Ginko Biloba Side Effects Injury Lawsuits. The lawyers at our firm are evaluating potential lawsuits against manufacturers and sellers of ginkgo biloba supplements. Many companies that manufacture and market ginkgo biloba supplements make outrageous claims about their products’ supposed ability to prevent or improve the symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Recent research has shown such claims to be false.
If you purchased ginkgo biloba supplements in the hopes of preventing or slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, you may be entitled to compensation. We urge you to contact one of our ginkgo biloba false claims lawyers right away to protect your legal rights.
Ginkgo Biloba Claims
Ginkgo biloba is an herb that has been used medicinally for thousands of years. Today, it is one of the top selling herbal supplements in the U.S. According to the Nutrition Business Journal, Americans spent $107 million on ginkgo biloba products last year. The marketers of ginkgo biloba supplements have been able to convince tens of thousands of consumers to buy these products by making misleading claims about their benefits. Our ginkgo biloba false claims lawyers are committed to holding these companies accountable for this deception.
Ginkgo biloba supplement manufacturers make a variety of medical claims about their products. Some claim the supplements promote blood circulation to the arms, legs and brain, thereby boosting overall physical activity levels. Others claim that ginkgo biloba can ease the symptoms of depression and anxiety, premenstrual syndrome, sexual problems, and other ailments. Ginkgo biloba has also been touted as a remedy for intermittent claudication (a blood vessel disorder that causes pain in the legs when walking), Lyme Disease, heart disease, stroke, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, allergies, and chronic fatigue syndrome.
One of the most common claims made about ginkgo biloba is that the supplements can improve memory. Some manufacturers even go so far as to claim that their ginkgo biloba products can prevent or lessen dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. They make these claims because ginkgo biloba contains flavonoids, whose antioxidant properties have been shown to combat the chemical damage that accumulates in aging brain cells.
Many small studies to evaluate ginkgo biloba’s mental benefits have been done, but those studies have produced mixed results. Many consumer advocates, including our ginkgo biloba false claims lawyers, are of the opinion that none of the existing scientific evidence justifies the outrageous claims many manufacturers make about these supplements.
JAMA Study on Ginkgo Biloba, Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia
In November 2008, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published the results of a large study that found that ginkgo biloba supplements did nothing to prevent or delay dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. The study, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health, involved 3,069 men and women between the ages of 75 and 96. The subjects were recruited from around the country.
A little over half of the participants – 1,545 – took 240 milligrams a day of the ginkgo extract EGb 761. The other 1,524 participants took identical-looking placebos. All the pills were supplied by Schwabe Pharmaceuticals, a large supplement maker in Germany.
The subjects were given either the supplement or the placebo twice a day for an average of more than six years. By the end of the study, however, there was no statistically significant difference in the rates of dementia or Alzheimer’s between the two groups. In fact, those who got ginkgo biloba were slightly more likely to be diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer’s than subjects in the placebo group.
According to the JAMA article, 277 people who took ginkgo, or 18%, were diagnosed with dementia, compared with 246, or 16%, in the placebo group. The ginkgo group also included 257 cases of Alzheimer’s, versus 220 in the placebo group. The study also found no difference in the rate of strokes, heart attacks and other cardiovascular events between the two treatment groups.
The results of this study are further evidence that there is no scientific basis for many of the claims made by the manufacturers and sellers of ginkgo biloba supplements. Still, many continue to deceive consumers about the medical benefits of these products.
The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regulates dietary supplements, including ginkgo biloba products, under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA). The makers of dietary supplements do not have to submit their products to the FDA for approval. Under DSHEA, the makers of dietary supplements must ensure that a product is safe before it is marketed. Manufacturers must also make sure that product label information is truthful and not misleading.
The FDA is responsible for taking action against any unsafe dietary supplement product after it reaches the market. The agency monitors the safety of these products through the voluntary reporting of side effects. The FDA also has jurisdiction over product information such as labeling claims, package inserts and accompanying literature.
The ginkgo biloba false claims lawyers at our firm believe that the labeling and advertising for many ginkgo biloba supplements include false and misleading information that violates DSHEA. Consumers who purchased these products because of misleading claims about their benefits should be entitled to refunds.
Need Legal Help Regarding Ginko Biloba?
The personal injury attorneys at Parker Waichman LLP offer free, no-obligation case evaluations. For more information, fill out our online contact form or call 1-800-YOURLAWYER (1-800-968-7529).