Ginkgo biloba

Luciano De Tramontana; Psychology Major Spring 2023

Dosage: This supplement is available as an oral tablet, capsule, tea or extract.

Dosing: Typical adult doses range from 60-240 mg by mouth daily up to 6 months.

Pharmacology:

The most beneficial components found in Ginkgo biloba are known to be flavonoids (antioxidant) and terpenoids (blood circulation). These antioxidant compounds fight particles known as free radicals (which can contribute to serious disease such as cancer) and stops them from damaging cells.

I believe that Ginkgo biloba is a supplement with great potential to help people suffering with blood disorders and to those that want to boost cognitive functions. However, I would not recommend this for boosting memory as more evidence is still needed to prove that it is efficient for this.

- L. De Tramontana

Effectiveness:

Some evidence suggests that this supplement is possibly effective for anxiety, diseases such as dementia, hearing loss, helps with antipsychotic medicine side effects, vertigo and more. (WebMD)

In past studies, adults taking 120-240 mg of the supplement reported improvements 4 to 6 weeks after the initial dose.

Safety:

DON'T take if you:

-Have a bleeding disorder

- Plan to have surgery (stop taking supplement 2 weeks prior to surgery)

-Are pregnant

- NEVER eat fresh seeds as they may lead to DEATH

- Avoid taking several roasted seeds/ crude plant as they may provoke seizures

Interactions:

Side effects: Oral route of administration: dizziness, stomach ache, allergic skin reactions

Do not combine with Alprazolam, Ibuprofen, any type of medication broken down by the liver, medications for diabetes, anticoagulant drugs, Trazodone (WebMD)

Article summary: A study published by the National Library of Medicine explored many components of the compound that might have medicinal properties. The study concluded that " EGb’s effects in vitro and in vivo, most have reported very positive outcomes with strong statistical analyses, indicating that EGb must have some sort of beneficial effect." It is important to note that the information from the clinical trial did not include important information such as: patient age, doses administered and duration, and participant's health condition.

Works cited:

Zuo,W. et al. (2017) Advances in the studies of ginkgo biloba leaves extract on aging-related diseases, Aging and disease Availableat: https://doi.org/10.14336/ad.2017.0615(Accessed:April13,2023).

Ginkgo:Overview,uses,sideeffects,precautions,interactions,dosing andreviews.WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-333/ginkgo. AccessedApril13,2023.Ginkgo.MayoClinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-ginkgo/art-20362032. PublishedNovember18,2020.AccessedApril13,2023.

HISTORY/BACKGROUND

Glucosamine was first prepared in 1876 by a man named Georg Ledderhose by the hydrolysis of chitin with concentrated HCL. However, it was not fully discovered until the 1930” s where a man by the name of Walter Haworth was able to understand the stereochemistry of this molecule. Most glucosamine supplements are made by harvesting shells from shellfish and are made in the lab.

COMMON/SCIENTIFIC NAMES

-GLUCOSAMINE HAS 2 SCIENTIFIC NAMESGLUCOSAMINE SULPHATE AND GLUCOSAMINE HYDROCHLORIDE.

Common Uses

THE MOST COMMON USES OF GLUCOSAMINE SUPPLEMENTS ARE IN THE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS THAT SUFFER FROM EITHER OSTEOARTHRITIS WHICH IS THE INFLAMMATION OF THE BREAKDOWN OF CARTILAGE OR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS WHICH IS A CHRONIC AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE THAT MOSTLY AFFECTS THE JOINTS.

How It Works In The Body

GLUCOSAMINE IS USED BY THE BODY NATURALLY TO MAKE CHEMICALS THAT BUILD TENDONS, LIGAMENTS, CARTILAGE, ETC. BY TAKING GLUCOSAMINE SUPPLEMENTS YOU HELP EXPEDITE THIS PROCESS AND THUS WILL ALLOW YOU TO PREVENT OR HELP THE BREAKDOWN OF CARTILAGE.