Feeling mentally fatigued, having trouble remembering things, or experiencing heavy legs at the end of the day? Ginkgo biloba, this ancient giant, is now found in dietary supplements to support blood circulation and cognitive function. At Soin-et-Nature, we’ve curated a selection of pharmaceutical-grade formulas made with standardized ginkgo leaf extracts, widely recognized for improving brain oxygenation, maintaining alertness, and alleviating discomfort associated with sluggish venous circulation. Whether you’re going through a period of intense mental strain or looking to age gracefully, ginkgo offers natural, valuable, and targeted support.
More detailsThis is the oldest species in the plant kingdom. Indeed, as Darwin said, it is a true “living fossil.” It belongs to a group of plants that evolved during the Carboniferous Period, the golden age of giant horsetails, 200 to 250 million years ago.
It also has the advantage of being a tree that can live for millennia. It thus combines the longevity of the species with that of the individual tree. There are countless examples demonstrating the ginkgo’s indomitable resilience: no insect feeds on its leaves or fruits, it resists fungi, and it withstands air and soil pollution. A ginkgo tree charred by the atomic explosion in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, sprouted a new shoot the following spring!
The ginkgo’s persistence can also be explained by the length of its reproductive period, even though it does not reach sexual maturity until it is between 40 and 70 years old. In this respect, it is a botanical curiosity. It produces neither flowers, nor fruit, nor seeds. What is commonly considered the fruit of the ginkgo is actually a large ovule that may or may not be fertilized, depending on whether a male tree is nearby. Like an oviparous animal, the ginkgo lays eggs! It thus differs from viviparous plants in this respect.
Moreover, this sacred tree, planted near Asian temples and pagodas, has demonstrated its ability to withstand the test of time.
People prefer the golden autumn showers; in fact, the butter-yellow foliage falls over a very short period, highlighting the origin of one of the ginkgo’s nicknames,the “tree of 1,000 écus,” although this is an exaggeration—the actual number is estimated to be 40! This name is directly linked to the ginkgo’s arrival in Europe in the 18th century. After passing through Holland and England, the ginkgo took root on French soil in the 1770s. The first ginkgo planted in France (1778) is located in Montpellier at 3 rue du Carré du Roi, so it is still a very young tree.
It was, of course, Chinese medicine that first took an interest in the ginkgo’s therapeutic properties. Chen Nong described it as a natural circulatory stimulant 2,700 years B.C.
Upon its arrival in Europe, Linnaeus provided a detailed description of it, and Goethe praised its bilobed leaves in a poem and grew them in his garden.
It was not until the early 20th century that pharmacological research began. In 1936, a Hungarian physician, Szent Györgyi, identified the presence and role of the famous flavonoids contained in ginkgo leaves.
Since then, therapeutic applications have multiplied to such an extent that this ancient tree offers hope for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
This deciduous tree is native to the forests of central China, where it thrives at elevations between 400 and 1,200 meters. It requires a humid climate but cannot tolerate temperatures below 2°C during the cold season. Rich, sandy, and well-exposed soils suit it perfectly.
While the seeds are still used in Asia, it is primarily the leaves that are of interest to Western pharmacopoeia. Ginkgo has a general effect on the circulatory system (promotes microcirculation, veinotonic, vasodilator, blood-thinning, etc.). As such, it is used to treat the following vascular and venous disorders: venous insufficiency of the lower limbs, arteritis of the lower limbs, varicose veins and edema of the lower limbs, hemorrhoids, and impaired cerebral and peripheral arterial circulation. In the latter case, ginkgo therefore affects memory, concentration, reflexes, alertness, and mood.
As an antioxidant, ginkgo combats cellular aging (ginkgo is currently being studied for its role in preventing aging; it may protect our cellular powerhouses—the mitochondria—from free radicals).
The plant can be combined with other venotonic herbs such as butcher’s broom, red vine, and horse chestnut to support venous circulation. As for its effects on concentration and memory, it can be combined with periwinkle.
Known or presumed mechanism of action:
Ginkgo biloba is listed in List A of the French Pharmacopoeia (leaves).
A standardized extract containing flavonoids (24%) and ginkgolides-bilobalides (6%) derived from Ginkgo biloba leaves has been the subject of dozens of human trials, leading to its recommendation for thefunctional brain impairment in the elderly characterized by cognitive impairments (memory, concentration, attention),mood disturbances, headaches, and loss of energy. Medications containing this extract are administered orally as a treatment to alleviate symptoms of cognitive impairment in older adults, certain vertigo and tinnitus syndromes, certain types of hearing loss, and retinal deficits of presumed ischemic origin. They are also indicated for the symptomatic treatment of intermittent claudication associated with stage II chronic obliterative arteriopathy of the lower extremities. Ginkgo is present in medicinal products indicated for the treatment of symptoms related to venolymphatic insufficiency and/or hemorrhoidal flare-ups.
According to theWHO and the German Commission E, the use of ginkgo leaf extracts is clinically proven as an adjunctive treatment for symptoms, to symptomatically treat mild to moderate cerebral deficits associated with senile dementia of degenerative vascular origin, the manifestations of which they describe.
According tothe EMA, the use of Ginkgo biloba is clinically well-established for improving (age-related) cognitive impairment and quality of life in cases of mild dementia. The European agency adds that the plant is traditionally used to relieve heavy legs and the sensation of cold hands and feet associated with minor circulatory disorders, after a serious condition has been ruled out by a doctor. Standardized ginkgo biloba leaf extract has been included in the treatment guidelines for Alzheimer’s disease by the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP).
Ginkgo biloba has been the subject of so much research that it is impossible to cite all of it. It is one of the most extensively studied plants, and one of those with the highest level of evidence. As our understanding continues to grow each year—regarding its complex and comprehensive mechanism of action at the neurovascular level, as well as its protective properties for connective tissue (inhibition of MPP metalloproteases, modulation of proteoglycans, and regulation of the secretion of certain pro-inflammatory cytokines), new properties are regularly attributed to it.
Soin-et-Nature offers a complete line of dietary supplements specifically designed to improve blood circulation and relieve related discomforts. Here are the main categories available:
These dietary supplements for circulation offered by Soin-et-Nature help relieve circulatory discomfort while improving venous health on a daily basis.
