One of my students sent me some new information about Ginkgo that I felt would be helpful to share. But first I would like to express my feelings about this amazing herb, and I draw a lot of information from the book Ginkgo: Elixir of Youth by Christopher Hobbs L.Ac.  1991 (which is something old).

Ginkgo is called a living fossil because it is the oldest living species on the planet. Ginkgo survived the Ice Age only in China, so all ginkgo trees trace their ancestry through that area. Due to their longevity, they have obtained immunity to all potential invaders, they have no natural enemies. They can live thousands of years. Street departments habitually plant ginkgo trees ornamentally because they do not attract pests. Ginkgo trees were the only survivors of the atomic blast in Nagasaki. We can use ginkgo’s tenacity to strengthen our lives.

As a prelude to the functioning of ginkgo it would be prudent to mention the importance of the circulatory system. We have trillions of cells and they all function well if they receive a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients, which is carried by the blood and delivered via the circulatory system. If they do not constantly receive these essential supplies and have metabolic waste removed from their spaces, they prematurely age, start malfunctioning and proceed to atrophy. To ensure this doesn’t occur, ginkgo leaf should be used daily to open these passageways, deliver the oxygen and vital nutrients, and to guarantee constant health.

From Christopher Hobbs’ aforementioned book he lists the major uses of ginkgo (pages 25-26):

“In modern clinical studies, ginkgo has been shown to help restore health in the following areas:

• Brain Function: Cerebral insufficiency (decreased blood flow to the brain) can adversely affect memory, concentration, intellectual ability, vision, equilibrium and balance. It may also lead to symptoms such as headaches, depression, mental confusion. Stroke can occur because of lack of blood flow and oxygen to brain tissue. Ginkgo can prevent and even treat all of these conditions. 

• Circulation Disorders: Peripheral vascular disease may cause poor circulation in the legs, making walking difficult. It may also cause poor circulation to the skin, heart and other organs.

• Hearing disorders: Ringing in the ears (tinnitus), disturbance of balance, dizziness (vertigo), sudden hearing loss and hearing weakness may all result from lack of proper blood circulation. These conditions can also be caused by free-radical damage.

• Eye disorders: The retina may be damaged by free-radicals, hemorrhage (as in senile macular degeneration) and perhaps restricted circulation due to stress.

• Senility: Ginkgo protects against brain weakness, improves blood circulation and protects against free-radical damage. 

Gingko may also be of use in these ways: 

• Environmental protection: To guard against tissue and organ damage due to environmental toxins such as pesticides and herbicides.

• Stress support: To improve blood circulation and counteract cellular damage which may arise when excess free-radicals in the body are generated during chronic activation of the immune system.

• PAF-inhibitor: To counteract toxic shock and reduce symptoms of asthma as well as a wide range of other common allergic and immune-based disorders, among them psoriasis and other skin allergies, cirrhosis and cardiovascular disease (stroke and abnormal blood clotting).”

The “something new” is that the fibrinolytic effect of ginkgo is now known to be a plasminogen activator. In short ginkgo stimulates the body’s own mechanism for breaking down clots. Unlike the pharmaceutical approach to inject the activator Streptokinase, which can have disastrous effects, ginkgo uses the body’s anti-clotting mechanism which will not overstimulate. Ginkgo is the perfect solution to deal with SPED (Spike Protein Endothelial Disease) and could be helpful in systemic fibrosis. Isn’t it amazing that no matter how bad humans foul things up, nature always has a cure.       

David Christopher is a Master Herbalist, director of The School of Natural Healing, and son of our beloved Dr. John R. Christopher. He is continually helping others improve their health and that of their family members. The School loves having him as the director.