Know2eat

Ginkgo nuts

Ginkgo biloba

What ginkgo nuts has been studied for

1 association assessed — none with dependable human evidence behind them yet. Strongest first.

  • 1 Insufficient
3 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About ginkgo nuts

The seed kernel inside the foul-smelling fruit of the ginkgo tree, eaten in small numbers in Japanese, Korean and Chinese cooking — a few in chawanmushi, a few in congee. The USDA reference entry is for the raw kernel, which is not how it is eaten.

Also known as Ginnan, Bai guo, Silver apricot

Brain & Cognitive Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Insufficient

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Cognitive function

Brain & Cognitive Health
Insufficient evidence

There is no dependable evidence that eating ginkgo seeds affects cognition. The extensive cognition research on Ginkgo biloba used standardised leaf extract, and its results are themselves mixed and largely negative for preventing decline. Nothing in that literature applies to the nut.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Ask about Ginkgo nuts

Ask about Ginkgo nuts

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories182 kcal9%
Protein4.32 g9%
Total fat1.68 g2%
Carbohydrate37.6 g14%
Water55.2 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.319 g2%
Monounsaturated fat0.619 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.618 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.578 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A28 µg3%
Vitamin C15 mg17%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Thiamin (B1)0.22 mg18%
Riboflavin (B2)0.09 mg7%
Niacin (B3)6 mg38%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.16 mg3%
Vitamin B60.328 mg19%
Folate54 µg14%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Minerals
Calcium2 mg0%
Iron1 mg6%
Magnesium27 mg6%
Phosphorus124 mg10%
Potassium510 mg11%
Sodium7 mg0%
Zinc0.34 mg3%
Copper0.274 mg30%
Manganese0.113 mg5%
Other measured compounds
Ash1.2 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Nuts, ginkgo nuts, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170584).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • cookedReduces 4-O-methylpyridoxine

    Roasting or boiling lowers the MPN content of the seed somewhat, which is why traditional preparation always cooks them. It does not make large quantities safe, and portion size remains the primary control.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Avoid

    MPN neurotoxicity, especially in children

    Ginkgo seeds contain 4-O-methylpyridoxine, a vitamin B6 antagonist that can cause vomiting, agitation and convulsions several hours after eating too many. Children are far more susceptible than adults, and cases in Japan have followed as few as a handful to a few dozen seeds in a young child. Traditional practice limits portions to a few nuts, and that limit is the point. Cooking reduces but does not remove the toxin.

  • Allergy

    Contact dermatitis from the fruit pulp

    The flesh surrounding the seed contains ginkgolic acids chemically related to the urushiol of poison ivy and can cause severe contact dermatitis. Handling fallen ginkgo fruit without gloves is the usual route.

  • Interaction

    Not the same as ginkgo leaf extract

    The supplement sold for memory is a standardised extract of ginkgo leaves, a different part of the plant with a different composition and a different set of interactions, notably with anticoagulants. Research on the leaf extract says nothing about the seed.