Some herbs are very unpleasant to eat fresh: stinging nettles & comfrey leaf come to mind.

I haven't eaten fresh gingko leaf or know anyone who recommends this. I have, however, eaten the roasted 'nuts' of the gingko tree. Wait until the fruit ripens & fall then smush off the dog-poo smelling flesh & take home the nuts & roast them in the oven.

~bushpoet

PS/ would be interested in hearing about your experience with herbs for brain damage that you mentioned in another post.

some herbs, especially culinary herbs are better DRIED... depending on the essential oil or medicine needed dries up with the water...

Hi Kevin,

I don't know about eating Ginkgo biloba leaves straight, I think a tea would be more enjoyable, however, the daily dose for leaves would be 4 grams fresh, and up to 8grams depending on quality (ie: the longer it has been stored in dried form, the greater the amount)

Recent clinical trials have used the equivalent of twice these amounts, so I have been conservative in my figures.

In traditional Chinese medicine the nuts of Ginkgo were widely used to treat asthma and polyuria (frequent urination).

John

I was told, back in the sixties, that gotu kola was better fresh. I took me twenty years to get a live plant due to import quarantines and seeds that weren't viable and it had to have light, humidity, soil just right.
Long story short I can't tell the difference between eating
fresh leaves verses dried. Like many herbs this doesn't give you a "buzz' but is felt over time so it's hard to say.
Ditto to the nettles/comfrey thing.

Yes! I have eaten fresh gingko biloba leaves right off my tree. They have a somewhat bitter flavor that was a bit of shock but not unpleasant once I was ready for it. I find putting the leaves into my morning coffee grind with the whole beans makes them almost undetectable in the coffee and really gives me a wonderful intellegent edge all day. But of course they are no longer fresh. The research shows you get the most benefit from leaves that are just turning golden in the fall, just before they fall off the tree. That's when I try to collect my supply for the year, from trees that have not been treated in any way. Now that I am eating daily fresh green salads, I should experiment adding fresh gingko leaves. Thanks for the reminder. I will be interested in learning if fresh gives you more benefit over dried. Hugs. Hope this helps.

I did read somewhere that some herbs have harmful substances in them that dissipate when the herbs are dried. Don't know if that would be applicable to Ginko or not. I planted a Ginko tree in my back garden last spring, so would be interested if anyone knows.

Eibren:

From my experience, fresh or dried ginkgo leaf will have the same affectiveness. However, a word of caution . . . Since it's a medium-strength herb, some toxicity can accumulate. After about 2 months, a person should get off the herb for awhile. Otherwise, it can accumulate and cause side effects such as dizziness, headache, fatigue, gastric or chest discomfort, loss of appetite, constipation or diarrhea. These side-effects are understandable when we look at the energies of the herb: Restoring, decongesting, relaxing, raising, diluting, astringing. Recognizing these energies is the way Traditional Chinese Herbology looks at herbs.

Sorry for being so wordy.

Charlie
The Herbalist

Thanks, Charlie. I don't use it too often--so far, only if my toes start hurting. I theorized that it might help the blood flow and it seems to do so since my toes feel better within about a half hour of taking a caplet or two.

I enjoy your input and am glad you participate here.

I know it is an outdated post, but just for the records of more people looking for same answer. Yes, I also used to put in my black coffee one leaf. Worked for megreat as recover from brain exhaustion and nights of study and sleepness. I also boost my coffee when I am feeling tired or little depressed due alcool from last night.

I suggest: BUT PEOPLE WITH SIMPTOMS OF CIRCULATORY PROBLEMS OR STROKES MUST AVOID IT. Do not take it for long period and do not use this as medicine.

Dont use this to treat headache or releave it. Talk to your doctor.

I read in a book that Ginko Biloba is supposed to help people with Tinnitus, can anyone tell me if they know if this is true or not. My Dad is 70 this year and he has been suffering with Tinnitus for just over 10 years, if you don't know what that is - it's a constant ringing in the ears, my Dad said it first started when he went to the doctor and the doctor cleaned his ears, same thing happened to my cousin - was a cleaning done by the doctors, now the doctors "aren't being doctors" and have no idea to help them with it.... Need advice on anything that works, I need to help curb my Dad's suffering!