Ginkgo Biloba, a widely used herbal medicine, is extracted from the leaves of a deciduous tree originally cultivated in China. An article in the peer-review journal** of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) concludes that Ginko Biloba has “modest positive effects” as a tinnitus treatment for “tinnitus of vascular origin” (tinnitus caused by impaired blood flow). The herb is also considered “effective” for Alzheimer’s and as having “modest positive effects” for dementia, and cerebrovascular disease. I conclude, therefore, that Ginkgo Biloba may help whether your tinnitus is caused by circulation problems in the ears themselves (Just think of all the tiny blood vessels in those delicate instruments!) or your tinnitus is generated within your brain, as it seems to be for many of us.
The AAFP article recommends 160mg per day in two or three doses and giving it six to twelve weeks to decide if it’s helping. The primary caution with this herb is that it increases the risk of bleeding, so you should not take it if you’re about to have surgery and you should consult your physician if you’re taking a blood thinner, which, of course, includes aspirin. (Other adverse effects are rare.)
Herbal formulas that include Ginkgo Biloba and that you can order online:
TinnaRex, which also has Rosemary, Avena Sativa, Verbena, and Salicylic Ac. (You can read about the other ingredients at their website.)
Arches Tinnitus Formulas (more than one), which also include Zinc, Garlic, and Vitamin B-12. (I recommend this website for its wealth of information.)
By the way, in reviewing the website for SonaRx (usually at the top of tinnitus search results), I could not find information on what is in the product. I’ve written them to ask.
* Information on the Ginkgo Biloba tree, which having survived the ice ages is one of the oldest in the world, is from The Chopra Center Herbal Handbook.