Is Ginkgo Biloba a useful dietary supplement for someone with glaucoma? If so, is there any evidence to support this recommendation?
Yes, Ginkgo biloba extract does appear to offer benefits in glaucoma. According to the article cited below:
Indeed, many of the properties of Ginkgo biloba extract can be useful in the treatment of non-IOP-dependent risk factors in glaucoma [104].
In other words, Ginkgo biloba extract isn't expected to reduce intraocular pressure, but it appears to help with other glaucoma risk factors. Reference 104 is a publication by our own Dr. Robert Ritch.
This article states that various preclinical studies have also demonstrated the neuroprotective effects Ginkgo biloba extract.
The authors go on to say:
Ginkgo is an ancient species of tree that has features in common with plants that lived 270 million years ago. Extracts from the leaf of the maidenhair tree, Ginkgo biloba, have been used to treat pulmonary disorders in Chinese traditional medicine since 3000 BCE [100] and are used worldwide as a herbal medicine [101]. Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) is the most widely used drug in Germany. In the USA, it is a freely available nutritional supplement. In modern medical science, GBE is indicated for the treatment of cognitive impairment and dementia [102] but has also proved effective in diseases associated with aging, such as vascular disease, tinnitus, asthma and erectile dysfunction. As glaucoma and Alzheimer’s dementia display many biological and mechanistic similarities [103], some authors have investigated the possibility of using GBE to treat glaucomatous optic neuropathy.
I like this Ginkgo product because it is extracted without solvents and it is encapsulated without any fillers, excipients, flow agents, etc. The price is good too.
Paradise Herbs Ginkgo Biloba – Vegetarian Capsules
Full Article (source of quotes above):
Substances of Interest That Support Glaucoma Therapy
Related FitEyes Articles:
Non-pharmaceutical medications and approaches to glaucoma (all articles) | FitEyes.com
Complementary Therapy for the Treatment of Glaucoma by Robert Ritch | FitEyes.com
Selected References:
100. Deng Q. Chinese medicine: The dawn, the founders and the first pharmacopeia. Drug New Perspect. 1988;1:57–58. [Google Scholar-100]
101. Dennis J.M., Kenneth J., Kerry H. Efficacy, safety and use of Ginkgo biloba in clinical and preclinical applications. Altern. 2001;7:70–90. [PubMed-101] [Google Scholar-101]
102. Birks J., Grimley Evans J. Ginkgo biloba for cognitive impairment and dementia. Cochrane Database Syst. Rev. 2009 doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD003120.pub3. [PubMed-102] [CrossRef-102] [Google Scholar-102]
103. Ghiso J.A., Doudevski I., Ritch R., Rostagno A.A. Alzheimer’s disease and glaucoma: Mechanistic similarities and differences. J. Glaucoma. 2013;22(Suppl. 5):S36–S38. doi: 10.1097/IJG.0b013e3182934af6. [PMC free article-103] [PubMed-103] [CrossRef-103] [Google Scholar-103]
104. Ritch R. Potential role for Ginkgo biloba extract in the treatment of glaucoma. Med. Hypotheses. 2000;54:221–235. doi: 10.1054/mehy.1999.0025. [PubMed-104] [CrossRef-104] [Google Scholar-104]
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