Ginkgo Biloba

Ginkgo biloba · Ginkgo · Maidenhair Tree · EGb 761

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Dementia symptoms^{1, 2} Mild dementia³ Unstable angina adjunct^4–10 Stroke rehabilitation¹¹ Vertigo¹¹	Anticoagulant or antiplatelet use¹² Fresh or roasted ginkgo seeds¹¹ Pregnancy¹³

Ginkgo biloba, the maidenhair tree, is a "living fossil" whose leaf, usually as a standardized extract, is the form most used¹¹. The extract is proposed to act through antioxidant, antiplatelet, and blood-flow effects¹⁴. Those effects drive its use for memory and cognition in dementia and mild cognitive impairment, typically in older adults. It is also taken for tinnitus, vertigo, and stroke rehabilitation¹¹.

A Cochrane review found possible small benefit in dementia at six months but little or no effect in mild cognitive impairment. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) states ginkgo has not been shown effective for any condition studied¹¹. A 2025 meta-analysis of randomized trials found that ginkgo diterpene lactone meglumine, a Chinese patent medicine, added to conventional care improved functional outcomes after acute ischemic stroke; its authors call for validation in real-world settings¹⁵. Products are mainly capsules and tablets of leaf extract; see Form comparison.

Ginkgo has antiplatelet activity, and NCCIH notes it may increase bleeding risk with anticoagulants such as warfarin¹¹. Health Canada labels list coagulation-affecting health products as a reason not to use it¹².

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

89 sources, 81 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources