Any Side Effect of Ginkgo Biloba?

A herb that has become very popular among many countries like Europe and Asia is Ginkgo Biloba. It is used today to help with many minor physical or mental injuries.

Although Ginkgo Biloba has many benefits, there are side effects too. People who should be wary around this herb are pregnant or lactating women. Ginkgo biloba pregnancy supplements have some side effects that include pregnant difficulties and difficulties nursing.

Because of the chance in having side effects when taking the Ginkgo biloba supplement, pregnant women have been advised not to take it. Experts are not sure what the effects of Ginkgo biloba are, and the herb as been the center of many controversial studies. There has yet to be a safe dosage established.

There is a study that was published in the September issue of Chemical Research in Toxicology. Scientists that participated in this controversial study said that they found an increased amount of colchicine, which is a toxic substance, in the placental blood in women who reported taking Ginkgo biloba herbal pregnancy supplements. All five women who reported taking the substance had a toxic level of 45 to 760 mcg/l of colchicine in their placenta blood. This is bad because it can lead to developmental problems in the fetus, or later on in life.

Although claims that ginkgo biloba pregnancy supplements should be taken seriously because of the potential negative effects it has on the development of the child, there are certain things wrong with this study. The study claimed that the herbal extracts caused the increased presence of colchicine in the placenta. This cannot be true because colchicine is not a component in ginkgo biloba pregnancy supplements. Therefore it seems impossible that ginkgo biloba be accused of causing the increase of colchicine.

The ginkgo biloba herb does, however, contain a nontoxic chemical that is the same as colchicines. Therefore, it is the scientists fault for not exerting enough effort in differentiating between the two. The pregnancy risks caused by colchicines could not have been caused by the usage of ginkgo biloba pregnancy supplements. Ginkgo biloba supplements need more testing and studies. The results of this test are not accurate.

Because one test is faulted does not mean that other test are too. People should not ignore the possibility that the ginkgo biloba supplement could cause some pregnancy problems; there is still some risk of that.

This report that the ginkgo biloba supplement is harmful has been proven inconclusive. The extract could still be safe. If using an over-the-counter medicine or supplement containing ginkgo biloba extract, be cautious. It is always a good idea to ask a doctor before using any medication.