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Ginkgo

Ginkgo is an ancient tree, called a living fossil, whose leaf extract is promoted for memory and thinking, dementia, tinnitus and many other conditions.

Explained simply · Last reviewed

What it is

Ginkgo is a tree so ancient that it is commonly known as a “living fossil”, the last remaining species of a primitive family of plants, according to NCCIH, the US agency that studies complementary medicine. It has a long history of use in Chinese medicine for cough, diarrhea and other conditions, NCCIH says, and today the leaf, usually as an extract, is the most commonly used form.

More about Ginkgo

It has a long history of use in Chinese medicine for cough, diarrhea and other conditions, NCCIH says, and today the leaf, usually as an extract, is the most commonly used form.

LiverTox, the US National Institutes of Health’s reference on liver injury, states that the tree is native to central China but has been introduced worldwide, and that the word ginkgo comes from a Japanese approximation of the Chinese word for “silver apricot”, after the tree’s fruit. It describes ginkgo as available as tablets, capsules, powder, teas and lotions.

NCCIH states that ginkgo is promoted as a dietary supplement for many conditions, including anxiety, heart disease, cognitive impairment and dementia, diabetes, premenstrual syndrome, schizophrenia and tinnitus. It has also been promoted with claims that it can enhance thinking in healthy people.

Europe’s medicines agency, EMA, assesses ginkgo leaf as an herbal medicine for the European Union. It accepts one defined dry extract of the leaf for age-related thinking problems and quality of life in mild dementia, on published evidence, and accepts the powdered leaf for heaviness in the legs and cold hands and feet only as a traditional medicine, on long-standing use.

The ratings below cover dementia and memory, tinnitus, leg pain on walking, symptoms after stroke, altitude sickness, macular degeneration, heart health and blood pressure, multiple sclerosis, and four conditions NCCIH groups together: anxiety, PMS, schizophrenia and vertigo.

Also known as: ginkgo biloba, Ginkgo biloba, maidenhair tree, fossil tree, Japanese silver apricot, ginkgo leaf

At a glance

Safety: known risks, 7 groups who should avoid it or take extra care and 5 documented interactions. See Safety ↓

Claims made about Ginkgo, and how strong the evidence is for each:

Each rating follows our published rules and the sources cited for it. We don’t add our own medical judgment. How we rate

Safety

Read this before the ratings below.

Risks

  • NCCIH, the US agency that studies complementary medicine, states that for most adults, ginkgo leaf extracts are likely to be safe when taken by mouth in moderate amounts, and that they have been used safely in research studies lasting as long as 6 years. It names dizziness, digestive symptoms and headache as the most common side effects. Europe’s medicines agency, EMA, lists headache as very common with the dry extract, and dizziness, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting as common.
  • Ginkgo seeds: NCCIH states: “Fresh ginkgo seeds are toxic when consumed orally, and serious side effects have also occurred in people who consumed roasted ginkgo seeds or the crude ginkgo plant.”
  • Bleeding: EMA states that preparations containing ginkgo “might increase susceptibility to bleeding”, and that bleeding of individual organs has been reported, in the eye, nose, brain and gut, with frequency not known. LiverTox, the US National Institutes of Health’s reference on liver injury, states that several instances of excessive bleeding during ginkgo use have been attributed to interactions with antiplatelet medicines or anticoagulants.
  • Bleeding in trials: in the GEM trial of more than 3,000 adults aged 75 or older followed for a median of about six years, rates of major bleeding did not differ between ginkgo and placebo. The authors report twice as many strokes from bleeding in the brain with ginkgo (16 against 8), but write that the number was small and not statistically significant, that no firm conclusion can be drawn, and that the finding should be explored in future studies. The trial excluded people taking warfarin or with a history of bleeding disorders.
  • Bleeding and seizures in tinnitus trials: a 2022 Cochrane review on tinnitus found that four trials, with 1,154 people, reported no bleeding or seizures in either group. The reviewers say ginkgo may make little to no difference to that risk, at low certainty, and note that six of their trials excluded people taking anticoagulants.
  • Allergy: EMA states that allergic reactions, including allergic shock and skin reactions such as redness, swelling, itching and rash, may occur, with frequency not known.
  • Liver: LiverTox states: “Ginkgo has not been implicated in causing liver injury.” It rates ginkgo an unlikely cause of clinically apparent liver injury.
  • Cancer in rodents: the US National Toxicology Program (NTP) gave a ginkgo leaf extract to rats and mice by stomach tube for two years. In its 2013 report it found “clear evidence of carcinogenic activity” in male and female mice, based on liver tumors, and “some evidence” in male and female rats, based on thyroid tumors. NTP explains that positive results show a substance is carcinogenic for laboratory animals under the study’s conditions and “indicate that exposure to the chemical has the potential for hazard to humans”, but that the actual determination of risk to humans requires a wider analysis beyond these studies.
  • Cancer findings, NTP’s peer review: NTP’s report records its public peer review. A representative of an herbal products trade association said the extract tested was not representative of other ginkgo leaf extracts sold in the US. One reviewer said the test exposures “were many orders of magnitude higher” than what people take. NTP’s scientist replied that the extract’s composition fell within the range of what is on the market.
  • Cancer findings, EMA’s view: EMA states: “Tests on genotoxicity and carcinogenicity are not available for the Ginkgo biloba dry extract.” It reports that a similar extract “was positive for gene mutation in bacteria”, and that a mouse blood (micronucleus) test gave “a negative result in male and an equivocal result in female animals”. It states that the thyroid tumors in rats and liver cancer in mice from those studies are considered a rodent-specific response to long-term high doses of substances that induce liver enzymes, and that “these types of tumours are not considered relevant to humans.”
  • Cancer, the international classification: the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) evaluated ginkgo leaf extract in a monograph published in 2016. It found “inadequate evidence in humans” and “sufficient evidence in experimental animals” for its carcinogenicity, and concluded: “Ginkgo biloba extract is possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B).”

Who should avoid it or take extra care

  • Pregnancy: NCCIH states that ginkgo may be unsafe during pregnancy, and that it might cause early labor or extra bleeding during delivery if used near that time. EMA states that the dry extract must not be used in pregnancy, and does not recommend the powdered leaf during pregnancy.
  • Breastfeeding: NCCIH states that little is known about whether it is safe to use ginkgo while breastfeeding. EMA states that it is unknown whether ginkgo’s breakdown products pass into breast milk, that a risk to babies cannot be excluded, and that use while breastfeeding is not recommended.
  • Bleeding problems and blood thinners: EMA states that in people with an abnormally increased tendency to bleed, and with anticoagulant and antiplatelet treatment, ginkgo medicines “should only be used after consultation with a doctor”.
  • Surgery: EMA states that because ginkgo preparations might increase susceptibility to bleeding, the medicine “should be discontinued as a precaution 3 to 4 days prior to surgery”.
  • Epilepsy: EMA states: “In patients with epilepsy, onset of further seizures – promoted by intake of Ginkgo preparations – cannot be excluded.”
  • Children: EMA states that there is “no relevant indication for children and adolescents” for the dry extract, and does not recommend the powdered leaf under 18 because of a lack of adequate data.
  • People taking medicines: NCCIH advises anyone who takes any type of medicine to talk with a health care provider before using ginkgo, because “some herbs and medicines interact in harmful ways.”

Documented interactions

  • Anticoagulants (blood thinners): NCCIH states that ginkgo may increase the risk of bleeding in people who take anticoagulant drugs, such as warfarin. EMA states that the effect of anticoagulants such as phenprocoumon and warfarin may be influenced by ginkgo. It adds that available studies with warfarin “do not indicate that there is an interaction”, but advises adequate monitoring when starting, changing or stopping ginkgo, or changing product. For the powdered leaf, EMA states: “Ginkgo leaf may increase the effects of anticoagulants such as coumarin derivatives.” Source [1]Source [2]Source [3]
  • Antiplatelet medicines (such as clopidogrel and aspirin): EMA states that the effect of antiplatelet drugs, such as clopidogrel, acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, may be influenced by ginkgo. LiverTox states that several instances of excessive bleeding during ginkgo use have been attributed to interactions with antiplatelet medicines or anticoagulants. The GEM trial authors report that bleeding did not differ between ginkgo and placebo among people taking aspirin; the trial excluded people taking warfarin. Source [1]Source [2]Source [3]
  • Efavirenz (an HIV medicine): EMA does not recommend using ginkgo with efavirenz, stating that blood levels of efavirenz may be decreased because ginkgo induces the liver enzyme CYP3A4. Source [1]
  • Dabigatran and other medicines affected by P-glycoprotein: EMA states that an interaction study indicates ginkgo may inhibit P-glycoprotein in the gut, which may raise exposure to drugs such as dabigatran etexilate, and advises caution when combining them. Source [1]
  • Nifedipine (a blood pressure medicine): EMA states that one interaction study indicated ginkgo may raise peak blood levels of nifedipine, by up to double in some people, causing dizziness and more severe hot flushes. Source [1]

Safety sources: Source [1]Source [2]Source [3]Source [4]Source [5]Source [6]Source [7]Source [8]

What the evidence says

Each claim is rated on its own evidence. Ratings follow the scale on our methodology page.

  • In people diagnosed with dementia, eases the decline in thinking and everyday functioning Evidence rating: Limited

    Families of people with dementia try ginkgo hoping it will slow the loss of memory and everyday skills.

    NCCIH says ginkgo extract may have a modest benefit for dementia symptoms but the evidence is inconsistent; a 2015 review found benefits, mainly at one dose, with results varying widely.

    NCCIH, the US agency that studies complementary medicine, states that ginkgo extract “may have a modest benefit for dementia symptoms, particularly at relatively high doses, but the evidence is inconsistent.” NCCIH also states, of all the uses studied: “ginkgo has not been shown to be effective for any of the conditions for which it has been studied.”

    A 2015 review pooled nine placebo-controlled trials, with 2,561 people, of one standardized leaf extract, EGb 761. The people had Alzheimer’s disease, vascular or mixed dementia, or milder memory problems, and the trials lasted 22 to 26 weeks. The review found better scores than placebo for thinking, daily activities and clinicians’ overall impression. It reports that the benefits came mainly at the highest of the doses studied, and concludes that the extract at that dose “is able to stabilize or slow decline” over that time, especially in people with neuropsychiatric symptoms.

    The same reviewers report that the results varied a great deal between trials. Two trials, one small, showed much larger effects than the rest. With them removed, the variation was lower but still high, and the benefits remained. The authors add that there is still considerable variation “not fully explained only by dementia type or EGb761 dosage”, which “possibly have biased our results”. The review did not rate how sure its authors are (certainty). It was funded by grants from national and provincial natural science foundations in China.

    Europe’s medicines agency, EMA, accepts a defined dry leaf extract for improving age-related thinking problems and quality of life in mild dementia, on published evidence. It states that the most relevant trials, in adults aged 50 and above, indicated the extract “could have beneficial effects on cognitive function in mild dementia”. The sources differ on how firm the benefit is. This page takes the lower rating, on the NCCIH statement.

    Sources: Source [1]Source [2]Source [3]Source [4]

  • Eases symptoms of mild cognitive impairment Evidence rating: Insufficient

    People whose memory is slipping, but who do not have dementia, take ginkgo hoping to keep their thinking sharp.

    NCCIH states that it is unclear whether ginkgo is helpful for symptoms of milder cognitive impairment.

    NCCIH, the US agency that studies complementary medicine, states: “It’s unclear whether ginkgo is helpful for symptoms of milder cognitive impairment.”

    This page rates the claim insufficient on that statement. Whether ginkgo keeps people with mild cognitive impairment from developing dementia is a separate claim, below.

    Sources: Source [1]

  • Taken by older adults without dementia, lowers the risk of developing dementia Evidence rating: Evidence against

    Older adults take ginkgo hoping it will keep dementia away.

    NCCIH states that ginkgo has not been shown to prevent dementia; in three large studies of older adults, ginkgo extract did not reduce the risk.

    NCCIH, the US agency that studies complementary medicine, states that ginkgo “has not been shown to be beneficial for preventing or slowing the progression of dementia.” It reports that in three large studies in older adults with normal thinking or mild cognitive impairment, ginkgo extract did not reduce the risk of dementia.

    One of them was the Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory (GEM) trial in the United States. It gave 3,069 people aged 75 or older a standardized ginkgo extract or a placebo and followed them for a median of 6.1 years. Dementia was diagnosed in 277 people taking ginkgo and 246 taking placebo, a difference that was not statistically significant. Ginkgo also did not slow progression to dementia among the 482 people who started with mild cognitive impairment.

    GEM was funded by institutes of the US National Institutes of Health, among others. The manufacturer of the extract donated the tablets and placebos and, the authors state, had no role in the design, analysis or reporting. One author disclosed ties to drug companies.

    A 2015 review of ginkgo in people already diagnosed with memory problems or dementia also notes that GEM and two other long-term trials did not show a lower overall rate of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease with ginkgo. This page rates the claim on the NCCIH statement.

    Sources: Source [1]Source [2]Source [3]

  • Improves memory and thinking in healthy people Evidence rating: Insufficient

    Students and busy adults take ginkgo hoping for a sharper memory and better focus.

    NCCIH states that it is uncertain whether ginkgo supplements influence thinking performance in healthy people, and that much of the research is low quality.

    NCCIH, the US agency that studies complementary medicine, notes that ginkgo has been promoted with claims that it can enhance thinking performance in healthy people, and marketed for “brain health”. It states: “it’s uncertain whether they actually influence cognitive performance in healthy people. Much of the research on this topic is of low quality.”

    This page rates the claim insufficient on that statement.

    Sources: Source [1]

  • Relieves tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Evidence rating: Evidence against

    People with ringing in their ears take ginkgo hoping the noise will fade.

    NCCIH says research suggests ginkgo is not helpful for tinnitus; a 2022 Cochrane review found little to no effect on tinnitus severity, at very low certainty.

    NCCIH, the US agency that studies complementary medicine, states: “Research suggests that ginkgo is not helpful for preventing heart disease, treating high blood pressure, or relieving symptoms of tinnitus or multiple sclerosis.”

    A 2022 Cochrane review found 12 trials, with 1,915 people, and 11 of them compared ginkgo with placebo. Only two could be pooled for tinnitus severity, with 85 people. Ginkgo “may have little to no effect” on severity at three to six months, but the reviewers call the evidence very uncertain. One trial found little or no difference in loudness, which they also rate very low certainty, and one found little or no difference in quality of life, rated low certainty.

    The reviewers conclude that there is uncertainty about the benefits and harms of ginkgo for tinnitus, and that they did not find any evidence to support or refute its prescription. They add that tinnitus guidelines recommend against its use. The two sources differ in tone: NCCIH reads the research as showing no help, while the review stresses how uncertain it is. This page takes the lower rating, on the NCCIH statement.

    Sources: Source [1]Source [2]

  • Lets people with intermittent claudication (leg pain on walking, from narrowed leg arteries) walk farther Evidence rating: Evidence against

    People whose legs hurt when they walk take ginkgo hoping to walk farther before the pain starts.

    A 2013 Cochrane review of 14 trials found no significant effect on walking distance and concluded there is no evidence of a clinically significant benefit.

    A 2013 Cochrane review found 14 placebo-controlled trials, with 739 people with leg pain on walking from peripheral arterial disease. All used standardized ginkgo extracts. Pooling 11 trials, people taking ginkgo could walk farther before pain stopped them, but the difference was not statistically significant. The reviewers translate it into about 64 meters on a flat treadmill, or about 31 meters on the uphill treadmill test they say clinical studies most often use.

    In the six trials with results at 24 weeks, the increase, about 85 meters on a flat treadmill, was statistically significant. The reviewers caution that fewer people contributed to that analysis and that it is more prone to publication bias. Smaller trials showed more positive results, a sign of publication bias that they say is likely to have inflated the effect.

    They conclude: “Overall, there is no evidence that Ginkgo biloba has a clinically significant benefit for patients with peripheral arterial disease.” They did not rate certainty. One author disclosed that his institution received funds from drug companies, which he states were not related to the review.

    Sources: Source [1]

  • Added to other treatment, eases neurological symptoms in the weeks after an acute ischemic stroke Evidence rating: Limited

    People recovering from a stroke take ginkgo hoping it will help them regain lost function.

    NCCIH says ginkgo might help stroke rehabilitation; a 2005 Cochrane review found no convincing evidence from good-quality trials to support routine use after stroke.

    A 2005 Cochrane review found 10 trials, with 792 people who had had an acute ischemic stroke. Nine were from China. Only one, judged good quality, compared ginkgo with a placebo, double-blind; it found no improvement. The other nine, which the reviewers judged of inferior quality, added ginkgo to other treatment and compared it with that treatment alone, with no placebo, and one allocated people by order of admission. Pooled, they found more people whose neurological symptoms improved with ginkgo.

    Four of the ten trials gave ginkgo extract by injection into a vein rather than as tablets. The reviewers found no difference in effect between the two routes. The outcome was improvement in neurological symptoms 14 to 35 days after the stroke; no trial measured disability, everyday function or quality of life. The reviewers say publication bias is probably high.

    They conclude that there was “no convincing evidence from trials of sufficient methodological quality to support the routine use of Ginkgo biloba extract to promote recovery after stroke.” They did not rate certainty, and their searches ended in 2004. NCCIH, the US agency that studies complementary medicine, states that ginkgo “might also be helpful in the rehabilitation of patients who have had strokes.” This page rates the claim limited on the Cochrane review.

    Sources: Source [1]Source [2]

  • Taken before a climb, prevents acute mountain sickness Evidence rating: Limited

    Trekkers and climbers take ginkgo before going high hoping to avoid altitude sickness.

    Two reviews found that trials of ginkgo against placebo disagree, with not enough data to show it prevents mountain sickness; Cochrane rates the evidence low certainty.

    A 2019 Cochrane review found six placebo-controlled trials that reported who developed acute mountain sickness, with 504 people. The results varied so much between trials that the reviewers did not pool them. Two of the six trials found a reduction with ginkgo. The reviewers rate the evidence low certainty.

    A 2018 review pooled seven placebo-controlled study groups, with 451 people. It found a trend in favor of ginkgo that was not statistically significant for the relative risk of mountain sickness. Its other pooled measure, the difference in risk calculated across all seven groups, was statistically significant in favor of ginkgo. When the three studies at high risk of bias were left out, neither measure was statistically significant. The authors conclude there “are not enough data to show the statistically significant effect” of ginkgo in preventing it.

    The two reviews count the trials differently: the 2018 review reports that four of its seven study groups showed benefit and three did not. Its authors suggest that differences between ginkgo products may explain the differing results.

    Sources: Source [1]Source [2]

  • Slows age-related macular degeneration Evidence rating: Insufficient

    People with age-related macular degeneration take ginkgo hoping to protect their eyesight.

    A 2013 Cochrane review found only two small trials and concluded that research has not answered whether ginkgo benefits people with age-related macular degeneration.

    A 2013 Cochrane review found two small trials of a standardized ginkgo extract, with 119 people with age-related macular degeneration, a condition affecting the central area of the retina at the back of the eye. Only one, with 20 people, compared ginkgo with placebo; the other compared two doses. Both reported some positive effects on vision, but the results could not be pooled, and vision improved in the comparison groups too.

    The review concludes: “Current research has not answered the question as to whether Ginkgo biloba is of benefit to people with age-related macular degeneration.” It did not rate certainty.

    Sources: Source [1]

  • Lowers the risk of heart disease Evidence rating: Evidence against

    People worried about their heart take ginkgo hoping to protect it.

    NCCIH states that research suggests ginkgo is not helpful for preventing heart disease.

    NCCIH, the US agency that studies complementary medicine, states: “Research suggests that ginkgo is not helpful for preventing heart disease, treating high blood pressure, or relieving symptoms of tinnitus or multiple sclerosis.”

    In the GEM dementia-prevention trial of 3,069 adults aged 75 or older, followed for a median of 6.1 years, the rates of coronary heart disease and of stroke did not differ between ginkgo and placebo. Heart disease was a secondary outcome of that trial. This page rates the claim on the NCCIH statement.

    Sources: Source [1]Source [2]

  • Lowers high blood pressure Evidence rating: Evidence against

    People with high blood pressure take ginkgo hoping to bring it down.

    NCCIH states that research suggests ginkgo is not helpful for treating high blood pressure.

    NCCIH, the US agency that studies complementary medicine, names four uses in one sentence. It states: “Research suggests that ginkgo is not helpful for preventing heart disease, treating high blood pressure, or relieving symptoms of tinnitus or multiple sclerosis.”

    This page rates the claim on that statement. The research behind it is not cited here directly.

    Sources: Source [1]

  • Relieves symptoms of multiple sclerosis Evidence rating: Evidence against

    People with multiple sclerosis take ginkgo hoping to ease their symptoms.

    NCCIH states that research suggests ginkgo is not helpful for relieving symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

    NCCIH, the US agency that studies complementary medicine, names four uses in one sentence. It states: “Research suggests that ginkgo is not helpful for preventing heart disease, treating high blood pressure, or relieving symptoms of tinnitus or multiple sclerosis.”

    This page rates the claim on that statement. The research behind it is not cited here directly.

    Sources: Source [1]

  • Eases anxiety Evidence rating: Limited

    People who feel anxious take ginkgo hoping for a calmer mind.

    NCCIH states that a small amount of evidence suggests a benefit from taking ginkgo by mouth for anxiety, but that the overall evidence is not conclusive.

    NCCIH, the US agency that studies complementary medicine, groups four conditions together: anxiety, PMS, schizophrenia and vertigo. It states: “For various health conditions, including anxiety, PMS, schizophrenia, and vertigo, a small amount of evidence suggests a benefit from taking ginkgo orally (by mouth), but the overall evidence is not conclusive.” NCCIH also states, of all the uses studied: “ginkgo has not been shown to be effective for any of the conditions for which it has been studied.”

    This page rates the claim limited on that statement.

    Sources: Source [1]

  • Eases premenstrual syndrome (PMS) Evidence rating: Limited

    Women with premenstrual symptoms take ginkgo hoping for easier days before their period.

    NCCIH states that a small amount of evidence suggests a benefit from taking ginkgo by mouth for PMS, but that the overall evidence is not conclusive.

    NCCIH, the US agency that studies complementary medicine, groups four conditions together: anxiety, PMS, schizophrenia and vertigo. It states: “For various health conditions, including anxiety, PMS, schizophrenia, and vertigo, a small amount of evidence suggests a benefit from taking ginkgo orally (by mouth), but the overall evidence is not conclusive.” NCCIH also states, of all the uses studied: “ginkgo has not been shown to be effective for any of the conditions for which it has been studied.”

    This page rates the claim limited on that statement.

    Sources: Source [1]

  • Helps symptoms of schizophrenia Evidence rating: Limited

    People living with schizophrenia, and their families, look to ginkgo hoping it will ease symptoms.

    NCCIH states that a small amount of evidence suggests a benefit from taking ginkgo by mouth for schizophrenia, but that the overall evidence is not conclusive.

    NCCIH, the US agency that studies complementary medicine, groups four conditions together: anxiety, PMS, schizophrenia and vertigo. It states: “For various health conditions, including anxiety, PMS, schizophrenia, and vertigo, a small amount of evidence suggests a benefit from taking ginkgo orally (by mouth), but the overall evidence is not conclusive.” NCCIH also states, of all the uses studied: “ginkgo has not been shown to be effective for any of the conditions for which it has been studied.”

    This page rates the claim limited on that statement.

    Sources: Source [1]

  • Eases vertigo Evidence rating: Limited

    People troubled by dizzy spells take ginkgo hoping to feel steady again.

    NCCIH states that a small amount of evidence suggests a benefit from taking ginkgo by mouth for vertigo, but that the overall evidence is not conclusive.

    NCCIH, the US agency that studies complementary medicine, groups four conditions together: anxiety, PMS, schizophrenia and vertigo. It states: “For various health conditions, including anxiety, PMS, schizophrenia, and vertigo, a small amount of evidence suggests a benefit from taking ginkgo orally (by mouth), but the overall evidence is not conclusive.” NCCIH also states, of all the uses studied: “ginkgo has not been shown to be effective for any of the conditions for which it has been studied.”

    This page rates the claim limited on that statement.

    Sources: Source [1]

Which form the evidence used

Supplements are sold in several forms. This is what the sources on this page say about them — which form the research used, and any comparison those sources themselves made. Where they made none, this page does not rank the forms.

  • Standardized ginkgo leaf dry extract, What the sources supportDetails

    Most of the cited research used a standardized dry extract of the leaf. The 2015 dementia review included only trials of the extract EGb 761, and the large US dementia-prevention trial (GEM) used it too. The Cochrane review on leg pain from narrowed arteries reports that its trials used standardized extracts. Europe’s medicines agency, EMA, accepts one defined dry extract of the leaf, taken by mouth, for age-related thinking problems and quality of life in mild dementia, on what EMA calls “well-established use”, which it explains means there are published data “providing scientific evidence of their effectiveness and safety”. No cited source compared one extract with another, so this page cannot say that any one works better. Source [1]Source [2]Source [3]Source [4]Source [5]

  • Powdered dried ginkgo leaf, Details

    EMA accepts medicines made from the powdered leaf only as traditional herbal medicines, for heaviness in the legs and cold hands and feet with minor circulation problems. It states that this use rests on long-standing use, because the clinical studies available “were too limited to be used as evidence”. Source [1]Source [2]

Also documented elsewhere on this site

Other supplements we cover that document an interaction with the same thing. This is a pointer to what those pages say, not a statement about taking them together — we have no source reviewing these in combination.

Sources

  1. Ginkgo
    National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, NIH, 2025 · Health authority summary · Primary source
  2. Efficacy and Adverse Effects of Ginkgo Biloba for Cognitive Impairment and Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
    Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 2015 · Meta-analysis · Primary source
  3. European Union herbal monograph on Ginkgo biloba L., folium – Final
    European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC), 2015 · Health authority summary · Primary source
  4. Herbal medicine: summary for the public – Ginkgo leaf, Ginkgo biloba L., folium
    European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC), 2015 · Health authority summary · Primary source
  5. Ginkgo biloba for Prevention of Dementia: A Randomized Controlled Trial
    JAMA, 2008 · Randomized controlled trial · Supporting source
    This source discloses industry funding.
    Some of its authors disclose ties to industry.
  6. Ginkgo biloba for tinnitus
    Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2022 · Meta-analysis · Primary source · Certainty: very low
  7. Ginkgo biloba for intermittent claudication
    Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2013 · Meta-analysis · Primary source
    Some of its authors disclose ties to industry.
  8. Ginkgo biloba for acute ischaemic stroke
    Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2005 · Meta-analysis · Primary source
  9. Interventions for preventing high altitude illness: Part 3. Miscellaneous and non-pharmacological interventions
    Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2019 · Meta-analysis · Primary source · Certainty: low
  10. Ginkgo biloba extract for prevention of acute mountain sickness: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
    BMJ Open, 2018 · Meta-analysis · Primary source
  11. Ginkgo biloba extract for age-related macular degeneration
    Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2013 · Systematic review · Primary source
  12. Ginkgo
    LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 2018 · Health authority summary · Primary source
  13. Toxicology and carcinogenesis studies of Ginkgo biloba extract (CAS No. 90045-36-6) in F344/N rats and B6C3F1/N mice (gavage studies)
    National Toxicology Program Technical Report Series (NTP TR 578), 2013 · Animal or laboratory study · Supporting source
  14. Ginkgo biloba. In: Some Drugs and Herbal Products, IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, Volume 108
    International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 2016 · Health authority summary · Primary source

Page history

Show all 2 changes to this page
  • — Published.
  • — Drafted. Easing dementia symptoms, easing neurological symptoms after stroke, preventing altitude sickness, anxiety, PMS, schizophrenia and vertigo rated limited; mild cognitive impairment, memory in healthy people and macular degeneration rated insufficient; preventing dementia, tinnitus, leg pain on walking, heart disease, high blood pressure and multiple sclerosis rated evidence against.