GINKGO BILOBA

Used for centuries to enhance mental alertness by promoting healthy circulation

Ginkgo biloba, the world's oldest living tree species, dates back hundreds of millions of years and is often referred to as "the living fossil". Medical uses of this plant recorded in Chinese textbooks from 2800 BC include "benefiting the brain," supporting respiratory health, and fighting off a type of worm. It is very popular in China today and is used for overall health.

It was introduced to Europe in 1730, and today ginkgo is used extensively throughout the continent to promote mental alertness. In Germany, ginkgo biloba is sold via prescription, and doctors write more prescriptions for ginkgo than for any other substance. Ginkgo biloba supplements are made from green-picked leaves grown of plantations in the United States, France, Japan, and South Korea that have been specifically created for supplemental purposes.

For use as a nutritional supplement, the best sources of ginkgo biloba are standardized extracts. In a standardized extract, an herb is processed so that the final product always delivers the same amount of the active compound. This guarantees you'll get a consistently defective supplement every time you sue it.

Ginkgo biloba and the brain

A number of encouraging clinical trials has shown that this valuable herb may offer many benefits. These trials showed
• Ginkgo biloba helps improve blood flow. This may include improved circulation to the brain.
• Ginkgo has been researched extensively and has been shown to promote mental alertness.
• Ginkgo contains antioxidants. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, which cause the normal signs of aging.

A German Commission E monograph gives its approval to ginkgo biloba for the following: poor memory, low concentration, depression, dizziness, ringing in the ears, and other conditions. This monograph also claims that ginkgo biloba:
• Supports the ability of tissue, particularly brain tissue, to withstand insufficient oxygen.
• Supports memory and learning capacity.
• Supports circulation, particularly in the s mall vessels
• Produces an overall neuroprotective effect.

Other promising research underscores the value of ginkgo
• Two studies measuring the effectiveness of ginkgo in supporting blood flow showed stimulated circulation to the brain within 12 days.
• Enhanced short-term memory and mental alertness was also observed.
• Cerebral insufficiency-which causes impaired reaction time, poor concentration, poor visual memory, and low ability to learn-was the focus of other studies. Ginkgo was shown to modulate the effects of cerebral insufficiency an early as six weeks into treatment.
• Two breakthrough studies demonstrated that ginkgo biloba may promote improved mental function. The Tree of life Whole Health System Ginkgo biloba extract is part of the Tree of Life Whole Health System which is designed specifically to meet your body's needs. The system makes it easy for you to select the vitamins, minerals, and herbs that are right for your body's unique needs. Easy-to-understand graphic icons on each label immediately identify the body's system that the product is designed to help. By matching your body's needs to the label icons, you create a Tree of Life Whole Health System that's right for you.