Ginkgo tree (Ginkgo biloba) is also known as fanleaf tree. The leaves of the ginkgo tree are suitable as an effective dietary supplement to stimulate blood circulation throughout the organism and especially the brain.
An ancient tree
The ginkgo is considered a true survivor. It already grew on earth more than 200 million years ago. The Ginkgo survived ice and warm periods in the earth-historical development. The tree species is therefore also called a fossil among the plants. It is interesting that the ginkgo with its typical leaves is botanically classified as a naked-seeded plant whose structure, development and reproduction are still in an early stage of evolution. This species has existed almost unchanged for millions of years. After all, a single specimen can live up to one thousand years. Such a long-lived tree must possess special characteristics. It proved this when, some time after the American atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima in 1945, the ginkgo, which is very common there, was the first plant to form new shoots.
In Asia, especially in Japan and China, the healing powers of the ginkgo have been known for a very long time. Since the 18th century one is interested also in Europe in the fossil. It was planted mainly in parks and in large gardens. A ginkgo tree needs a lot of space. It can grow up to thirty meters high. The leaf shape of the prehistoric giant is fan-shaped and unique. The bark of fresh branches is light gray and smooth. On mature, old trees, the bark is dark gray and has deep furrows.
What ingredients do the leaves have?
The ingredients of the ginkgo tree that are so valuable for health are found in the leaves. In addition to flavonoids such as quercetin and kaempferol, it is mainly ginkgo-specific diterpenes and sesquiterpenes that are responsible for the protective effect on human nerve cells and stimulation of blood circulation. The mixture of active substances inhibits blood clotting and improves blood flow properties. Therefore, taking dietary supplements containing the concentrated extracts of ginkgo leaves can be helpful in circulatory disorders. Problems with blood vessels can manifest themselves, for example, as shop window disease with circulatory problems in the legs, ringing in the ears (tinnitus) or in pronounced attacks of dizziness. The interaction of the substances supports the release of messenger substances in the brain, which are responsible for the performance of memory and the ability to learn. Moreover, scientific research has shown that the active substances in ginkgo leaves can render free radicals in the organism harmless. However, the mechanism of action of the mixture of substances in the leaves of the ginkgo tree continues to occupy scientists to this day. Not all effects of the secondary plant substances in the leaves have yet been comprehensively researched.
Ginkgo biloba as a dietary supplement
The regular intake of food supplements in the form of tablets or capsules can be a good support in case of brain-organic caused performance losses and in case of circulatory disorders. Younger people who have to meet increased demands in learning at school and at university and older people who suffer from concentration or memory disorders and general age-related regression processes can also benefit from taking a dietary supplement containing the extract from the leaves of the ginkgo tree.
