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greater overall benefit than the clinician, who is focusing only on the memory deficit. Unfortunately,
the studies with ginkgo have not used sophisticated neuropsychological testing to systematically
evaluate the possibility that it leads to improved attention and greater alertness, rather than having a
direct effect on memory. These activating effects may partly account for its promemory action:
people who are alert and pay close attention tend to perform better on neuropsychological tests,
including tests of memory.

Recently, a physician friend of mine told me that he now takes ginkgo regularly because he has a
strong family history of Alzheimer's disease. And he definitely isn't the only card-carrying member
of the American Medical Association who takes this substance. So even though the jury is still out,
the evidence in favor of ginkgo is piling up to such an extent that former skeptics have begun to turn
the corner. If you are worried about losing your memory, or have begun to experience subtle memory
loss, or, as in the case of my friend, have a strong family history of dementia, ginkgo biloba is an
option.

Ginkgo biloba is available in health food stores and no prescription is needed. Unfortunately, it
comes in many shapes and forms, and you cannot always be sure of the quality of what you are
buying. The Journal of the American Medical Association study was conducted with a ginkgo
preparation called EGb 761 at a dose of 120 mg daily. This dose seems to be reasonable because it
was associated with a mild positive effect in dementia while producing virtually no side effects.

If you decide to take ginkgo regularly, bear in mind that its promemory effects have been quite
small in the studies conducted to date. Ginkgo biloba can play a useful role in a memory-loss-
prevention program, but by itself it is unlikely to be the panacea, the magic potion, to prevent age-
related memory loss.

Ginseng

Ginseng root preparations, used extensively in Chinese medicine for centuries, are now popular
across Asia, Europe, and the United States. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, its medicinal
properties achieved such fame that fortunes were paid for prize roots, as if they were rare diamonds.
The reasoning behind ginseng's use is that it repairs yang energy. It is believed to have broad
antiaging effects and is often given to treat fatigue and impotence. Male rats fed on ginseng initiate
sexual activity much faster than rats that do not receive ginseng.