QLIFE®
GINGKO BILOBA
24-% Extract
PRODUCT INFORMATION AND LINK PAGE
DISCLAIMER: This product is not intended to diagnose, treat,
cure or prevent any disease.
BATORY A.M., Inc. makes no claims whatsoever as to any benefits
of this product beyond its value as a dietary supplement.
PRODUCT INFORMATION:
Name: QLIFE®
GINGKO
BILOBA Dietary Supplement
Each capsule contains:
60 mg Gingko Biloba standardized extract: 24% gingko flavonglycosides and
6% terpene lactones.
Directions:
For mature adults to take by mouth one capsule, 3 times a day at mealtime,
with a large glass of water. Allow 12 weeks of the use before determining
its efficacy.
Warning:
Mild gastrointestinal upset occurred in <1% of patients
in clinical studies. Individuals with poor blood flow to the brain (i.e.,
cerebrovascular insufficiency) may experience a mild, transient headache
for the first one or two days of use. There are no known interactions with
commonly prescribed drugs. The current German Commission E Monograph lists
no contraindications to the use of gingko during pregnancy or lactation.
SELECTED THIRD-PARTY LITERATURE
FOLLOWS
Claims contained in the selected pieces of the third party literature
appearing below have not been assessed by the Food and Drug Administration.
Gingko Biloba Can Stabilize and Even Improve Dementia
Changes substantial enough to be noticed by
caregivers
WASHINGTON, D.C.—An extract of Ginkgo biloba can stabilize and,
in some cases, improve the cognitive function and the social behavior of
demented patients for six months to one year, according to an article in
the October 22 issue of The Journal of the American Medical
Association (JAMA), a theme issue on aging.
Pierre L. LeBars, M.D., Ph.D., from the New York Institute for
Medical Research, Tarrytown, N.Y., and colleagues reported beneficial
effects of EGb 761, a particular extract of Ginkgo biloba, compared to
placebo in a study of 309 demented patients with mild to moderately
severe cognitive impairment caused by Alzheimer disease, vascular
dementia or a combination of the two.
Dr. LeBars presented the findings of the first empirical clinical trial
of
the Gingko biloba extract conducted in the U.S. today at the AMA's
16th Annual Science Reporters Conference. The research was a one
year, double blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, multicenter study.
The authors conclude: "EGb appears to stabilize and, in an additional 20
percent of cases (vs. placebo), improve the patient's functioning for
periods of six months to one year. Regarding its safety, adverse events
associated with EGb were no different from those associated with
placebo."
The researchers found that 27 percent of patients treated 26 weeks or
more with EGb achieved at least a four point improvement on the 70
point Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive subscale
(ADAS-Cog), compared with 14 percent taking placebo; on the
Geriatric Evaluation by Relative's Rating Instrument (GERRI), the daily
living and the social behavior of 37 percent were considered improved
with EGb, compared to 23 percent taking placebo.
The authors write: "On the ADAS-Cog, 50 percent of the EGb patients
showed an improvement by at least two points compared with 29
percent of the placebo group; this approximately two-fold difference
was still observed when the threshold to detect an improvement in
cognition was set at four ADAS-Cog points. On GERRI, 37 percent of
the EGb group was considered improved while only 19 percent were
considered worse; the placebo group demonstrated the opposite trend
with 40 percent worsening and 23 percent improving."
The extract of Ginkgo biloba, EGb 761, is a popular plant extract used
in
Europe that has recently been approved in Germany for the treatment of
dementia. How EGb acts on the central nervous system is not
completely understood. It contains compounds that scavenge free
radicals some believe to be the mediators of the excessive lipid
peroxidation and cell damages observed in Alzheimer disease.
The study results demonstrated that EGb had a measurable effect on
cognitive impairment and daily living and social behavior in patients with
dementia. Although the treatment effect could not be detected by the
clinician's global impression of change, it was demonstrated through
objective tests of cognitive performance and was identified by the
caregiver.
The researchers state: "Compared with the placebo group, the EGb
group included twice as many patients whose cognitive performance
improved and half as many whose social functioning worsened. In
clinical terms, improvement on the ADAS-Cog of four points may be
equivalent to a six-month delay in the progression of the disease."
(JAMA. 1997;278:1327-1332)
From: The Honest Herbal Varro E. Tyler, PhD, Pharmaceutical
Products Press, third ed, 1993.
The ginkgo tree has survived in China for almost 200 million years; the
fruits and seeds have been used there since 2800 B.C. Only recently, however,
has the West gotten in touch with ginkgo biloba's helpful properties. In
1988, doctors in Germany (where it's sold as an over-the-counter drug)
wrote more prescriptions for it than other prescription drugs. In the U.S.,
it's currently marketed only as a health food supplement.
Gingko biloba is most effective as a concentrated extract, found in
either liquid or tablet form. It has beneficial effects on the
circulatory system, particularly among the elderly. Studies have shown
it can help in treatment of their short-term memory loss,
headache, tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and depression by improving
blood flow in the arteries and capillaries.
This remnant of the dinosaur age can help our own aging population
feel a little less "prehistoric."
From Smart Drugs and Nutrients:
GINKGO BILOBA: A Nootropic Herb?
Extracts from the leaves of the ginkgo biloba tree have been used by Chinese
medicine for thousands of years. European physicians write over 1.2 million
prescriptions per month for it. Ginkgo biloba is used to improve cerebral
circulation, mental alertness, and overall brain functioning.
More than 34 human studies on ginkgo have been published since 1975,
showing that ginkgo works by increasing blood flow
throughout the body and brain. Ginkgo increases the productions of
adenosine triphosphate (ATP, the universal energy molecule). It also improves
the brain's ability to metabolize glucose, prevents platelet aggregation
inside arterial walls by keeping them flexible, improves the transmission
of nerve signals, and acts as a powerful antioxidant.
Ginkgo biloba leaf is effective for people with symptoms of reduced
blood flow to the brain and extremities. It has been shown to be helpful
with many of the complaints of the elderly such as: memory loss, slow thinking
and reasoning, depression, dizziness, ringing in the ears, headaches, and
senile macular degeneration (a major cause of blindness).
One study even shows significant improvement in people who have both
Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. In this study 25
people with Parkinson's disease and signs of Alzheimer's disease were
given ginkgo extract daily for one year. They were tested with standard
tests, clinical evaluations, and a new computerized EEG. The scores improved
significantly.
Other nice links to information
on Gingko Biloba:
Wisdom
from the Oldest Tree
Ginkgo
Updated