What symptoms can ginkgo biloba relieve?
Feb 13, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Bai Hongmei
Introduction
Under normal circumstances, ginkgo seeds can help alleviate symptoms such as asthma with phlegm, leukorrhea, frequent urination and enuresis, seminal emission and spermatorrhea, and prolonged diarrhea. Ginkgo seeds have a neutral property and the effect of astringing the lungs and relieving asthma. However, ginkgo seeds are astringent and slightly toxic; therefore, they should not be consumed in excessive amounts or eaten raw directly. Pregnant women, children, individuals with allergic constitutions, and other susceptible populations should consume them cautiously or avoid them altogether.
Generally speaking, Ginkgo (Bai Guo) is a traditional Chinese herb. Ginkgo can help relieve symptoms such as asthma with phlegm cough, leukorrhea, frequent urination and enuresis, seminal emission, and prolonged diarrhea. Specific applications are as follows:
1. Asthma with phlegm cough: Ginkgo has a neutral nature and functions to astringe the lungs and relieve asthma. It can alleviate both deficiency asthma caused by lung qi deficiency or kidney failing to receive qi, and excess asthma caused by external contraction of cold wind or phlegm-heat accumulating in the lungs. It helps relieve coughing and wheezing by reducing upward rushing lung qi.
2. Leukorrhea: Ginkgo has an astringent effect and can be used to treat leukorrhea. Whether the leukorrhea is caused by spleen deficiency with excessive dampness, presenting as excessive, white, thin discharge, or by kidney deficiency with instability, presenting as clear, thin discharge accompanied by soreness and weakness of the waist and knees, Ginkgo can exert certain regulatory effects.
3. Frequent urination and enuresis: Ginkgo can consolidate kidney essence and reduce urination frequency. It helps alleviate symptoms of frequent urination and enuresis caused by kidney deficiency. By enhancing the kidney's containment function, it can reduce daytime frequency and nighttime bedwetting, commonly used for treating enuresis in children and urinary frequency or urgency in middle-aged and elderly individuals due to kidney qi deficiency.
4. Spermatorrhea and premature ejaculation: The astringent property of Ginkgo acts on the kidney and bladder meridians, improving spermatorrhea and premature ejaculation caused by kidney deficiency and instability. It helps consolidate kidney essence and decrease the frequency of such occurrences, often used in combination with kidney-nourishing and essence-consolidating herbs like Euryale seed (Qian Shi) and Lotus seed (Lian Zi).
5. Prolonged diarrhea: Ginkgo has an astringent effect on the intestines and can stop diarrhea. It is used to treat prolonged diarrhea caused by spleen deficiency or combined spleen and kidney deficiency, such as chronic uncontrolled diarrhea and loose stools. It alleviates diarrhea by tightening the intestines and enhancing their containment function, often combined with spleen-strengthening and antidiarrheal herbs such as Atractylodes (Bai Zhu) and Dioscorea (Shan Yao).
Ginkgo is astringent and slightly toxic; therefore, it should not be taken in excessive amounts or consumed raw. Pregnant women, children, and individuals with allergic constitutions should use it cautiously or avoid it altogether.
