Apoplexy Risk Associated With Ginkgo Biloba

Ginkgo is extracted from the leaves of the ginkgo biloba tree and was first used medicinally in China more than 5,000 years ago. The effectiveness of the herb is controversial. Systematic reviews and studies that produce the most reliable results have found either no benefit or only a small benefit from using it. Among its purported medicinal properties, it is thought to stave off Alzheimer's disease and improve circulation. Reports of adverse effects of the herb have included an increase in bleeding-related complications. 
Thousands of Britons have taken the herb in the hope that it will keep their memory sharp into old age and may do more harm than good, according to the Daily Mail. However, the newspaper's headline focused on the increased numbers of stroke in the ginkgo group, but the research paper only advised that the "increased stroke risk will require further close scrutiny in [ginkgo extract] prevention trials". From this limited information it is not possible to make a definitive statement on the stroke risk of taking Ginkgo.