Ginkgo may benefit stroke patients
By Better Health Research News Desk • Oct 13th, 2008 • Category: Health News, Health Resources News, Stroke
Could herbal supplements containing extracts from the ginkgo tree one day benefit stroke patients?
A new study has found promising potential for using the extract to prevent neurological damage in mice who have had a stroke.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University say they have used their findings to begin work on human trials to determine how ginkgo may be used.
In the rodent study, published in Stroke, the scientists gave ginkgo extract to a group of mice for seven days, then induced a stroke.
They found that mice who received the dosage suffered 50 percent less brain damage than those who did not, as well as seeing smaller areas of their brain affected.
"Ginkgo has long been touted for its positive effects on the brain and is even prescribed in Europe and Asia for memory loss," commented study author Sylvain Dore.
"Now we have a possible understanding for how ginkgo actually works to protect neurons from damage."
People seeking health resources to treat asthma, bronchitis, fatigue and tinnitus have also turned to ginkgo extract over the years, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
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