The Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba; '銀杏' in Chinese), frequently misspelled as "Gingko", and also known as the Maidenhair Tree, is a unique tree with no close living relatives. It is classified in its own division, the Ginkgophyta, comprising the single class Ginkgoopsida, order Ginkgoales, family Ginkgoaceae, genus Ginkgo and is the only extant species within this group. It is one of the best known examples of a living fossil. Ginkgoales are not known in the fossil record after the Pliocene, making Ginkgo biloba a living fossil.
For centuries it was thought to be extinct in the wild, but is now known to grow in at least two small areas in Zhejiang province in eastern China, in the Tian Mu Shan Reserve. However, ginkgo trees in these areas may have been tended and preserved by Chinese monks for over 1000 years. Therefore, whether native ginkgo populations still exist is uncertain.
The (older) Chinese name for this plant is 银果 yínguo ('silver fruit'). The most usual names today are 白果 bái guǒ ('white fruit') and 銀杏 yínxìng ('silver apricot'). The latter name was borrowed in Japanese (as ichō) and Korean (as eunhaeng), when the tree itself was introduced from China. It has been cultivated extensively for both ceremonial and medical purposes.
The scientific name Ginkgo has been explained by a folk etymology. Chinese characters typically have multiple pronunciations in Japanese, and the characters 銀杏 used for ichō can also be mistakenly pronounced ginkyō. Engelbert Kaempfer, the first Westerner to see the species in 1690, wrote down this incorrect pronunciation in his Amoenitates Exoticae (1712); his y was misread as a g, and the misspelling stuck.
The extract of the Ginkgo leaves contains flavonoid glycosides and terpenoids (ginkgolides, bilobalides) and has been used pharmaceutically. It has many alleged nootropic properties, and is mainly used as memory and concentration enhancer, and anti-vertigo agent. However, studies differ about its efficacy. Out of the many conflicting research results, Ginkgo extract seems to have three effects on the human body: it improves blood flow (including microcirculation in small capillaries) to most tissues and organs; it protects against oxidative cell damage from free radicals; and it blocks many of the effects of PAF (platelet aggregation, blood clotting) that have been related to the development of a number of cardiovascular, renal, respiratory and CNS (Central Nervous System) disorders. Ginkgo can be used for intermittent claudication.
Currently, the herb is most commonly used to improve brain function, particularly for relieving symptoms of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. Ginkgo biloba also is recommended by physicians, herbalists and naturopaths for a wide variety of complaints, from tinnitis (ringing in the ears) to headache, allergy, Raynaud's syndrome and even depression. A standardized extract of ginkgo leaves is one of the most widely prescribed remedies in Europe, where it is used for conditions ranging from erectile dysfunction, premenstrual bloating, to high-altitude sickness.
Being the oldest surviving tree on earth, Chinese herbalists consider ginkgo as a longevity drug (one that restores youthful vitality), and an aphrodisiac.
Various researches were right about their findings that this tree’s extract can improve the blood circulation in the body; hence it is well known and regularly used by body builders as it increases blood flow to the muscles. Surprisingly there seem to be additional sexual benefits, as users have also noticed an improvement in sexual function, 84% of men with sexual dysfunction produced by taking anti-depressants, said their situation improved after taking Ginkgo. 91% of women reported that Ginkgo improved all aspects of their sex lives. Again this could possibly be down to improved blood circulation since lack of adequate blood flow to the genital organs is a root cause of impaired performance in both sexes.
If they were right, a vastly under-appreciated "natural," non-prescription alternative to Viagra has been sitting on pharmacy and health-food store shelves, timidly promoted by most manufacturers as an aid to alertness and short-term memory.
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