| Vinpocetine: touted as the next ginkgo, this periwinkle-based compound improves
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2002-01-01
Maria Noel Mandile - Natural Health Magazine
What It Is
Vinpocetine is a derivative of vincamine, an
alkaloid found in the periwinkle plant (Vinca minor). Hungarian
doctors have used vinpocetine to treat senility and blood vessel
disorders in the brain for nearly 25 years. It is a European
prescription drug that became available in the United States in 1998
as a dietary supplement.
How It Works
Vinpocetine thins your blood, boosts
circulation in your brain, and improves your brain's ability to
absorb nutrients, all of which improve brain function, explains Elisa
Lottor, Ph.D., N.D., a naturopath in Oxnard, Calif., and author of
the forthcoming Female and Forgetful (Warner Books, 2002). Research
has found that it works as well as ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) in
improving memory and cognitive abilities.
Test tube studies suggest that it improves
bladder function in older adults by enhancing the ability to contract
the smooth muscle that lines the urinary tract, which helps prevent
urine leaks.
Evidence
About 100 human trials have been done on
vinpocetine, and most support its use. Much of the research was
sponsored by Hungarian vinpocetine manufacturer Gedeon Richter and
conducted during the '80s and early '90s. Some of the research has
withstood scrutiny in peer-reviewed journals.
A double-blind trial in 1985 in the European
Journal of Clinical Pharmacology tested vinpocetine's effect on the
short-term memory of 12 healthy women. Those who took 40 mg of
vinpocetine three times a day for two days scored about 30 percent
higher on short-term memory tests than the placebo group.
A double-blind study in 1991 in International
Clinical Psychopharmacology tested 165 patients with mild to moderate
dementia. After 16 weeks, 21 percent of those who took 30 to 60 mg of
vinpocetine daily reported that their symptoms grew less severe,
compared to 7 percent of those who took a placebo.
A preliminary trial on older adults with urge
incontinence was published in the World Journal of Urology in 2000.
Of the 19 patients who did not respond to standard treatments for
this condition, n experienced improvement when they took 15 to 30 mg
of vinpocetine a day for four weeks.
How to Take It
For any of the above conditions, take up to 10
mg a day, in two doses paired with food, says Ray Sahelian, M.D., an
integrative physician based in Marina del Rey, Calif., and author of
Mind Boosters (St. Martin's, 2000). Though up to 45 mg daily is
considered safe, Sahelian does not recommend exceeding 10 mg without
the supervision of your health care practitioner.
Vinpocetine can be used short- or long-term.
Its effects may be felt immediately, though they're not cumulative.
Caveats
Minor side effects like stomach upset and dry
mouth are rare. Consult your doctor before taking vinpocetine if you
are pregnant or already take a blood-thinning drug.
Health Claims
PROPONENTS SAY THAT vinpocetine enhances memory
and cognition in healthy people and in those with mild to moderate
forms of dementia, It may also ease urinary Incontinence.
The Bottom Line
VINPOCETINE HAS AN ENCOURAGING SAFETY RECORD,
and strong evidence supports its ability to improve brain function.
Though it may be useful for bladder control, more research is needed
to prove this action.
Maria Noel Mandile is the research editor at
Natural Health.
COPYRIGHT 2002 Weider Publications
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