How to pick Ginkgo?
mayling 17 Aug 2014
I'm new to all this but I need to get some Ginkgo Biloba.
I've just been to the Us and now overwhelmed by the choices I have for everythingggg. >.<
Any recommendation or tip for me to pick Ginkgo? Like what should I look out for?
Does all brands fare the same?
I'm looking at http://m.iherb.cm/Do...ggie-Caps/46874
Seems cheap and lots of mg but I've never heard of the brand before.. Pardon my ignorance.
Thankss
timar 18 Aug 2014
You want to choose an acetone-water extract that complies with the standards from the German Commission E monograph. Only such an extract is guaranteed to have a composition and potency closely matching the "gold standard" proprietary extract EGb 761 used in most clinical trials (and animal studies) and to have sufficiently low levels of the highly allergenic ginkgolic acids. One of the cheapest supplement I could find that is credibly up to that standard is the one sold by the UK company Nature's Best but from the description on the bottle, the Doctor's Best supplement sold on iHerb also seems to meet the requirements and is probably even less expensive for US customers.
Edited by timar, 18 August 2014 - 07:42 AM.
albedo 18 Aug 2014
You want to choose an acetone-water extract that complies with the standards from the German Commission E monograph. Only such an extract is guaranteed to have a composition and potency closely matching the "gold standard" proprietary extract EGb 761 used in most clinical trials (and animal studies) and to have sufficiently low levels of the highly allergenic ginkgolic acids. One of the cheapest supplement I could find that is credibly up to that standard is the one sold by the UK company Nature's Best but from the description on the bottle, the Doctor's Best supplement sold on iHerb also seems to meet the requirements and is probably even less expensive for US customers.
Timar
What's about the LEF's formula? I cannot find compliance with what your standard.
timar 18 Aug 2014
If an extract is standardized to contain the specified 24% flavone glycosides, 6% terpene lactones and <5 ppm ginkgolic acid, that it good enough (the monograph also specifies the method of extraction, but you can assume that no other method would yield an extract exactly matching these properties). The LEF product (which is a simple extract, not a formula) is quite expensive, though, when not on sale.
Edited by timar, 18 August 2014 - 08:09 AM.
mayling 18 Aug 2014
Wow.. I'll check that out first.You want to choose an acetone-water extract that complies with the standards from the German Commission E monograph. Only such an extract is guaranteed to have a composition and potency closely matching the "gold standard" proprietary extract EGb 761 used in most clinical trials (and animal studies) and to have sufficiently low levels of the highly allergenic ginkgolic acids. One of the cheapest supplement I could find that is credibly up to that standard is the one sold by the UK company Nature's Best but from the description on the bottle, the Doctor's Best supplement sold on iHerb also seems to meet the requirements and is probably even less expensive for US customers.
albedo 18 Aug 2014
If an extract is standardized to contain the specified 24% flavone glycosides, 6% terpene lactones and <5 ppm ginkgolic acid, that it good enough (the monograph also specifies the method of extraction, but you can assume that no other method would yield an extract exactly matching these properties). The LEF product (which is a simple extract, not a formula) is quite expensive, though, when not on sale.
Thank you. Yes, not a formula. Now I am concerned if I am spending too much. A full year (365 days) at 46$ for one bottle looked to me quite reasonable provided the extract is good enough which you seem supporting. Am I wrong?
timar 18 Aug 2014
Thank you. Yes, not a formula. Now I am concerned if I am spending too much. A full year (365 days) at 46$ for one bottle looked to me quite reasonable provided the extract is good enough which you seem supporting. Am I wrong?
No, you are right. It depends of course on what you compare it to. The LEF product is about twice the price of the Doctor's Best one but still less than a third of pharmaceutical products popular in Germany containing EGb 761. Depending on your budget and the generally low price per pill it may well be reasonable to spent more on a product sold by a company you trust (even if the quality of the standardized extract is likely identical).
albedo 18 Aug 2014
Good info Timar. Thank you. I will also look here in Switzerland for similar standards.
Dolph 18 Aug 2014
It should be mentioned though that although there are some positive studies even in these the effect sizes are so small that the clinical relevance of these effects could very well be argued, even if they were existent. What can be said pretty clearly from the data we have is that ginkgo has no effect whatsoever in people without demntia and also doesn't have a preventive effect on its occurrence.
Edited by Dolph, 18 August 2014 - 08:34 PM.
timar 19 Aug 2014
That is a sweeping generalization. Just because it hasn't been shown to protect against dementia (the primary prevention studies done so far all suffered from limited statistical power and methological issues, though), it doesn't follow that it has "no effects whatsoever". Ginkgo extracts are among the most potent, physiologically active plant extracts studied. They have profound effects on gene expression (~150 genes) and several biochemical pathways, including those involved the synthesis of neurotransmitters as well as potent anti-oxidant (Nrf2/ARE) and anti-inflammatory properties, e.g. by blocking the AGE-RAGE signaling cascade at several points.
I like it because of the mild but sustained stimulating effect it has on me. It's much better than coffee in that regard.
Dolph 19 Aug 2014
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.html
http://www.arznei-te...1001015_02.html
And 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.
Godof Smallthings 20 Aug 2014
Ginkgo definitely helps me concentrate short term. It may be as simple as the fact that it thins out the blood, and thereby facilitates blood flow to the area required for the task at hand...
As for long term effects, I have no idea, but I doubt it is seriously detrimental at low to moderate doses.
It doesn't go well with coffee for me though (tends to give me a headache). Green tea + ginkgo is a much better combination.
Edited by Godof Smallthings, 20 August 2014 - 10:48 AM.
MachineGhostX 20 Aug 2014
Nature's Way imports gingko biloba from Germany to use in their branded Ginkgold line:
http://www.natureswa...Brands/Ginkgold
May be cheaper to import or may not be. It doesn't specifically say it has less than 5 ppm of the toxins. I suspect most standardized 24/6 formulas, if not using a branded gingko, do not bother?
Here's another contender:
http://nutrigold.com/Ginkgo-Biloba
Edited by MachineGhostX, 20 August 2014 - 12:42 PM.
treonsverdery 20 Aug 2014
You might want to go with an unusually affordable generic then try larger doses
although this could sound slightly immoderate I tried 40 ginko tablets then noticed greater visual acuity as well as improved cognition, much more than from say 1 tablet three times.
Although i did not verify it with a distance vision activity the greater visual acuity was the nonsubjective nootropic effect. It also improved cognition for a few hours. The lowest dose with a similar effect was about 7 to 11 tablets.
The per pill dose was 60 mg similar to two or three gingkoba
mayling 20 Aug 2014
Thanks guy.
I'm still scrolling thru all the links.
mayling 03 Jun 2015
I've kinda lost trust in Doctor's Best and NOW because even though I know it is a reputable company, there have been some issues with their products, if I remember correctly, with Consumer Lab..
Recently, the testing here also proved otherwise.. http://labs.naturaln...rbs-Ginkgo.html
So, I'm really looking at two options right now..
http://www.naturesbe...ba-6000mg-p154/
1. Nature's Best 6000MG
https://www.lef.org/...earch&key=ginko
2. LEF Ginkgo Biloba Certified Extractâ„¢
Both seemed equal but LEF seemed to me the better, more reputable option..
Anyone have any access to any third-party testing for them both?
Any objection to LEF? Any alternatives?
Thanks!
AlexCanada 04 Jun 2015
Doctor's Best I personally found to be underwhelming. Webber's Naturals (canadian brand I think) worked bit better.
MachineGhostX 04 Jun 2015
Why don't you stick with the gold standard used in efficacy studies and from Germany?
http://www.natureswa...-120-mg-60-Tabs
Any objection to LEF? Any alternatives?
Thanks!
mayling 04 Jun 2015
Why don't you stick with the gold standard used in efficacy studies and from Germany?
http://www.natureswa...-120-mg-60-Tabs
Any objection to LEF? Any alternatives?
Thanks!
So, if I understand correctly, Ginkgold is the patented German version that the others tried to emulate?
If so, I guess I'll go for this.
mayling 04 Jun 2015
http://labs.naturaln...rbs-Ginkgo.html