The Texas Department of State Health Services is warning consumers, especially pregnant or breastfeeding women, to avoid consuming a traditional product called Nzu because of the potential health risks from high levels of lead and arsenic.

Although the herb Ginkgo biloba is widely marketed and used to improve cognitive health in aging, adequate scientific evidence of its effect on long-term cognitive functioning has been lacking. In a recent study, NCCAM-funded researchers analyzed data from the Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory (GEM) study to determine ginkgo’s effect on cognitive health in older adults.