REMEMBER THE GINKGO BILOBA TO LIMIT STROKE-RELATED BRAIN DAMAGE

Ginkgo biloba has been touted as a memory-saving herbal remedy for years, but new studies suggest an additional benefit. If you can remember to take your ginkgo biloba, you may also be limiting the brain damage that can be caused by a stroke, according to the medical journal, Stroke, as reported in today’s NY Times blog. Based on testing in mice that had been treated with the herbal remedy, the ginkgo biloba resulted in 51 % less neurological dysfunction, and 48 % less brain damage than in mice not so treated following induced strokes, suggesting that elements in the ginkgo may protect brain cells during stroke. However, taking gingko is not completely free of risk, as it has been known to thin blood–something to be avoided by patients at risk for stroke and bleeding disorders. So, talk to your doctor about ginko biloba if you have any concerns about stroke, if you remember.