Raynaud's Syndrome
Each winter, I suffer from Raynaud’s Syndrome with my fingers and toes going numb. I’ve been taking a Ginkgo biloba supplement for six weeks now but so far, the effect had been zero. How long before I can conclude it is not going to work for me?
With Raynaud’s Syndrome, you are essentially suffering from poor circulation in the extremities, especially the fingers and toes. It affects nine times more women than men and there are now an estimated 10 million sufferers in the UK. What happens is that even the slightest drop in temperature causes a constriction in the blood vessels reducing circulation to the affected areas. The problem with the conventional drugs used to correct this by dilating the blood vessels again is that they cannot target only those vessels affected and so can cause side-effects including bad headaches.
It may be that this is not the herb for you but it is still too early to tell. According to natural health practitioners, you need to give a slow-acting herb like Ginkgo three months to really kick in so you are still only half-way through. It is well worth persevering since there are now well-established clinical trials showing this herb really does work with this condition and in the meantime, you can use a fast-acting ginger supplement or even fresh ginger juice to warm the body from the inside out.
You will also benefit from taking one of the bioflavanoid supplements that will help repair any damaged valves in the body’s blood vessels. Rutin, which works to strengthen even the smallest blood vessels, is excellent and is now widely available in healthstores. Take as directed on the bottle alongside your Gingko supplement.