Can Ginkgo Biloba Help ADHD?

Ginkgo is well known for helping seniors with memory problems, but new research suggests that it may also help young children with ADHD. . . .

This pilot study gave 120-240mg of Ginkgo biloba to twenty children, ages six to thirteen, with ADHD. On a scale of twenty aspects of ADHD symptoms, parents rated the children as significantly improved. There was also significant improvement in specific catagories of the scale, including attention problems, hyperactivity and impulsiveness.

Other measures found significant improvement in social behaviour and disruption of family life.

This study was not placebo-controlled, so more research is necessary, but it offers hope that ginkgo could help children with ADHD ( Kinder Jugendpsychiatr Psychother 2014;42:337-347).

An earlier study that was controlled and double-blind found that Ginkgo did help children with ADHD but not as much as the drug methylphenidate (Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2010;34:76-80).. Methylphenidate, however, can be habit forming.

It will be interesting to see more research on ginkgo and ADHD.