Vinpocetine is derived from the vinca alkaloids found in
periwinkles (the little blue flowers, not the little snails also
called “periwinkles”). Discovered in Hungary in 1976,
vinpocetine’s value for treating brain disorders was quickly appreciated
in Eastern Europe but was largely ignored elsewhere until
fairly recently.
Oral vinpocetine has been used with good effect in patients with poor circulation in the brain (“chronic cerebral vascular
insufficiency”):
- to improve cerebral circulation
- to improve speech
- to reduce headache, dizziness, tinnitus, fatigue and insomnia
- to increase attention and concentration
- to improve cognition
- to improve mood
Vinpocetine has also found applications in the following areas:
- memory and cognitive enhancement
- poor spatial memory
- “fetal alcohol spectrum disorders” (FASD)
- epilepsy
- Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, ALS, and stroke
- liver damage
- diabetes-related memory loss
- macular degeneration
- hearing loss, tinnitus, Ménière’s disease
- visceral pain
- recurrent strokes and stroke recovery
- vertigo
- nerve damage due to oxidative and nitritive stress
- tumoral calcinosis (calcium deposits)
Since vinpocetine improves memory and cognition in ailing individuals, many perfectly healthy people conclude that it should
help them, too — an idea that makes a lot of sense and is supported by the experiences of those who use it.
Alzheimer's
Dementia