Where do these left-field crazy researchers come from? How in the world would an herb like ginkgo biloba have any beneficial effect since we are told repeatedly by pharma world that only drugs work for diabetes? Hold on! This research on the benefits of ginkgo in type 2 diabetic rates came from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. After inducing diabetes in the lab rates, they fed them either gingko biloba or magnetized water and compared them to diabetic rats on normal rat food.
Amazingly, both treatment groups (magnetized water and ginkgo receiving) showed improvements in insulin secretion and lower blood sugar. The ginkgo rats showed the most improvement. Besides the direct effects on controlling diabetes, levels of oxidative stress were lowered for both treatment groups.
Researchers cautioned three things. First, more research is needed to understand how this works and how to apply it to actual human patients. Second, don’t eat raw gingko biloba as it is often poisonous before the active substances are extracted. Third, ginkgo may interact with other medicines particularly in those adults taking meds for high blood pressure or other age-related diseases.
As a functional medicine doctor, I occasionally recommend ginkgo for improving blood flow in different patient conditions, but this may open another opportunity to prescribe ginkgo for my diabetic patients. As always, I look forward to finding more avenues of leading my patients to a healthier more abundant life.
Original Article
Ahmed Saleh, Mamdouh M. Anwar, Ahmed E Zayed, Manal El Sayed Ezz Eldeen, Gamal Afifi, Hassien M. Alnashiri, Asmaa M.S Gomaa, Mahmoud Abd-Elkareem, Alaa Sayed Abou-Elhamd, Emad S. Shaheen, Ghada A Mohamed, Helal F Hetta, Ahmed M Kotb. Impact of Ginkgo biloba extract and magnetized water on the survival rate and functional capabilities of pancreatic β-cells in type 2 diabetic rat model. Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy, 2019; Volume 12: 1339 DOI: 10.2147/DMSO.S209856
Thanks to Science Daily
Sanctuary Functional Medicine, under the direction of Dr Eric Potter, IFMCP MD, provides functional medicine services to Nashville, Middle Tennessee and beyond. We frequently treat patients from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and more... offering the hope of healthier more abundant lives to those with chronic illness.