Health Benefits of a Standardized Ginkgo biloba Extract Associated With Phosphatidylserine in Alleviating Mental...

Mental health is threatened every day by the stressors of life: frenetic work rhythms, stressful conditions can generate anxiety, depression, cognition, and sleep problems. Among natural products with properties to support mental health, Gingko biloba extract with phosphatidylserine (GBP) was exploited with the aim of evaluating its benefits in cognitive function, mood regulation, and overall quality of life. Gingko Biloba has been widely used to improve mental functions, while phosphatidylserine displayed neurotransmitter modulation in several studies. Two exploratory, registered RCT clinical studies were performed. In the first 480 mg/day of GBP, or placebo, was supplemented to healthy volunteers for 4 weeks. Mood states and cognitive performance were evaluated at 60 and 180 min (single dose), and after 4 weeks of supplementation. In the second trial adults experiencing moderate stress received GBP240 (240 mg/day) or GBP480 (480 mg/day) for 4 weeks, and perceived stress, anxiety, mood states, and cognitive performance were evaluated. Following both acute (single dose) and chronic (4-week) GBP480 supplementation, participants exhibited improvements in delayed verbal memory, and reaction time versus placebo, suggesting a possible beneficial impact on cognitive functions. The second study confirmed the GBP benefits on mood states and a visually consistent downward trend in reaction times across all four cognitive performance tests at both GBP dosages, suggesting improved processing speed in response to various stimuli. On the basis of the results obtained in the first study, the results on cognitive models on the second study were more modest than expected. However, the results described in the present research confirmed previous reported advantages of the unique association of Gingko Biloba and phosphatidylserine, so combining antioxidant, neuroprotective, and nootropic properties of both ingredients. Further research is needed to consolidate this preliminary evidence.