Improve blood flow with Ginkgo (銀杏)

Looks like ginkgo biloba, the magical “memory pill”, can do more than just improving memory. A recent study indicates that not only can ginkgo help better pumping blood to the brain, it also improves blood flow in patients with coronary artery disease.

Scientists at China’s Hebei Medical University tested effects of Ginkgo biloba extract on vascular blood flow in patients with coronary artery disease.

According to the researchers, ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) has well-documented cardioprotective effects on coronary flow and positive effects on vasodilation through endothelium-derived nitric oxide in experimental animals. The endothelium (inner lining) of blood vessels use nitric oxide to signal the surrounding smooth muscle to relax, thus resulting in vasodilation and increasing blood flow.

In this study, 80 patients with coronary artery disease were randomly assigned to either GBE or saline (control) groups.

Results showed that GBE significantly increased the left anterior descending coronary artery blood flow by up to about 10%. The treatment group also saw a jump in endothelium-dependent brachial artery flow-mediated dilation by as high as 69.75%.

Coronary arteries deliver blood to the heart muscle. Any coronary artery disorder or disease can have serious implications by reducing the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the heart, which may lead to a heart attack and possibly death. By improving artery blood flow, ginkgo biloba extract may serve an important role of preventing complications in patients with coronary artery disease.