Ginkgo biloba supplements may deliver negligible benefits for individuals experiencing mild cognitive impairment, according to a new review.
The analysis, published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, examined the popular herbal supplement’s effectiveness across various cognitive conditions.
Researchers found those with mild cognitive impairment or multiple sclerosis-related cognitive difficulties showed no meaningful improvement when taking ginkgo compared with a placebo.
However, the picture differs somewhat for patients already living with a dementia diagnosis.
Ginkgo biloba shows limited benefit for dementia patients
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For this group, the review identified small to moderate improvements in overall clinical status, cognitive function, and daily task performance.
These potential symptomatic benefits remain modest rather than transformative.
The review’s scope was substantial, drawing upon 82 randomised controlled trials encompassing 10,613 participants.
Of these studies, 72 provided data suitable for extraction, although not all outcomes could be pooled quantitatively.
Participants included individuals with subjective memory complaints, multiple sclerosis, mild cognitive impairment, and diagnosed dementia, such as Alzheimer’s or vascular dementia.
Crucially, the evidence supporting ginkgo’s benefits for dementia patients carries low certainty, as results have varied considerably across different trials.
Furthermore, longer-term data extending beyond approximately six months remained limited and current findings demonstrate only possible symptomatic relief rather than any disease-modifying effects.
Dementia represents a spectrum of progressive neurocognitive disorders marked by substantial deterioration in memory, thinking and behaviour that frequently disrupts everyday life.
The condition is increasingly viewed as a global health emergency, with projections suggesting 1.4 billion people will be aged 60 and above by 2030.
Despite decades of investigation, neither dementia nor Alzheimer’s disease has a scientifically proven cure or established disease-modifying treatment.
Current approaches focus on preventing onset through risk assessment and slowing progression following diagnosis.
This therapeutic vacuum drives many towards alternative remedies found in traditional medicine and widely promoted supplements.
Ginkgo biloba, derived from one of the planet’s oldest surviving tree species, ranks among the most sought-after options.
The review’s authors are unequivocal in their clinical interpretation that ginkgo cannot be considered a preventive remedy for cognitive decline in healthy or mildly impaired individuals.
Ginkgo biloba is derived from one of the planet’s oldest surviving tree species
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GETTY
For those already diagnosed with dementia, any benefits appear limited to modest symptomatic improvement rather than halting disease progression.
Substantial variation across the randomised trials underscores the pressing need for standardised research methodologies.
Longer-term studies are also required to determine which patient groups, whether those with Alzheimer’s or vascular dementia, might derive the greatest advantage from supplementation.
Until such evidence emerges, ginkgo remains far from the cognitive panacea many consumers hope to find.
