Memory Herbs: Why Gingko Doesn't Always Work by Brian B. Carter, MS, LAc

Q: When reading, I can't seem to focus or retain information as I once did. I was wondering if you had any suggestions, herbal remedies, or insight to offer. I appreciate your assistance.

A: Memory function is a complex issue that an overly simplistic herbal approach cannot solve.

Why Gingko Doesn’t Always Work For Memory

Popular magazines said that gingko was the herbal memory cure, but people's experience and science have not borne this out. I'm not surprised. In Chinese medicine, we recognize that one symptom can be have multiple causes. We have to look for the root, and look at the surrounding symptoms and signs to find the appropriate cure.

Your memory loss/concentration could be due to something that gingko can address, or to something else. If you give it to a bunch of people without first differentiating the cause of their problem, you won't know who will get better and who won't. Although gingko is a Chinese herb, we generally don't use it for memory or concentration problems. It does "move the blood," though, so problems due to "blood stagnation" might improve with it.

The Root Causes of Memory and Concentration

So what are the causes of memory loss and concentration problems? The disease of Impaired Memory (Jian Wang) is subdivided into:*

Heart/Spleen vacuity: Caused by overthinking, overwork, insufficient nutrition. Symptoms of palpitations, insomnia, fatigue, poor appetite, loose stool.

Kidney jing vacuity: Caused by overwork, disease, ageing, too much sex. Symptoms of loose teeth, loss of or early greying of hair, low back and knee weakness and soreness, weak bones.

Go to Page 2

BIO:

Acupuncturist, herbalist, and medical professor Brian B. Carter founded the alternative health megasite The Pulse of Oriental Medicine (http://www.PulseMed.org/). He is the author of the book "Powerful Body, Peaceful Mind: How to Heal Yourself with Foods, Herbs, and Acupressure" (November, 2004). Brian speaks on radio across the country, and has been quoted and interviewed by Real Simple, Glamour, and ESPN magazines.

Some Aditional Articles you may enjoy

Is Your Health Optimal? by Brian Benjamin Carter, MS, LAc

Clinton Scare Has US Men Rushing For Heart Checks by Ms. Marsha Knapik and Ms. Cyndi Havrilak

Mini-Micrografting - Investigating the Pros, the Cons, and the FUE's by Maggie Kay

What You Should Know About West Nile Virus by Becky Sisk

Low-Carb Diets - An Introduction by Priya Shah

Click a Number to go to an article index page
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39