How to do it
- Stop buying it for your memory. The trial found no effect on dementia.
- Put the money and the hope into a hearing test, an eye test or a blood pressure check.
- Walk instead. It costs nothing.
What the trial found
- The claimprotects memory
Ginkgo, a plant extract, is sold as a way to keep memory sharp and hold off decline.
- The trialtested it properly
Over 3,000 people 75 and over took 120 mg twice a day or a dummy pill, for a median of about six years.
- Resultno difference
Ginkgo didn't reduce dementia or Alzheimer's compared with the dummy pill.
- Youspend it elsewhere
Hearing, eyesight and blood pressure have more promising evidence. None of them is a sure thing either.
Why it works
Ginkgo is sold to keep memory sharp. In a large trial, 3,069 people aged 75 and over took it or a dummy pill for a median of about six years. Ginkgo didn't reduce dementia. Evidence: solid
The money and the hope are better spent on a check a doctor can do: hearing, eyes, blood pressure. None of those is proven to prevent dementia either, but each has a promising study behind it. Evidence: decent
The long readEvery step of the chain, each study with its numbers, and what's still unproven. 1 min read.
What the trial found
This chain is how the claim was tested, not brain areas.
The claim. Ginkgo, a plant extract, is sold as a way to protect memory and hold off decline. Evidence: solid
The trial. The Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory study gave 3,069 adults aged 75 and over either 120 mg of ginkgo twice a day or a dummy pill, and followed them for a median of 6.1 years. Evidence: solid
The result. Ginkgo didn't reduce dementia or Alzheimer's disease compared with the dummy pill. Evidence: solid
You. Spend it elsewhere.
The proof
- 3,069 adults aged 75 and over were randomly assigned to 120 mg of ginkgo twice a day or a dummy pill and followed for a median of 6.1 years. Ginkgo did not reduce the rate of dementia overall. Evidence: solid
- It did not reduce the rate of Alzheimer's disease either. Evidence: solid
How to do it
- Stop buying it for your memory. Evidence: solid
- Put the money into a check a doctor can do: hearing, eyes, blood pressure.
- Walk instead. It costs nothing.
Watch out
The trial was in people 75 and over. Younger men weren't in it. Evidence: solid It was large, long and compared against a dummy pill, which makes this a clear no for preventing dementia at that age. Evidence: solid
If you take a blood thinner such as warfarin and still take ginkgo, tell your doctor. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says ginkgo may raise the risk of bleeding in people on these drugs. Evidence: decent