How to Take Ginkgo With Vitamins

Ginkgo biloba is one of the oldest species of trees, and supplements that contain ginkgo are some of the most commonly used herbal supplements in the United States and Europe. Ginkgo biloba supplements are often used to help improve circulation and to help with memory. The two main beneficial chemicals in this plant are flavonoids, which work as antioxidants, and terpenoids, which improve circulation. Gingko biloba can be taken along with vitamins, but you must be careful to use both products properly.

Talk to your doctor to make sure that you are not taking any medications or have any health conditions that could make ginkgo biloba dangerous for you. If you have trouble getting your blood to clot or have epilepsy, you may want to avoid ginkgo supplements. Similarly, gingko biloba can interfere with the activity of some antidepressants, blood pressure medications, diabetes drugs and other prescription medications, so you should let your doctor know if you are combining gingko with your regular multivitamin.

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Consume 80 to 240 mg of ginkgo biloba extract divided into two to three doses each day. This is the dose that has been used in many studies, MayoClinic.com explains. Avoid consuming whole ginkgo seeds as they can be toxic.

Take ginkgo only with a standard multivitamin. Taking products with ginkgo extract along with high doses of some vitamins can cause dangerous side effects. For example, if you take ginkgo along with folic acid, you may increase your risk of a seizure, MedlinePlus explains. Ginkgo and vitamin K supplements may also cause you to bleed or bruise easily. The amounts of different vitamins and minerals found in a multivitamin are usually safe.

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Take vitamins and gingko supplements at the same time or separated by a few hours. There is no documentation that gingko supplements interfere with the absorption of vitamins or vice-versa.