Scientific Name Ginkgo biloba    Family Ginkgoaceae                                          Other Common Names Abricot Argenté  Japonais, Adiantifolia, Arbe aux Écus, Arbe aux Quarante Écus, Arbe du  Ciel, Arbre Fossile, Bai Guo Ye, Baiguo, Extrait de Feuille de Ginkgo,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |                                                                                                                                                                          Caution  

Ginkgo is sometimes called Maidenhair Tree, which should not be confused with a different plant called Maidenhair Fern.

Ginkgo biloba is a large tree,  growing up to 40 meters in height, with fan-shaped leaves that have  radiating veins. The fruit is foul-smelling and inedible, but contains a  single semi-edible nut   It is native to temperate Asia, including China, Japan, and Korea, but is now cultivated in Europe and the United States . It is the last remaining species of a primitive family of gymnosperms called Ginkgoaceae. Ginkgo has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine. It is used in cosmetics as a skin conditioning agent and antioxidant.                                 

Ginkgo is a  popular dietary supplement. Extracts are commonly adulterated with rutin  and quercetin from cheaper sources to make substandard ginkgo extracts  seem satisfactory to buyers and regulatory authorities. Not all tests  can detect poor quality and adulterated ginkgo supplements.

Likely Safe when  used orally and appropriately. Standardized ginkgo leaf extracts have  been used safely in trials lasting for several weeks up to 6 years.  There have been some reports of arrhythmias associated with ginkgo leaf  extract. However, it is not yet clear if ginkgo might cause arrhythmia.  There is some concern about toxic and carcinogenic effects seen in  animals exposed to a ginkgo leaf extract containing 31.2% flavonoids,  15.4% terpenoids, and 10.45 ppm ginkgolic acid, in doses of 100 to 2000  mg/kg five times per week for 2 years .  However, the clinical relevance of this data for humans, using typical  doses, is unclear. The content of the extract used is not identical to  that commonly used in supplement products, and the doses studied are  much higher than those typically used by humans. A single dose of 50  mg/kg in rats is estimated to be equivalent to a single dose of about  240 mg in humans.                                                             

Possibly Safe when  used intravenously, short-term. A standardized ginkgo leaf extract  called EGb 761 ONC has been safely administered intravenously for up to  14 days.  A Chinese preparation containing ginkgo leaf extract and dipyridamole  has been safely administered intravenously for up to 30 days   ...when applied topically, short-term. There was no dermal irritation  during a 24-hour patch test using the leaf extract, and no sensitization  with repeat applications.  When used topically in cosmetics, extracts of ginkgo leaves are  reported to be safe, but there is insufficient data to determine the  safety of nut and root extracts, and isolated biflavones and terpenoids.                                                             

Possibly Unsafe when the  roasted seed or crude ginkgo plant is used orally. Consuming more than  10 roasted seeds per day can cause difficulty breathing, weak pulse,  seizures, loss of consciousness, and shock.  Crude ginkgo plant parts can exceed concentrations of 5 ppm of the  toxic ginkgolic acid constituents and can cause severe allergic  reactions.                                                            

Likely Unsafe when the  fresh ginkgo seed is used orally. Fresh seeds are toxic and potentially  deadly.                                                             

CHILDREN:  Possibly Safe when used orally and appropriately, short-term.  A specific ginkgo dried extract (Ginko T.D., Tolidaru Pharmaceuticals),  has been safely used in doses of 80-120 mg daily for 6 weeks in  children aged 6-14 years.  Another specific combination product containing ginkgo leaf extract and  American ginseng extract (AD-FX, CV Technologies, Canada) has also been  safely used in children aged 3-17 years for up to 4 weeks.                                                             

CHILDREN:  Likely Unsafe when  ginkgo seed is used orally. The fresh seeds have caused seizures and  death in children.                                                             

PREGNANCY:  Possibly Unsafe when  used orally. There is concern that ginkgo might have labor-inducing and  hormonal effects. There is also concern that the antiplatelet effects of  ginkgo could prolong bleeding time if taken around the time of labor  and delivery. Theoretically, ginkgo might adversely affect pregnancy outcome; avoid using during pregnancy.                                                             

LACTATION: Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using.                                                             

Orally,  ginkgo leaf extract is generally well tolerated when used for up to 6  years. However, the seed and crude plant contain toxic constituents and  should be avoided.

Intravenously, ginkgo leaf extract seems to be well tolerated when used for up to 30 days.

Topically,  no adverse effects have been reported with ginkgo as a single  ingredient. However, a thorough evaluation of safety outcomes has not  been conducted.

Orally: Dizziness, gastrointestinal symptoms, headache.

Orally: Arrhythmia, bleeding, Stevens-Johnson syndrome.

Orally, ginkgo extract may cause headache  dizziness , increased desire to sleep , and sedation  in some patients. In addition, although ginkgo leaf and ginkgo leaf  extract contain only small amounts of ginkgotoxin, there are anecdotal  reports of seizure occurring after use of ginkgo leaf preparations both  in patients without a history of seizure disorder and in those with  previously well-controlled epilepsy .

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Possibly Effective                                                                       

Oral ginkgo seems to modestly reduce anxiety symptoms.