Ginkgo biloba does have a rich history that may have a few secrets and surprises in it. Ginkgo biloba comes from a tree and as you can probably guess it’s called ginkgo, which has been around for an insanely long time. In fact some scientist believes that this tree may be one of the oldest trees around. Knowing this, the history of this herb goes back a very long time.
During the time of the dinosaurs ginkgo trees grew all over the world and scientists know this because of fossils. Maybe it had something to do with the ice age or the extinction of the dinosaur’s, however the tree disappeared and many people believed it was extinct.
In the 1690’s a German Botanist and doctor named Engebert Kaemfer found this plant around the country of China. Many specialists believe that this was an area that was not effective as bad with the ice age.
The tree also has evolved over time and the way it looks today is probably much different than how it looked in the time of the dinosaurs. Some scientists give credit to monks protecting the tree which may be how it survived for such a long time.
During WW2 four atomic bombs were dropped on ginkgo trees yet all four of the trees have survived. Over time people started to plant the tree in other places of the world and around the time the United States became a country a wealthy merchant brought it to the U.S. and planted it around New York.
Most of the healing properties of this plant started being documented around the Han dynasty in 200 BC. Some literatures mention that it can help with headaches. However, it was probably used as food before people took notice of the medical advantages that ginkgo can give. The seeds where compared to walnuts in earlier history and in the 15 hundreds was even used as a dessert. Grilling the nuts is still being used to today around Asian cultures.
One way someone can get gingko biloba’s positive effects is by taking a supplement. Unfortunately, the supplement industry is not regulated like prescription drugs so finding a good quality product can be difficult.
I recommend viewing a FREE eBook that I created called “How to Choose a Good Supplement.” Not only do I talk about what to look for in a supplement but I discuss what is the FDA’s role in supplements. You can view this FREE eBook by clicking on FREE Supplement eBook.