Ginkgo biloba

Other names: Ginkgo

Fan-shaped leaves; leaf extracts in supplements.

Large two-lobed leaves on long petioles.

Family: Ginkgoaceae
Plant type: Tree
Safety level (indicative): Caution

What the safety levels mean (expand legend)

Generally recognised as safe. Often a common herb with reasonable harvest and use; still read the specific warnings on the card.
Information. Primarily informational — details in the text and warnings below matter most.
Caution. Needs extra care (dose, duration, sensitive groups, interactions).
Risky. Significant risks — verify sources, contraindications and professional guidance.
Not for home experimentation. Not suitable to experiment with at home without knowledge and certainty.
High risk for internal use. Particular risk with internal use (e.g. alkaloids); avoid prolonged or irresponsible dosing.
Not specified. Level not filled in yet — rely on individual warnings and links below.

Safety — read before use

For this herb it is important to check warnings, mix-ups and cautions. Start with the Safety section.

Quick overview

A practical summary; details are in the sections below.

Safety grade: Caution·details
Scientific sources on the card: Yes — sources are listed with claims·Science section
When and what to harvest: Leaf — June–September
Full harvest section
Processing methods: Herbal infusion (tea), Capsules
All methods and recipes on the card
Topics and symptoms: No topic links yet.Topics section · Symptoms overview

Identification and mix-ups

Deciduous leaves of characteristic shape.

Possible mix-ups and risks

Young trees may resemble some broadleaves—leaf is decisive.

Similar herbs

No related herbs are linked yet.

Topics and symptoms

More topics are in the symptoms and topics overview.

No topic links are recorded yet.

Geographic occurrence

Czechia
Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)
Austria
Occasional (garden, cultivation, or fringe of the range)
Germany
Occasional (garden, cultivation, or fringe of the range)
Hungary
Occasional (garden, cultivation, or fringe of the range)
Poland
Occasional (garden, cultivation, or fringe of the range)
Slovakia
Occasional (garden, cultivation, or fringe of the range)
Japan
Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

Harvest

LeafJune–September
léto
Region: Czechia
Notes: Harvest note (full translation pending): Listy pred zloutnutim u dospelych stromu — casto z pestovani.

Storage

Drying(Leaf)
List jinanový usušený v papíru.
Light:
Chlad.
Moisture:
Vlhko.
Safety:
Interakce s léky — viz kartu.

Processing methods on this herb card

Herbal infusion (tea)(Leaf)Suitability: Low suitability
Infusion or brief extraction in hot water; usually without long boiling.
Full method description (from the catalogue)
In the narrow sense, “tea” often means an infusion: you pour water just off the boil over the dried plant matter and let it steep for a few minutes. Temperature, steep time, and the herb-to-water ratio change both flavour and what dissolves into the liquid.
Compared with a decoction, heat exposure is shorter and gentler; tender leaves and flowers are often better as an infusion than with prolonged simmering. For each herb, always follow the plant card for suitable plant part, preparation, and safety notes — general rules never replace species-level judgement.
Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no
Procedure (recipe)
Ginkgo leaf tea (short steep)
About 10 min · Difficulty: Advanced
Extraction parameters (rough guide): 250 ml water · 85–95 °C · 5–10 min steep
1. Pour hot water over dried leaf for a very short steep (3–5 minutes), then strain — flavour is strong.
2. Standardized extracts are the usual medicinal form; tea is not the typical regulatory profile — discuss with your clinician if you take medicines.
Drug interactions — see the herb card.
Why this way (extraction / behaviour of constituents)
The HMPC monograph on ginkgo leaf focuses on extracts and powders in medicinal products; a weak home leaf tea is not the same as a standardized monograph extract. If you take drugs affecting bleeding or clotting, discuss with a clinician.
What is typically released
Polární frakce — slabší než farmaceutické extrakty.
Solvent / water
Voda.
After preparation
Čerstvě.
Extra literature for the recipe
- EMA HMPC — Ginkgo biloba, foliumPrimárně přípravky; kuchyňský nálev má jiný profil.
Capsules(Leaf)Suitability: Medium suitability
Filling capsules with dried herb or powder; home and industrial variants.
Full method description (from the catalogue)
Capsules allow precise dosing and mask bitter tastes. Home fillers exist, but hygiene, blend uniformity, and storage are harder than with tea.
Follow supplement legislation where it applies.
Traditional context for this method: no·Scientific context for this method: yes
Procedure (recipe)
Ginkgo capsules (orientation)
About 10 min · Difficulty: Advanced
1. Market capsules use standardised ginkgo leaf extract — filling capsules with dry herb at home does not give a known flavonoid or ginkgolide content.
2. Choose products with transparent labelling; do not exceed label doses.
3. Interactions with anticoagulants and anti-epileptics — always inform your clinician.
Food supplements are not medicines; do not self-treat serious symptoms.
Why this way (extraction / behaviour of constituents)
Home preparation following this recipe is mainly educational and cultural; it should not be assumed to match the extractive or safety profile of registered medicines or standardized extracts. Check specific effects, drug interactions, and contraindications on the herb card and with your clinician if you use prescription drugs.
What is typically released
orientační domácí extrakce — profil závisí na teplotě, čase řezu a poměrech
Solvent / water
mediální složení (voda, alkohol, olej, med…) viz jednotlivé kroky
After preparation
po přípravě uchovávej hygienicky a podle typu výrobku (chlad, světlo, alkohol)
Extra literature for the recipe
- Vyhledávání studií (PubMed apod.)Konkrétní vědecká tvrzení ověř na kartě byliny a v primární literatuře.

Traditional / spiritual use

Kept separate from science — entries are cultural or symbolic, not medical advice.

Related guides in the library

Ginkgo biloba and two leaf lobes (symbolic)

Traditional folk context
General
The herb appears in older folk customs referenced on Czech cards. This note is cultural memory and seasonal storytelling — not a dosing guide, clinical indication, or substitute for the safety section.
Form:
různé
Claim strength:
Tradition
Source note:
Cultural framing only.

Scientific notes

Each claim lists a study type and a source (URL or DOI) where available. Dose notes from the literature are informational only.

How to read evidence strength and study type labels

Labels summarise how the catalogue entry is tagged — they are not a medical verdict on efficacy. For every row, read the summary, limitations and source link.

Evidence strength

Evidence level not specified: The author did not grade the record; judge from the summary, limitations and source link.
Narrative / orientational literature: Descriptive or expert literature without controlled group comparison — context rather than proof of effect.
Weak evidence: Study or conclusion with major methodological limits; treat only as a pointer for further reading.
Preliminary findings: First or smaller studies — interesting direction, not the final word on efficacy or safety.
Moderate strength of evidence: Moderate strength by study design; sample and context limits still apply.
Stronger evidence: Stronger design or consistency of results within the study’s stated limits.
Review article: A review summarises multiple sources; quality depends on review method and field.

Study type

Narrative / expert text: Expert text or overview without a classical study design.
In vitro study: Cell culture or test-tube experiment — does not show an effect in the body.
Animal study: Animal model — transfer to humans is not automatic.
Observational study: Observing groups without random treatment assignment; confounding is possible.
Clinical trial: Human clinical trial; sample size and control group matter.
Randomised controlled trial: Randomised controlled trials are among the stronger designs when well conducted.
Review study: A review aggregates multiple papers — quality depends on selection rules.
Systematic review: Systematic review with explicit search and selection methodology.
Meta-analysis: Statistical pooling of studies; outcome depends on input data and heterogeneity.
Regulatory assessment / monograph (EMA, WHO…): Regulatory body summary for a herbal product — different context from a single RCT; often about products, not home tea.
Expert monograph (herbal preparations): Structured literature summary for a plant or drug — quality depends on author and edition year.

Evidence summary (full translation pending): O ucincich a bezpecnosti existuje odborna literatura; zaznam je orientacni a nenahrazuje peci odbornika.
Evidence level not specifiedNarrative / expert text
Limitations: Limitations (translation pending): Seed katalogu — dopln konkretni studie podle obsahu.
Vyhledávání studií (PubMed apod.)
Evidence summary (full translation pending): EMA HMPC pro list jinanu; dokument resi predevsim extrakty a prasek v pripravcich, ne „kuchynsky“ nalev z listu.
Review articleRegulatory assessment / monograph (EMA, WHO…)Year: 2014
Preparation form in the study: infusion
Active compound / focus: flavonoidy, ginkgolidy (dle dokumentu)
Limitations: Limitations (translation pending): Interakce a krvaciva rizika v dokumentu se primarne vztahuji k lecivym pripravkum z listu.
Dose note (from literature): Dosage notes (translation pending): Viz PDF k pripravkum.
EMA Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC) — European Medicines Agency
EMA: Final assessment report on Ginkgo biloba L., folium

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Safety

What the warning types mean

The type on each warning helps group themes — it does not replace the separate severity badge.

Internal use: Risks from swallowing, extracts, duration of use or concentration for internal use.
Interactions / medicines: Possible effect on medicines or concurrent treatment — check sources and a professional.
Raw plant parts: Raw, unripe or poorly prepared plant parts can be dangerous.
Toxins and regulation: Toxic constituents or regulated compounds (e.g. in distillates).
Contact with the plant: Skin or mucosa irritation from contact with fresh plant or sap.
Allergy: Allergic reactions, often linked to family sensitisation.
Harvesting and contamination: Contamination, species mix-ups or harvesting from unsuitable places.

Safety information (full translation pending)Moderate severityInteractions / medicines
This warning is being translated to English. Czech editor text: Leciva redici krev a antikoagulancia List jinanu muze interagovat s nekterymi leky (redeni krve, antiepileptika aj.) — konzultuj lekare pri soucasnem uzivani pripravku.