Ginkgo Protects Brain Neurons

Ginkgo Protects Brain Neurons

The accumulation of plaques called beta-amyloid in the brains of Alzheimer's patients is another pathological change that contributes to the disease progression and can lead to the death of neurons in the brain. While current prescription medications for Alzheimer's disease do nothing to prevent or treat these effects, recent studies have shown that ginkgo can actually protect sensitive neurons from the destructive effects of beta-amyloid.

Two recent studies have demonstrated a protective effect of a standardized ginkgo extract against the death of neurons in the brain - specifically, in the hippocampus - induced by beta-amyloid.8,9 The authors of the second study hypothesized that the ginkgo extract worked by inhibiting the formation of neurotoxic molecules that are thought to be involved in the development of Alzheimer's disease.