Ginkgo Biloba for Vitiligo (White Patches on Skin)

Learn why Ginkgo Biloba for Vitiligo is one of the best natural remedies for vitiligo. Natural herbs are not only generally well tolerated, but also relatively safer and more effective than most over-the-counter prescribed medications.

Although most of the readily available conventional medical therapies for various ailments, including vitiligo may work they do come with various serious side effects among other restrictions attached to them.

This article is going to focus particularly on the Ginkgo Biloba herb that is known for its various nutritional and health benefits in order to answer the question “Does Ginkgo Biloba help vitiligo?”

Ginkgo Biloba Benefits Vitiligo

Firsty what is vitiligo?  Vitiligo is a non-communicable cosmetic skin condition characterized by the random appearance and spreading of white patches on the human skin. The skin condition is said to affect about one out of a hundred people globally. Vitiligo, which is highly treatable, can result in depression and self-loathing especially when the affected individual experiences, social rejection hence should be treated as early as possible.

It is crucial to note that the skin condition affects people of all races, but can be a little more obvious on dark skinned people. Most cases of the disease which cannot be either described as dangerous or life threatening are detected before one reaches the tender age of 20 although it can easily occur at any age.

The skin condition normally occurs when skin cells known as “melanocytes¹” that are responsible for maintaining skin pigment are either dormant or destroyed. Melanocytes which are located in the epidermis work to provide the skin with its natural color by producing a substance known as melanin.

Vitiligo commonly affects the shoulders, torso, face, and neck, but can at times be found on the feet, elbows, hands, knees and even genitals. The condition initially starts as small spots, but eventually progresses to extensively cover larger skin portions resulting in the development of irregular white patches of various shapes and sizes all over the affected person’s skin.

Steroid creams although previously considered as the most commonly used vitiligo treatment are slowly losing their popularity after they were found not to be very effective. However, those suffering from the skin disorder should not necessarily worry as there is another natural effective remedy for their condition going by the name “Ginkgo Biloba.”

Just like other available conventional vitiligo treatment options, Ginkgo works to restore lost skin color and to stop the spread of the skin disorder which are the key factors considered when selecting an effective vitiligo remedy.

Common Causes of Vitiligo:

There are basically three main causes of the Vitiligo skin condition and they are as follows:

Genetics

This factor alone is responsible for up to approximately 30% of vitiligo cases as some of the affected individuals have at least one family member with the skin condition. The skin disorder can be hereditary in nature as it is known to run in specific families thanks to the identification of the presence of peculiar genes that are responsible for this familial link.

Autoimmune destruction of the melanocytes

Vitiligo can also be caused when the body’s immune system mistakenly mounts regular repeated attacks on melanocytes after mistaking them for harmful foreign bodies destroying them in the process. The destruction of the crucial skin cells severy reduces melanin production, causing the gradual loss of the original skin color.

However, the presence of other underlying autoimmune disorders like pernicious anemia, Graves’ disease, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, alopecia areata and Addison disease can greatly influence this cause of vitiligo.

Oxidative stress

The skin condition can also be caused by oxidative stress, especially that affecting the skin. Free reactive oxygen species and radicals are usually released as oxidation reaction byproducts during normal cellular metabolism. The by-products are then broken down by body antioxidants before they can get to cause serious cell damage.

Vitiligo is likely to result in situations where there are extremely low catalase (an antioxidant enzyme) levels as well as higher levels of the highly reactive oxygen species and radicals in the skin. This is because the melanocytes are likely to succumb when there is no optimal antioxidant protection resulting in skin depigmentation. Harmful exposure to both household and industrial chemicals can also cause oxidative stress.

About the Ginkgo Biloba Natural Herb:

Ginkgo Biloba who’s other name is “maidenhair” is among the oldest tree species in the world. The plant which is native to Asia has various medicinal and culinary benefits. Ginkgo Biloba’s leaf extracts are rich in a variety of medicinal properties that are beneficial in treating various ailments, including dementia, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, vitiligo, periphery artery disease among others.

The unique properties also help in improving blood circulation and memory. Of the entire herb’s properties, its immunomodulatory and antioxidant properties are the most appreciated when it comes to alleviating vitiligo.

Terpene lactones and Ginkgo-flavone glycosides are the herb’s two main active phytochemical groups. Other Ginkgo extract constituents include ginkgolic acid, carotenoids, proanthocyanidins, ascorbic acid and dimeric flavones. Ginkgo gets its antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties from the terpene lactones, proanthocyanidins, and the flavonoids.

The herbal extracts are available in various forms, including tinctures, capsules, fluid extracts, dried leaves for teas and tablets. The herbal remedy can be found in various cosmetic creams and can also be applied topically.

How Ginkgo Biloba Herb Works In Treating Vitiligo.

The natural herbal remedy has been repeatedly proven to be very effective in alleviating vitiligo cases, particularly those caused by oxidative stress and genetics. The proanthocyanidin and glycoside components are very effective in combating a wide variety of reactive oxygen species and radicals, including peroxides whose main role is to destroy melanocyte cells.

Proanthocyanidin and glycoside actively hunt and break down these harmful free radicals while increasing significantly antioxidant enzyme activities in the skin. Both the Ginkgo Biloba extract components also prevent a common type of free radical body reaction called “lipid peroxidation.”

The wonder herb when topically applied increases the enzyme superoxide dismutase’s activities significantly boosting the skin’s natural defense mechanisms against harmful reactive oxygen species. This action protects melanocytes from further destruction while effectively controlling the spread of vitiligo. Biloba’s immunomodulatory property can influence the body’s immune reaction to melanocytes.

A great number of ginkgo’s active phytochemicals specifically target the T-lymphocytes working directly to modify the immune system’s response. Ginkgo Biloba can also increase overall circulation to the skin, increasing nutrient and oxygen supply to the melanocytes thus facilitating skin repigmentation while increasing the recovery rate of the already weakened melanocytes. vitiligo ginkgo biloba dosage

An interesting scientific study where the vitiligo ginkgo biloba dosage was 60 mg of Ginkgo Biloba taken orally on a daily basis. This study showed a 6% decrease in lesion size and a significant impact on arresting the spread of vitiligo² .

CONCLUSION

Ginkgo Biloba vitiligo side effects. Various clinical studies have revealed that the natural Ginkgo Biloba herb is well tolerated by most users including those using it to alleviate vitiligo. However, there are a few mild side effects, including headaches, allergic skin reactions and some intestinal problems that have been reported. There are also some concerns that Biloba can cause seizures hence is not recommended for use by people with epilepsy. However it is it safe to take ginkgo biloba for vitiligo in most situations.

The herbal remedy which is a blood thinner should not be accompanied with other blood thinners like ibuprofen, aspirin or anticoagulants as this may increase the risk of internal bleeding.