Ginkgo Biloba Not Proven to Protect the Brain

Charles Darwin called the Ginkgo biloba tree a “living fossil,” as it is part of the Ginkgoaceae family, which has been on Earth for over 270 million years. For centuries, formulations from the leaves or fruits of this tree have been a part of Eastern medicines for a wide range of conditions, including gastrointestinal, vascular and cognitive problems. In modern Western medicine, the plant is recognized as an antioxidant, which means it may help counteract day-to-day damage to your cells.

Given the tree’s staying power, it’s no wonder people look to it to give their brains a boost as they age. In fact, the labels of most ginkgo supplements promise to deliver mental clarity and alertness, improved brain function and other brain-based rewards.

However, “despite numerous studies, significant effects [of ginkgo biloba supplements] have not been shown,” says neurologist Steven DeKosky, who was an issue expert on AARP’s Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH) 2019 report, “The Real Deal on Brain Health Supplements.”

Most recently, in a review published in 2023 in the journal Systematic Reviews, researchers sifted through 21 randomized controlled trials that measured the benefits of ginkgo biloba in older adults, including those with and without cognitive impairment. Overall, the review found, the studies lacked the scientific rigor to produce solid evidence of any benefits of ginkgo.

Many studies in the review were biased, the researchers found. They were designed in such a way that would inflate the cognitive benefits of a product, or the trials themselves were conducted by companies that manufactured ginkgo supplements or people who got money from those companies, for example.

“My view is that if someone takes ginkgo with the expectation that it will prevent or delay the onset of cognitive decline in aging, I would advise them to stop,” says DeKosky, who is also a professor of Alzheimer’s research at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville and deputy director of the McKnight Brain Institute.

In fact, ginkgo biloba may not fulfill the expectation of any health benefits. According to the National Institutes of Health, there’s no strong evidence that it helps with blood pressure, tinnitus, age-related macular degeneration, the risk of heart attack or stroke, or any other conditions for which there is research.

What’s more, says DeKosky, “There are no nutrients in ginkgo extracts that are not provided by a healthy diet.” Still, he adds, if you just can’t give up your ginkgo, there’s little risk of harm unless you’re taking other medications, such as blood thinners, that could interact with it. “It’s relatively low cost and has a benign side-effects profile,” he notes.