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Evidence-Based Supplement Research
Evidence-Based Supplement Research

Ginkgo and Improved Activities of Daily Living

Research synthesisHigh evidenceModerate effect4 studies · 4 beneficial · 0 neutral · 0 harmful

Across 4 studies, all reported beneficial effects of Ginkgo biloba on activities of daily living, with effect sizes ranging from small to moderate. Effects were statistically significant in all 4 studies, and most evidence comes from clinical populations with cognitive impairment or dementia. The median study duration was 132 days, suggesting effects typically observed at several months of use, and the most studied dose was 240 mg daily.

  • Effective dose range: 240 mg daily
  • Studied populations: patients with cognitive impairment or dementia (including mild cognitive impairment, mild to moderate dementia, and dementia with a history of cerebral infarction); patients with Parkinson's disease

Caveats: Available evidence is overwhelmingly positive — clinical literature in this area is subject to publication bias (null-result studies are less likely to be published or indexed). Two of the four studies did not report study duration; among those that did, duration varied from 84 to 180 days, so consistency of effect timing is unclear. The largest study (a meta-analysis with 2571 participants) showed statistically significant but small effects with high heterogeneity (I² = 91%), indicating variability across included trials.

Generated Jun 14, 2026
Doses used in studies
  • mg/day: 240 (median 240, IQR 240240) 2 studies
Time to effect
Median: 4.4 months · IQR 3.6 months5.2 months · Range 2.8 months6 months — Reported in 2 of 4 studies
Safety in these studies
4 of 4 papers
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