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be beneficial for many diseases associated with aging such as memory loss, heart disease, stroke, impotence and some forms of deafness and blindness.
Research shows that ginkgo has the ability to prevent blood clotting in strokes and heart attacks, asthma attacks and organ graft rejection. Ginkgo can alleviate intermittent claudication (pain, cramping and weakness in the legs due to cholesterol deposits in the arteries) by improving blood flow to the legs and calves. Ginkgo also thins the blood, thereby preventing clotting and benefiting those with atherosclerosis. Ginkgo has also proven effective against tinnitus (ringing the ears) and vertigo (dizziness).
Ginkgo's clinical effects are largely due to its ability to dilate blood vessels and increase circulation to the head, heart and extremities. If the conditions mentioned above are due to impaired circulation, ginkgo can be of help.
Ginkgo extracts also show great promise in the treatment of senility, dementia and early stages of Alzheimer's disease. The effective dose for treating Alzheimer's disease in one study was 80 mg three times daily. The dose most often recommended is 120 mg daily. For those with memory loss and other signs of dementia, the effects of ginkgo are most evident after two or more months of continual use. The leaf extract is considered one of the best ways to use ginkgo, although many feel that the concentrated standardized extract (in capsule form) containing 24 percent flavone glycosides is the most effective. Two to six capsules daily is the suggested dose.
Although generally recognized as safe, if dizziness or headaches occur in elderly persons taking 240 mg daily, decrease the dose to 120 mg daily and slowly increase to 240 mg over the course of six to eight weeks. Some sources say that ginkgo is contraindicated for those with blood clotting disorders and, in extremely large doses, irritability, restlessness, vomiting and diarrhea have been reported. However, current reviews of ginkgo's safety

 
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