Ginko Biloba

A couple of weeks ago I told you about a ginkgo biloba discussion in the HSI Forum (“This week in the Health Sciences Institute e-Alert” 9/6/02). The subject of the use of the ginkgo seeds vs. the leaves came up but was not fully addressed. Here’s a question that came in from an HSI member named Alfred:

“Concerning ginkgo biloba, you refer to an extract from the seeds, but also the leaves are much used as tea or otherwise. Do they also carry a risk of skin rashes or similar problems?”

I think I may have created some unnecessary confusion by bringing up the seeds at all. Ginkgo biloba extract is produced from the leaves. Contact with the leaves does not cause skin irritation, although one possible side effect from taking the extract is a mild irritation to the skin. The seeds themselves are also safe, but the pulpy fruit that surrounds and protects the seeds is toxic and can cause skin problems similar to poison ivy. The seeds can be eaten, but only after they’ve been completely hulled and roasted. In Japan the seeds are considered a delicacy and are eaten at weddings and special feasts.

And because we’ll be turning the calendar page to October next week, here’s a unique event to be on the lookout for: In the autumn the ginkgo’s distinctive leaves (they look like two fans divided by a stem) turn from dark green to a bright golden yellow. If you have a ginkgo tree in your yard you may have noticed that when their leaves begin to fall, as if on cue, all of the leaves drop from the tree in the space of an hour or two. This is quite a spectacle with larger ginkgo trees that can live for hundreds of years and grow to heights of up to 100 feet. In fact, a century-old ginkgo in front of the public library in a small town called Monroe, Michigan, regularly draws a large crowd when the leaves begin to fall.

Falling ginkgo leaves don’t have anything to do with health, but they do wonders for the residents of Monroe.

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute