Ginkgo Biloba, Dr. Oz, and Memory

On his Friday May 31, 2013 show, Dr. Oz stated emphatically that there is no conclusive evidence that Ginkgo Biloba in supplement form helps or hurts. He cited recent animal studies that suggest Ginkgo may cause certain types of cancer, but they were only studies in rats and mice. He stated that there are other studies that suggest benefits. His conclusion based on consulting his "experts" was that one is better off not taking it.

Is this news? Not to Steven Novella, MD, an American clinical neurologist and assistant professor at Yale University School of Medicine, who appeared on the April 26, 2011 episode of the Dr. Oz Show and argued this very point. Dr. Novella stated during that episode that the evidence to support the use of Ginkgo Biloba was inconclusive and Dr. Oz pushed back. (See http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/alternative-medicine-controversy-pt-1)

As I wrote in my last blog about other supplements and you may have just seen at the link above, Dr. Oz hasn't always been so neutral about recommending Ginkgo.

Still not convinced?

Check out the following links to see for yourself.

Here's a video I plucked today from his website that shows another previous episode of his show.

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/does-it-work-ginkgo-biloba

Want more?

Here's a quote from a website called Realage.com in which he has an ownership stake:

"What is Ginkgo Biloba?

RealAge answered:

The ginkgo tree, also known as the maidenhair tree, is one of the oldest living species in the world. This hardy, deciduous tree is cultivated on plantations in many parts of the world, primarily in the United States and China. Ginkgo leaves are picked, dried and extracted to manufacture ginkgo products, which are marketed widely.

Extracts of Ginkgo biloba can be used to treat the following:

• limping due to insufficient peripheral blood flow (disorders of peripheral circulation, or intermittent claudication)
• memory loss due to general mental deterioration (dementia) or physical disorders that cause a decrease in mental function (organic brain syndrome)
• dizziness (vertigo) and ringing in the ears (tinnitus), originating from insufficient blood supply to the inner ear"

Still hungry for proof?

Here's another quote from Sharecare.com, a website he jointly owns and which purchased Realage.com.

"What are the benefits of Ginkgo Biloba?

Dr. Mehmet Oz answered:

Ginkgo biloba improves mood and can help prevent macular degeneration.Watch the video to find out from Dr. Oz about the other benefits of ginkgo biloba."

I can't make this stuff up. Dr. Oz is sowing a great deal of confusion by stating one thing one day and flipping on it the next. The worse part, he doesn't bother to clean upon the web and his own site of the old "wrong" information he previously shared. It's obvious he's not taking anything for memory. He must also think his audience also has a poor memory and can't remember what he previously said.

I wonder if we all wouldn't be better off if Dr. Oz just kept his mouth shut? What do you think?

As for Ginkgo Biloba for memory, forget it.

If You Jump Up and Down After Reading Today's Blog, You May Actually Remember It When You Get Older!

It won't come as news to anyone that exercise helps you stay fit and being fit is good for your health. It also probably won't come as a surprise that being fit is good for your mood. But what about memory? Will exercise preserve memory? Does being fit earlier in life affect what happens many years later? Will being fit prevent Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia?

Until now, scientists have had strong suspicions that lifestyle plays a meaningful role in preserving healthy brain function, but they didn't know for sure. A new study just came along that moves the needle along in validating the key role that exercise plays in prevention.

Published in the February 5, 2013 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, the study titled "The Association Between Midlife Cardiorespiratory Fitness Levels and Later Life Dementia" was a cohort study that does not prove cause and effect but deserves close attention. The study performed at The Cooper Institute in Dallas Texas involved 19, 458 middle aged people who had a treadmill exercise test as part of health care preventive visit. Based on the amount of time that a person was able to run on the treadmill, researchers grouped them into two categories of most fit and least fit. They then followed these people for many years, beyond the time they reached 65 years, to see who developed dementia.

What did they find? You guessed it. The people in the most fit group were far less likely to develop dementia. Although the study did not look at diet, which is obviously an important contributing factor to health, and was limited to mostly healthy white people, it does offer possible evidence of an association between fitness and memory preservation.  Again, the study did not prove cause and effect but it does provide yet another reason to stay fit by being physically active.


While only 1 out of 8 Americans develop dementia by the age of 65, that number rises to 3 out of 7 by age 85. Although that represents less than half of those over the age of 85, no one, but the most cynical, would disagree that it would be better to avoid dementia than experience it.  It's no fun to lose your memory. Just ask anyone who suffers from a form of dementia or watched a loved one die from it. The good news is that science suggests that if you get to age 90 without developing dementia, the probability of development appears to decrease due to possible suppression of the gene responsible for it.

So if you are sitting down when you read this, it may be a good idea to get off your seat and jump up and down.  If you keep doing that long enough and as often as possible, you may remember this blog for many years to come. That would be nice, right?

Nu? So what are you waiting for? Get up and get moving! Now, before you forget how important it is to your future memory...