloba is a vasodilator and 60mg a day has really improved my flaccid hang.

GM

Is there any harm if you take more than that? I’ve heard you can take up to 200mg a day.

Just like any vasodilator, taking too much can give you a headache as the blood vessels in your brain expand.

Ginko also goes into the no help at all file for me.

Honestly, I’ve noticed a difference between brands. The supplement industry is full of fake products, so “caveat emptor”: it is possible that the product you took contained little or no ginko.

GM

so….what are some good brands then?!

I take 120mg capsules once a day. I’m not sure what the brands are where you are, but I use Boots own brand which is like a Walgreen’s in the UK.

By the way, it has also improved my flaccid hang. Not sure about the memory, I don’t have too many things to remember at work or at home.

I started taking 120mg once a day about three weeks ago. Don’t know about memory but one thing is certain my dreams are vivid. Not sure if the way out vivid dreams are new or if they were always happening and the Ginkgo is just helping me remember them more clearly. Before the Ginkgo I would remember a dream here or there but now it’s every night and way out dreams. I purchased Nature’s Bounty at Wal-Mart.

Vivid dreams. Cool.

Ginkgo is good. But after 2-4 weeks of usage, it should give you headaches. My suggestion is have it on an on-off cycle.

Gingko is for real and does work. I take 200 mg per day to offset the anti-erection side effects of antidepressants. It is PROVEN to work for it. They discovered this when testing gingko as an anti-Alzheimer’s drug on old guys - these guys starting getting erections for the first time in years.

The brand doesn’t matter as much as the fact that it is a STANDARDIZED EXTRACT. Look at the bottle and make sure it says “standardized f28% glucanasoids (or something ilke that). Some are just broken up leaf, which is weak. Again, it must be a standardized formula.

Same for me. When I was on SSRI, gingko signficantly reduced the sexual side effects.

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but had some questions for those who have used this or are currently using.

I went and got a bottle today, but from what I am reading from the posts above it seems like I didn’t get the right stuff.

The bottle reads:

Ginkgo Biloba extract equiv. to dry leaf (2g) 2000mg
standardised to contain:
Ginkgo flavonglycosides 10.7mg
Ginkgo bilboa ginkgolides and bilobalide 2.7mg

Does this sound right at all? It recommends taking 3 pills a day.

Thanks for the help.

It don’t look right about the leaf at 2000mg. I take this stuff but no educational background whatsoever but for me, I’ll take two pills 3 time a day for a week. Because the 10.7mg seems low. Just my opinion and nothing else.