By Jimmy Downs

Friday Jan 18, 2013 (foodconsumer.org) -- Ginkgo biloba extract has been tested in many trials and found to be able to protect against cognitive decline and dementia including Alzheimer's disease. A new study in PLoS One confirmed that Ginkgo biloba extract supplements help slow cognitive decline in non-demented individuals.

The study led by Céline Meillon from University of Bordeaux, ISPED, Centre INSERM U897-Epidemiologie-Biostatistique, Bordeaux, France, University of Bordeaux, Department of Psychology, Bordeaux, France and colleagues showed non-demented men and women who took a Ginkgo biloba extract preparation sold under the trade name EGb761 slowed cognitive decline compared with those who did not take this supplement during a 20-year follow-up.

In 1996, S. Kanowski from Department of Gerontopsychiatry, Free University Berlin, Germany published a study in Pharmacopsychiatry to demonstrate that EGb761 is effective in helping outpatients suffering from mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease or multi-infarct dementia.

This is a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center study involving 216 patients "with presenile and senile primary degenerative dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) and multi-infarct dementia (MID)" who were treated with either 240 mg of EGb761 or placebo for 24 weeks.

The study confirmed the efficacy of Ginkgo biloba extract at treating dementia like Alzheimer's disease.