ginkgo biloba

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks of daily living.

Among older people, AD is the most common cause of dementia (a decline in cognitive function that interferes with daily life and activities).

However, AD is not a normal part of aging. Although treatment can slow the progression of AD and help manage its symptoms in some people, currently there is no cure for this devastating disease.

In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, 240 milligrams per day of the dietary supplement Ginkgo biloba was found to be ineffective in reducing the development of dementia and Alzheimer's disease in older people.

Researchers led by Steven T. DeKosky, M.D., conducted the trial known as the Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory (GEM) study at four clinical sites over the course of 8 years.

GEM is the largest clinical trial ever to evaluate ginkgo's effect on the occurrence of dementia.