Boston (SmartAboutHealth) - The popular herbal supplement Ginkgo biloba has failed to fight off Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

There was a study carried out by researchers and released just yesterday which focused on trying to figure out if the herbal supplement had the ability to slow the rate of cognitive decline, fighting off dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers carried out their study on around 3,000 people, all of the age of 72 or older.

These people who took part in the study were traced for around 6 years each.

They broke up the group of people into two subgroups, with half taking the Ginkgo biloba herbal supplement twice daily in doses of 120 milligrams, and the other half taking a placebo.

Unfortunately, what researchers found is that those who took the herbal supplement were not any better off than those who took the placebo.

The use of the herbal supplement did not slow cognitive decline in the least bit.

There was no effect found in regards to the early symptoms of dementia or Alzheimer’s when taking the Ginkgo biloba herbal supplement.

The study was carried out by researchers from the University of Virginia School of Medicine, and was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.