Well, to prove clinical effectiveness, it's completely irrelevant if a substance activates genes. I'm sure you did your research on polyphenols of all kind and one thing these "dirty" substances (pharmacologically speaking) have in common is that they influence a myriad of genes, ginkgo being no exception from that rule. The effect this has is a different matter!
To prove effectiveness a substance has to get beyond RCTs and I'm in line with the cochrane foundation in it's judgement there is no convincing evidence in the case of ginkgo, some small and methodically weak manufacturer based studies aside.
And you have to face one fact, these manufacturers, for example Schwabe, are not exactly picky in what they get published. I remember this funny trial comparing "Lasea" (lavender oil) to lorazepam which mysteriously couldn't be reproduced either...
Some links (sorry, only in German) amongst other things examining the quality of the studies sponsored by Schwabe:
http://www.arznei-te...0903029_01.htmlhttp://www.arznei-te...1001015_02.htmlAnd it could be premature to call it safe either...
http://www.arznei-te...1305047_02.html
Edited by Dolph, 19 August 2014 - 09:06 AM.