Ginkgo Biloba for Altitude Sickness

Research suggests that ginkgo biloba may have a role in altitude sickness prevention, with a 2001 narrative review reporting that clinical studies support its use for this purpose, attributing potential benefits to the extract's antioxidant properties and circulation-enhancing effects. Separately, a 2012 animal study examined quercetin — a compound found in herbs traditionally used for altitude sickness, though not ginkgo biloba specifically — and found protective effects against high-altitude physiological stress in rats, including improved blood oxygen levels and reduced oxidative damage. The evidence base here is limited: the primary ginkgo-relevant source is a broad narrative review rather than a dedicated clinical trial, and the animal study, while mechanistically interesting, did not test ginkgo directly and cannot be straightforwardly applied to human use. Overall, the current research is preliminary and insufficiently robust to draw firm conclusions about ginkgo biloba's effectiveness for altitude sickness in humans.