Vinpocetine, otherwise known as periwinkle and cavinton, acts as a powerful enhancer of cerebral blood flow. As you’ll see from the many studies cited below, it has been proven effective in dozens of human studies on stroke, dementia, and cognitive impairment.
Additional studies demonstrate vinpocetine’s potential in safely treating many other health issues. Vinpocetine acts as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, vasodilator, antiepileptic and neuroprotector. (R)
Anecdotally, people taking vinpocetine as a nootropic report more sharply defined senses (sight in particular) and a slight antidepressant effect.
Read on to learn vinpocetine’s multifaceted therapeutic potential.
Table of Contents
The vinpocetine I take
We Like Vitamins Vinpocetine 30mg (Amazon)
Vinpocetine increases blood flow to the brain
Vinpocetine enhances cerebral blood flow and exhibits brain-supporting effects. (R)
Vinpocetine powerfully dilates blood vessels and enhances cerebral metabolism. (R)
Vinpocetine interferes with many features of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (inadequate blood supply to the brain). (R)
Patients with multiple cerebral infarctions (in which blood flow to the brain is restricted, injuring tissue) saw improvement on some functional tests with vinpocetine treatment vs. placebo. (R)
Chinese patients with acute cerebral infarction improved their cognitive function and quality of life with vinpocetine treatment, with results maintained over time. Researchers noted that vinpocetine notably boosted cerebral blood flow when compared to controls. (R)
In a review of studies on nutrients for age-related cognitive decline, vinpocetine was evaluated favorably for its ability to increase cerebral blood flow and metabolism, prevent neuronal loss, and improve attention, concentration and memory in those with dementia and poor blood flow to the brain. (R)
Researchers concluded that vinpocetine provided the same benefits with fewer side effects when compared to traditional therapy for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. (R)
A study on nearly 5,000 patients with poor blood flow to the brain due to hypertension found that 90 days of vinpocetine treatment significantly reduced patient complaints, improved functional test results for dementia, and improved test scores on the risk of falling (see contraindication below). (R)
A review of studies concluded that vinpocetine has a positive impact on memory impairment. (R)
An 18-month course of treatment with vinpocetine proved effective in measures of cognitive function, quality of life and general disease states in adults with chronic cerebral hypoperfusion and mild cognitive impairment. (R)
A combination of vinpocetine and the nootropic pyritinol was found to improve blood and plasma viscosity in older adults with cerebrovascular disorders. (R)
A review of cerebrovascular disorders concluded that vinpocetine treatment boosted cerebral perfusion and metabolism as well as performance on tests of cognitive ability in chronic stroke patients. (R)
A three-month study of patients with chronic cerebrovascular insufficiency taking vinpocetine determined that treatment improved scores on tests for dementia and quality of life, with researchers noting that vinpocetine proved safe and well-tolerated. (R)
Another three-month study on patients (with cognitive impairment due to insufficient cerebral blood flow) taking a combination of vinpocetine and the nootropic piracetam found that the combo reduced cognitive impairment and neurological symptoms including headache, dizziness, tinnitus, fatigue and insomnia. (R)
Vinpocetine was shown effective in relieving vertebral blood insufficiency. (R)
Vinpocetine benefits hearing disorders
In a study of tinnitus that divided patients into seven treatment groups, the group receiving a combination of vinpocetine and physiotherapy fared the best. (R)
Patients with hearing loss induced by increased mucus production in pneumonia saw improvement with vinpocetine treatment. (R)
80% of patients with hearing loss saw meaningful improvement with vinpocetine treatment. (R)
Tuberculosis patients were protected from hearing loss by vinpocetine, and in those who already had lost hearing, vinpocetine ameliorated it. (R)
In a study of some 6,000 patients with vertigo, vinpocetine ameliorated the core symptom in addition to headache, buzzing in the ears, gait disturbance, asthenia, and anxiety. (R)
Vinpocetine benefits vision disorders
Vinpocetine benefited patients with glaucoma by increasing retinal blood supply. (R)
Subjects with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) improved their vision and ocular blood flow after treatment with vinpocetine. (R)
A review of human trials concluded that vinpocetine is useful in the treatment of ophthamological disorders. This is explained by ocular blood vessels’ connection to cerebral blood flow. (R)
In a rat model of macular degeneration, vinpocetine reduced the expression of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-18, and TNF-α. (R)
Vinpocetine and heart disease
A review of vinpocetine in the study of atherosclerosis and ischemic stroke concluded that vinpocetine powerfully attenuated release of pro-inflammatory cytokines via suppression of the NF-κB pathway and enhanced neuronal plasticity. (R)
A placebo-controlled study on ischemic stroke found that vinpocetine treatment increased cerebral perfusion. (R)
For patients in the chronic stage of ischemic heart disease, three months of vinpocetine treatment meaningfully decreased red blood cell aggregation, plasma and whole blood viscosity. (R)
In a study of cerebral and peripheral atherosclerosis, vinpocetine increased red blood cell deformability (the ability of RBCs to change shape under stress without rupturing) (R) and decreased RBC aggregation. (R)
In the acute and early recovery periods of ischemic stroke, vinpocetine treatment induced faster and more profound regression of symptoms and return of social activity and cognitive and self-care functions when compared to controls. (R)
In the progression of atherosclerosis, vinpocetine inhibited pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6 and MMP-9 and suppressed reactive oxygen species, with effects found to be dose-dependent. (R)
Vinpocetine is an antioxidant
An in vitro study comparing vinpocetine to the nootropic piracetam and the vasodilator pentoxifylline found that only vinpocetine was an effective free radical scavenger, with benefits found to be dose-dependent. (R)
Vinpocetine suppresses production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). (R1, R2)
Vinpocetine is anti-inflammatory
Researchers in several studies have noted that vinpocetine is an anti-inflammatory agent. (R1, R2)
Vinpocetine acts as an anti-inflammatory both in vivo and in vitro by inhibiting Nk-FB and its induction of proinflammatory cytokines. (R)
Vinpocetine and cancer
An in vitro study of glioblastoma multiforme cells found that vinpocetine halted cell proliferation. (R)
A study on in vitro and in vivo (mice) breast cancer cells found that vinpocetine powerfully inhibited proliferation of a number of breast cancer cell lines, induced death of cancer cells, and prevented migration of metastatic cells. (R)
Vinpocetine benefits incontinence
Researchers found vinpocetine to be useful in the treatment of women with urge incontinence. (R)
Vinpocetine may benefit those with urgency and urge incontinence who are unresponsive to typical treatment and, possibly, low compliance bladder and interstitial cystitis. (R)
A review of studies concluded that vinpocetine may have use as a clinical treatment for incontinence and low-compliance bladder issues. (R)
Additional benefits
Vinpocetine’s immune-modulating features (i.e., quelling cytokine production) make it an intriguing potential therapy in the treatment of autoimmune disease. (R)
Vinpocetine was found to ameliorate symptoms of menopause and lower total and LDL cholesterol in women with hyperlipidemia (excess fat particles in the blood). (R)
Vinpocetine effectively treated fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in mice. (R)
In a study of workers who had been involved in cleanup after the Chernobyl disaster, vinpocetine was one of a number of treatments associated with wide-ranging health-promoting effects and ability to work. (R)
Contraindications
Vinpocetine use was among risk factors for falls in a study of nursing home residents. (R)
Vinpocetine may be unsafe for those on blood blood thinners. (R)
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