Ginkgo

What it does

Ginkgo biloba leaf extract (standardized as EGb 761) is taken for memory and circulation. The 2026 Cochrane review of 82 trials concluded possible small-to-moderate short-term benefits in diagnosed dementia, but little or no benefit for mild cognitive impairment or healthy memory.

What the research says

• Possible small-to-moderate 6-month benefits in diagnosed dementia

  Evidence: emerging. 2026 Cochrane review (82 RCTs, 10,613 participants): low-certainty evidence for global status, cognition, and daily functioning at 6 months; effects absent or uncertain at 12 months

• Little or no benefit for mild cognitive impairment or subjective memory complaints

  Evidence: moderate. Same 2026 Cochrane review: moderate-certainty evidence of little or no effect at six months for MCI

• No meaningful cognitive enhancement in healthy adults

  Evidence: moderate. Pooled effect sizes in healthy adults hover around zero; large prevention trials showed no dementia-risk reduction

The top-level 2026 Cochrane synthesis finds low-certainty, small, short-lived benefit only in dementia, with high heterogeneity and industry-funding concerns. No support for prevention or healthy-brain enhancement.

Is it worth it?

Not worth it for healthy people seeking a mental edge; evidence offers essentially nothing. Only a monitored option worth discussing with a clinician for dementia patients.