Ginkgo biloba (Maidenhair
Tree)
Bai Guo [Chinese]
Life
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Ginkgo biloba in the Company
Gardens, Cape Town. [photo
H. Robertson, Iziko ©] |
The only surviving species of the ancient plant group
Ginkophyta. Ginkgo biloba is native to China but it is uncertain whether
there are any surviving natural populations. It has survived through cultivation
in temple gardens and is now grown worldwide in parks and gardens. Fossils from
200 million years ago appear identical to this modern day representative.
Medicinal uses
A great deal of research has been done on the medicinal
benefits of Ginkgo and it has been used in traditional Chinese medicines
for a long time. A few interesting facts about its medicinal applications are
presented here. Extracts of leaves are used medicinally to improve blood
circulation in the brain, evidently aiding memory and concentration, and
reducing the chances of a stroke. A substance in the leaves evidently inhibits
Platelet Activating Factor, thus making the blood less sticky and less likely to
produce clots (a stroke is caused by a clot in the brain preventing oxygenated
blood from reaching brain tissue). Taking these extracts is also considered to
reduce senile dementia. In Chinese medicine, the seeds are prescribed for
urinary problems and to lessen phlegm and reduce wheezing.
Text by Hamish Robertson |