TORONTO - A new study shows that popular herbal supplement ginkgo biloba
does not help slow mental decline in older adults.
The Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory (GEM) study examined whether a twice-daily
120-mg dose of the supplement affected the rate of cognitive change over time in
older adults. U.S. researchers conducted randomized clinical trials of 3,069
participants aged 72 to 96 years, between 2000 and 2008.
They found no evidence that ginkgo might slow mental decline in healthy, aging
individuals, or in people already showing the first signs of cognitive
impairment.
The researchers found that the results remained the same regardless of sex, age,
race or education.
The study, led by Dr. Steven T. DeKosky, of the University of Virginia School of
Medicine, was published last week on The Journal of the American Medical
Association.
Source : The Canadian Press
