Ginkgo no help for memory

Another study has confirmed that Ginkgo biloba, a herbal remedy thought to improve memory and prevent dementia, has no effect on cognitive functioning in older adults. Of more than 3,000 participants who were randomised to either 120-mg of Ginkgo biloba extract twice daily (n=1545) or placebo (n=1524) for an average of 6 years, those who received Ginkgo had similar cognitive decline than those in the placebo group. Writing in JAMA, the study authors noted that the herbal remedy had no effect on global cognitive change or on specific cognitive domains of memory, visual-spatial construction, language, attention or executive function. The association was the same after adjusting for age, sex, race, education or executive functions, and those who had mild cognitive impairment at the beginning of the study had similar effects of treatment. The authors noted that their findings agree with the 2009 Cochrane review of Ginkgo and previous smaller studies which have all reported no difference in episodic memory decline. “There is no evidence that G biloba slows the rate or results in less cognitive decline in older adults with normal cognition or with mild cognitive impairment,” they concluded. JAMA. 2009; 203 (24):2663-2670...