Ginkgo & Hawthorn Combination

Ginkgo & Hawthorn Combination helps improve vascular blood flow and heart function, increases peripheral circulation to the brain and extremities, and helps normalize blood pressure, whether high or low. Ginkgo & Hawthorn Combination also improves alertness and provides an overall feeling of improved health.

Ginkgo & Hawthorn can be used to help Alzheimer’s disease, angina, arteriosclerosis, atherosclerosis, concentration, deafness, diminished mental capacity, headaches, heart disease, impotence, poor circulation, skin disorders, tinnitus and vertigo.

Ginkgo biloba extract, standardized to contain 24% ginkgo flavone glycosides and 6% terpenoids, has been the subject of over 300 published scientific papers and over 40 double-blind studies in the treatment of cerebral vascular insufficiency (decreased blood supply to the brain). According to doctors at Bastyr University in Washington, ginkgo acts as a vasodilator, opening constricted blood vessels to promote normalized circulation to the brain and central nervous system. This mode of action has been proven to reverse such problems as angina, asthma, diabetic retinopathy, depression, fatigue, headache, hearing loss, impotency (due to arterial insufficiency), intermittent claudication, macular degeneration, short-term memory loss, tinnitus, and vertigo. Of course, clinical trials and studies abound substantiating the benefits of ginkgo supplementation for early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

Studies confirm ginkgo helps reduce capillary permeability, inflammation, platelet accumulation, and thrombosis, and increases peripheral circulation. An article in The Journal of Biological Chemistry reported ginkgo biloba supplementation may help significantly in preventing hardening of the arteries. Numerous studies have shown that ginkgo greatly increases blood flow to the brain, helping to prevent strokes, the third leading cause of death in the United States. These studies indicate ginkgo may even help accelerate recovery from a stroke. A review of 40 different studies, published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology in 1992, found that the use of ginkgo extract for cerebral insufficiency provided significant improvement.

Other studies show ginkgo also enhances blood flow to the heart muscle, which may help prevent heart attacks by lowering the risk of internal blood clots that are responsible.

Hawthorn is known as the heart herb for its many benefits as a heart tonic. Studies confirm traditional use of hawthorn berries to strengthen and normalize the heart beat, prevent and reduce heart arrhythmias, and guard the heart against oxygen deficiency. Hawthorn berries are particularly beneficial for the treatment of angina. A study of 6,000 German patients taking hawthorn berries confirmed their ability to improve cardiac health.

Hawthorn berries have been shown to enhance coronary circulation and myocardial metabolism, enabling the heart to operate using less oxygen. Hawthorn berries reduce high blood pressure by decreasing heart output and enlarging peripheral blood vessels; however, hawthorn berries also raise low blood pressure. Hawthorn berries have even been shown to reduce cholesterol, and when used in conjunction with ginkgo biloba, to enhance poor memory by increasing blood flow and oxygen to the brain. Hawthorn berries are often used for angina pain, atherosclerosis, blood clots, mild congestive heart failure, coronary heart disease, heart arrhythmia, high and low blood pressure, hypertension, insufficient peripheral circulation, insomnia, memory problems, and rapid pulse.

Hawthorn owes much of its beneficial action to a high bioflavonoid content, primarily rutin and quercetin. These substances dilate and relax arteries, notably coronary arteries, thus enhancing blood circulation to the heart muscles and reducing symptoms of angina. These bioflavonoids are also powerful antioxidants which help to strengthen blood vessel walls and decrease and prevent oxidative damage.

Hawthorn berries are also a rich source of anthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins, powerful antioxidants which have been shown to increase intracellular levels of vitamin C, prevent collagen damage, decrease capillary fragility, and improve overall cardiovascular health.

In 1994, a German study found hawthorn berries improved heartbeat rate and decreased blood pressure. Another German study, involving 6,000 patients taking hawthorn berries, confirmed their ability to improve overall cardiac health.

Furthermore, a double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted to determine the effect of hawthorn berries on 120 participants with weakened heart function. Researchers found those receiving hawthorn berries demonstrated enhanced cardiac function and reported experiencing improvement in subjective symptoms such as heart palpitations and shortness of breath.

Olive leaf extract has been proven in numerous animal studies to provide hypotensive (blood pressure-lowering) properties and inhibit the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, which helps to prevent the formation of plaque that can clog arteries and cause heart disease. Clinical trials have confirmed that olive leaf extract lowers blood pressure, normalizes heart beat irregularities (arrhythmias), relieves angina pain, and enhances circulatory system function, improving blood flow in cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disorders.

Olive leaf contains the bitter glycoside oleuropein, a powerful antioxidant, and the compound responsible for leaf’s ability to successfully inhibit oxidation of LDL cholesterol.