Ginkgo biloba for Stay-At-Home Side Effects and Post-COVID Syndrome

It has been more than two years since the outbreak of COVID-19, and we are still being hit by the coronavirus wave after wave. Recently, the number of confirmed cases has reached a new high, exceeding 30,000 cases a day. Some may resume work from home and online studies again. This pandemic has changed the way we live and is bringing a profound impact on our health, both physically and mentally.

Physical health

From the physical health aspect, after being stuck at home for months or even years, most of us would be living a sedentary lifestyle. We have become inactive and exercise is no longer a habit. Lack of physical activities will affect the body’s metabolism, blood circulation and reduce blood flow to the brain.  Cold hands and feet, finger numbness, dizziness, headache and poor concentration are signs of poor blood circulation. As exercise is important to health, this is an issue we have to tackle, especially the elderly, who are more vulnerable to sickness. Therefore, we have to keep our body active by doing some simple exercises, stretching and walking up and down the staircase at home. In addition, we can also get some help from supplementation with ginkgo biloba, which has been scientifically proven in maintaining healthy blood circulation.

Boring daily life and an uncertain future are causing many people to look for comfort from food, smoking and alcohol, entertainment from their phones, computers and television.  Food cravings, smoking and alcohol consumption are culprits of many health problems, such as obesity and heart health. In particular, the blue light emitted from the digital devices are very harmful to the eyes. Long hours of looking at the screen also will cause eye strain, dry eyes or sleeping problems and even increased risk for eye infections. Some vitamins and functional foods are able to protect our eyes and, again, ginkgo biloba is one such herb that protects eye cells from blue light damage.

Mental health

Many of us have returned to work or study, but the recent spike in cases has disrupted our plans. Working parents who are working from home are even busier than usual because their children are staying at home as well. Besides that, there are also frontliners and essential workers who have been working long hours every day for months without adequate rest. All of these factors have resulted in fatigue and anxiety.

In addition to that, many businesses have been hit hard by the coronavirus, deeply impacting the economy and causing lots of people to struggle with financial problems. This has caused psychological challenges to many. Mental health is always being neglected and it should be a concern, especially during this difficult situation. Ginkgo biloba supplementation has been found to be effective in alleviating anxiety, stress and fatigue.  A recent study published in Medicine Journal explored the effect of ginkgo biloba extract as an combination treatment for elderly patients with depression and obtained good results.

Long-term effects of Coronavirus infection

Do not underestimate the effects of COVID, Coronavirus can attack the body in many ways, causing damage to the lungs, heart, nervous system and other organs. It may also damage the blood vessels, increase risk of blood clotting and exert an impact on blood circulation. Generally, COVID lasts about 2-4 weeks, but some may still experience lingering health problems, physically and mentally, after the infection has been cleared. These are called post-COVID syndrome.

A statistic showed that fatigue and headache are the most common symptoms of post-COVID syndrome, 58% and 44% respectively. Anxiety, depression and insomnia can arise from grief and loss, unresolved pain, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after treatment in ICU. Other possible symptoms are shortness of breath, dizziness, brain fog (problems with memory and concentration), stomach upset, loss of appetite, chest pain, nerve pain, muscle weakness, joint pain, skin rashes, etc. These symptoms may last weeks or months.

Ginkgo biloba leaf extract contains high levels of flavonoids and terpenoids, compounds that are known for their strong antioxidant effects. Studies have shown that these active compounds help increase blood flow and improve blood circulation by dilating the blood vessels and reducing blood viscosity (thickness), and thus decreasing the risk of blood clotting. Ginkgo extract has also shown neuroprotective effects and is useful in relieving fatigue, improving cognitive functions and reducing nerve pain. Therefore, Ginkgo biloba could be used as one of the herbal supplements to manage the symptoms and promote full recovery.

In conclusion, during this period of time, everyone has to take good care of their health, from boosting immunity to mental care. Ginkgo biloba may be a good helper to overcome the various side effects of Staying-At-Home and long-lasting effects from COVID-19.

Key points

• Staying at home and social distancing may have a profound impact on our health, both physically and mentally.
• Lack of physical activities may cause poor blood circulation. Take Ginkgo biloba to improve blood circulation.
• Prolonged usage of digital devices may cause eye strain. Take Ginkgo biloba for eye protection.
• Those who are over-worked and financially affected by the pandemic may be suffering from fatigue, anxiety and stress. Take Ginkgo biloba to help improve energy, concentration and manage stress.

COVID patients may develop long lasting symptoms after recovering from the initial infection. Take Ginkgo biloba to help manage the symptoms.

References

Alsmadi AM, Tawalbeh LI, Gammoh OS, Shawagfeh MQ, Zalloum W, Ashour A & Attarian H. (2017). The effect of Ginkgo biloba and psycho-education on stress, anxiety and fatigue among refugees. Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare. 27(1): 26-32.

Dai CX, Hu CC, Shang YS & Xie J. (2018). Role of Ginkgo biloba extract as an adjunctive treatment of elderly patients with depression and on the expression of serum S100B. Medicine. 97: 39.

Lopez-Leon S, Wegman-Ostrosky T, Perelman C, Sepulveda R, Rebolledo PA, Cuapio A & Villapol S. (2021). More than 50 long‑term effects of COVID‑19:  A systematic review and meta‑analysis. Scientific Reports. 11:16144.

Oh JH, Togloom A & Kim MS. (2017). Effects of Ginkgo biloba extract on endoplasmic reticulum stress in A2E-containing retinal pigment epithelial cells exposed to blue light. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 58(8): 5360.

Thomson Activated Ginkgo has emerged as the gold winner in the recent Natural Health Readers’ Choice Awards 2021, namely Herbal Nutritional Suplement.