There have been a number of studies that examine the effectiveness of Gingko biloba extracts in preventing acute mountain sickness (AMS). A nice paper by van Patot and others in the spring 2009 issue of High Altitude Medicine and Biology summarizes the results of these studies. They suggest that the main problem is the lack of standardization of extracts, leading to different amounts of the various chemicals being present in the pills. Until the various individual compounds are tested, we won’t really know what benefit gingko might have.
So I continue to suggest that taking gingko is ok, but acetazolamide (Diamox) is still the go-to drug for AMS as long as you’re not allergic.
Citation: Martha C. Tissot van Patot, Linda E. Keyes, Guy Leadbetter, Peter H. Hackett. High Altitude Medicine & Biology. Spring 2009, 10(1): 33-43. doi:10.1089/ham.2008.1085.