Ingredients · Herb
Ginkgo Biloba
Ginkgo biloba · Ginkgoaceae (ginkgo family — the sole surviving species)
What it’s like, and how to use it
- 212°F / 100°C
- Steep 5–10 minutes
- Use 1–2 tsp per 8oz
- Mild enough to drink daily
- Best as part of formulated blends
- Allow 6–8 weeks for cognitive benefits
How to use it
Ginkgo nuts (seeds) are eaten in East Asian cuisine — roasted, boiled, or added to congee and soups. Japanese chawanmushi (steamed egg custard) traditionally includes ginkgo nuts. The LEAF (the medicinal part) is not used in cooking — only in tea and supplement preparations. Ginkgo leaf tea (mild, often blended with green tea or other herbs).
With food
Green tea (the classic Asian cognitive pairing). Ginkgo nuts in Asian soups and custards (different part of the plant). Honey. Lemon. Best as a medicinal tea component rather than a food ingredient.
With spices
Gotu Kola (circulatory-cognitive synergy — ginkgo improves cerebral blood flow while gotu kola supports neural tissue). Rosemary (carnosic acid Nrf2 activation + ginkgo's PAF antagonism — dual brain-support pathways). Ginger (circulatory enhancement). Turmeric (neuroprotective stacking).
With tea
Green tea (L-theanine + caffeine cognitive support + ginkgo circulatory improvement). Brahmi (nootropic duo — ginkgo for circulation + brahmi for neurotransmitter modulation). Gotu Kola (triple cognitive approach). Rosemary (Nrf2 neuroprotection).
Its story
Where it comes from
The sole surviving member of an ancient plant order — individual ginkgo trees can live over 1,000 years. Native to China, where it has been cultivated for millennia. Six ginkgo trees survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, regrowing from charred stumps. The standardized extract EGb 761 (developed by German/French pharmaceutical companies) is one of the most studied herbal preparations in history.
What happened
Darwin called it a 'living fossil.' Chinese traditional medicine has used ginkgo leaf and seed for thousands of years. The modern extract was developed in Germany in the 1960s and became one of the best-selling herbal medicines in Europe. Ginkgo trees are remarkably resilient — six survived the Hiroshima atomic bomb at ground zero, less than 2 km from the blast center, and still grow there today. The tree has no known natural diseases.
Good for
What the research looked at
Traditionally used in Herbal Medicine as a circulatory tonic.
One of the most extensively researched herbal medicines there is — hundreds of trials on the standardised extract EGb 761; the ingredient guide cites them.
Contains bilobalide and a range of antioxidant flavonoids.
Naturally caffeine-free and mildly bitter. The trials used an extract rather than a cup, which is worth knowing before expecting one to behave like the other.
What’s in the leaf
Ginkgolides A, B, C (terpene trilactones — potent PAF antagonists that improve microcirculation). Bilobalide (neuroprotective sesquiterpene). Flavonoid glycosides (quercetin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin — 22–27% of standardized extract; antioxidant). Total terpene lactones: 5–7% of standardized extract. Ginkgolic acids (allergenic — removed in quality extracts).
These teas are foods, sold as such. Nothing on this page is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
On the shelf with it
Every product it goes into.
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