Finding Unleaded Ginkgo

Consumers take Ginkgo biloba supplements to boost their neurological systems and enhance their memory, so it comes as a bit of a surprise to learn that some supplements on the market contain sky-high concentrations of lead—a heavy metal that causes cognitive impairment. ConsumerLab.com (CL), an independent evaluator of health and nutritional products, recently tested 17 off-the-shelf ginkgo products for ingredient quality and contamination. Only 11 passed. Most of the rejected products failed to deliver the amount of ginkgo biloba their labels claimed, a problem CL had previously identified with some ginkgo supplements in tests conducted in 1999 and 2003. Three of the rejects also contained more than 0.5 mcg of lead in a daily serving, the limit set by the state of California to avoid a lead warning on the label. One of them, Canadian Sun Ginkgo Biloba 24% Extract, had 16.6 mcg per daily serving—more than 32 times the California limit. All three of the contaminated products (and none of their lead-free counterparts) contained ginkgo leaf powder, making it the likely source of the lead. Two supplement manufacturers, Jarrow Formulas and Olympian Labs, issued recalls for their ginkgo products based on the CL findings. For the price of a year’s subscription ($27), you can find a list of the approved and rejected supplements at www.consumerlab.com/results/ginkgobiloba.asp.