Home Ingredients Ginkgolden® (Ginkgo biloba Extract)
Cognitive

Ginkgolden® (Ginkgo biloba Extract)

Ginkgo biloba
Evidence Level
Limited
1 Clinical Trial
3 Documented Benefits
2/5 Evidence Score

Ginkgolden® is a standardized Ginkgo biloba leaf extract sold for cognitive support. Ginkgo is one of the most widely used memory herbs, but the trials behind that reputation used EGb761, a different company's standardized extract, mostly in older adults who already had diagnosed cognitive impairment.

Studied Dose Commonly 120 to 240 mg of standardized extract per day, though in the pooled trials the benefits were tied mainly to 240 mg per day and not to 120 mg.
Active Compound Ginkgo biloba leaf extract, standardized to about 24% flavone glycosides and 6% terpene lactones, a specification originally set by the EGb761 extract and now used industry wide. The maker's own published range is 22 to 27 percent flavonoids and 5.4 to 12 percent terpene lactones, so meeting the standard does not make an extract the same material that was tested.

Benefits

Cognition and memory

Standardized Ginkgo biloba extract is studied for supporting memory, attention, and daily mental function. The trials behind that reputation used one specific German extract, EGb761, at 240 mg per day, and they enrolled older adults who already had diagnosed cognitive impairment or dementia. Long trials of that same extract in older adults without dementia did not show that ginkgo slowed cognitive decline.

Supported by Trial 1

Circulation

Ginkgo has a long traditional use for blood flow to the brain and the extremities. Nothing cited on this page measured blood flow, blood pressure, or leg circulation, so treat this as traditional use rather than a tested effect.

Supported by Trial 1

Antioxidant support

Ginkgo leaf is rich in flavonoids that scavenge free radicals in laboratory tests. No antioxidant outcome was measured in the human research cited here, so this is a proposed mechanism rather than a demonstrated effect.

Supported by Trial 1

Mechanism of action

1

Microcirculation support

Ginkgo's flavone glycosides and terpene lactones are proposed to act on blood-vessel tone and on platelet activating factor, which is the usual explanation offered for its traditional circulation use. Circulation was not measured in the research cited on this page.

2

Antioxidant activity (proposed)

Laboratory and animal work suggests ginkgo antioxidants may buffer oxidative stress in neurons and blood vessels. This is a proposed explanation for the cognitive findings, not something the human trials measured.

Clinical trials

1
EGb761 Ginkgo Extract and Cognition: Meta-Analysis
PubMed

Systematic review and meta-analysis of nine randomized trials of EGb761, a different company's branded ginkgo extract, in patients with cognitive impairment and dementia. (Tan et al. 2015, Journal of Alzheimer's Disease)

2,561 patients already diagnosed with cognitive impairment or dementia, across nine trials of 22 to 26 weeks. Not healthy adults.

At 240 mg per day, EGb761 slowed or stabilized decline in cognition, daily function, and clinician-rated global change over 22 to 26 weeks. The pooled cognitive difference was about 2.9 points on the rating scales used, which the authors described as stabilizing or slowing decline rather than reversing it, and the benefits were tied mainly to the 240 mg dose rather than 120 mg. The review reported no important safety concerns.

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

Generally well-tolerated.
Mild headache or digestive upset can occur.
Rarely, mild dizziness, and case reports describe bleeding events in ginkgo users, usually alongside blood thinners, although controlled trials have not shown a clear increase in bleeding.

Important Drug interactions

Anticoagulants and antiplatelets — ginkgo may add to bleeding risk with warfarin, clopidogrel, or daily aspirin. Do not combine without your doctor's approval, and stop if you notice unusual bruising or bleeding.
Seizure disorders — use caution and consult a doctor.
Stop before surgery and tell your doctor.

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Frequently asked questions about Ginkgolden® (Ginkgo biloba Extract)

What is Ginkgolden?

Ginkgolden® is a standardized Ginkgo biloba leaf extract sold for cognitive support. Ginkgo is one of the most widely used memory herbs, but the trials behind that reputation used EGb761, a different company's standardized extract, mostly in older adults who already had diagnosed cognitive impairment.

What is Ginkgolden used for?

Ginkgolden is researched primarily for Cognitive. Standardized Ginkgo biloba extract is studied for supporting memory, attention, and daily mental function. The trials behind that reputation used one specific German extract, EGb761, at 240 mg per day, and they enrolled older adults who alr…

What is the recommended dosage of Ginkgolden?

The clinically studied dose is Commonly 120 to 240 mg of standardized extract per day, though in the pooled trials the benefits were tied mainly to 240 mg per day and not to 120 mg. Always follow the product label and check with a healthcare provider for personal advice.

Is Ginkgolden safe, and does it have side effects?

For most healthy adults, Ginkgolden is well tolerated at studied doses. Reported effects can include: Generally well-tolerated. Mild headache or digestive upset can occur. It may also interact with some medications. Ginkgolden is not right for everyone, so check with a healthcare provider first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or take prescription medication.

Does Ginkgolden interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: Anticoagulants and antiplatelets — ginkgo may add to bleeding risk with warfarin, clopidogrel, or daily aspirin. Do not combine without your doctor's approval, and stop if you notice unusual bruising or bleeding. Seizure disorders — use caution and consult a doctor. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for Ginkgolden?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for Ginkgolden as Limited (2 out of 5). It is backed by 1 clinical trial and 4 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(4 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

  1. Tan MS, Yu JT, Tan CC, et al. Efficacy and adverse effects of ginkgo biloba for cognitive impairment and dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Alzheimers Dis. 2015;43(2):589-603..PubMedUsed to support: Meta-analysis of nine randomized trials in 2,561 patients with cognitive impairment or dementia, lasting 22 to 26 weeks. It studied EGb761, the ginkgo extract made by Dr Willmar Schwabe, and its inclusion criteria named that extract specifically. Ginkgolden is a different company's extract built to the same 24 and 6 percent specification, so this is borrowed evidence rather than evidence on Ginkgolden itself.
  2. DeKosky ST, Williamson JD, Fitzpatrick AL, et al. Ginkgo biloba for prevention of dementia: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2008;300(19):2253-62..PubMedUsed to support: Long-term randomized trial, the Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory study, in 3,069 community volunteers aged 75 and older who had normal cognition or mild cognitive impairment. They took the EGb761 ginkgo extract at 120 mg twice daily or placebo for a median of 6.1 years. Dementia occurred at 3.3 cases per 100 person-years on ginkgo versus 2.9 on placebo, and the authors concluded ginkgo was not effective at reducing the overall rate of dementia. Included so the page carries the long-term negative evidence next to the favorable short-term meta-analysis.
  3. Snitz BE, O'Meara ES, Carlson MC, et al. Ginkgo biloba for preventing cognitive decline in older adults: a randomized trial. JAMA. 2009;302(24):2663-70..PubMedUsed to support: Cognitive results from the same Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory study: 3,069 adults aged 72 to 96 took the EGb761 ginkgo extract at 240 mg per day or placebo for a median of about six years, with repeated testing of memory, attention, language, visuospatial ability and executive function. Annual rates of decline did not differ between the ginkgo and placebo groups in any of those areas. Supports the caveat that ginkgo has not been shown to slow cognitive decline in older adults who do not have dementia.
  4. Vellas B, Coley N, Ousset PJ, et al. Long-term use of standardised Ginkgo biloba extract for the prevention of Alzheimer's disease (GuidAge): a randomised placebo-controlled trial. Lancet Neurol. 2012;11(10):851-9..PubMedUsed to support: Five-year randomized trial, GuidAge, in 2,854 French adults aged 70 and older who reported memory complaints, taking the EGb761 ginkgo extract at 120 mg twice daily or placebo. Alzheimer's disease was diagnosed at 1.2 cases per 100 person-years on ginkgo versus 1.4 on placebo, a difference that was not statistically significant. A second long-term null result, in the group closest to a typical retail supplement user.