Vinpocetine pill 5 mg
and 10 mg dosage -
Which dose is
safe - cognitive benefit research studies
Vinpocetine is chemically related to, and derived from vincamine, an alkaloid
found in the periwinkle plant. Vinpocetine was introduced into clinical practice in Europe more than two decades ago for
the treatment of cerebrovascular disorders and related symptoms. Some of the
research studies have used dosages of 510 mg three times a day but we feel this
is too high and people can get side effects on even a 10 mg dose taken once.
Experiments with vinpocetine indicate that it can dilate blood vessels, enhance circulation in the brain,
improve oxygen utilization, make red blood cells more pliable, and inhibit aggregation of
platelets. Vinpocetine even has antioxidant properties. Levels peak in the bloodstream within an hour and a half after ingestion. Vinpocetine easily crosses the blood-brain barrier.
Vinpocetine product
Vinpocetine supplement has been sometimes recommended
for more than once daily however many people may be sensitive to this supplement
and would do fine using half a capsule. Always start your first time with half a 5 mg vinpocetine pill
in order to see if you have any negative responses to it. By taking a small
amount of vinpocetine at first, you could avoid a vinpocetine side effect.
Vinpocetine 5 mg - use this dosage your
first time if you have not taken this herbal extract before
Vinpocetine 10 mg - use this dosage if you are familiar with this
supplement and do not have side effects from the 5 mg dosage.
Click here to buy Vinpocetine discount or to find out about high quality supplements
Vinpocetine and
stroke recovery
Could a simple herbal extract have an influence on
stroke recovery? Vinpocetine is an alkaloid found in the periwinkle plant. It was
introduced into clinical practice in Europe more than two decades ago for
its role in cerebrovascular disorders and related symptoms. Experiments
with vinpocetine indicate that it can dilate blood vessels, enhance
circulation in the brain, improve oxygen utilization, make red blood cells
more pliable, and inhibit aggregation of platelets. Vinpocetine even has
antioxidant properties.
A double-blind study was conducted to test the effects
of vinpocetine on patients suffering from multiple cerebral infarcts.
Twenty-six patients with multiple cerebral infarctions, aged between 50
and 83 years were examined, 14 of whom received vinpocetine and 12
placebo. Three months later, the vinpocetine patients did not show any
significant worsening in symptoms, while the placebo group did. Several
previous studies have indicated that vinpocetine may have beneficial
effects in stroke prevention or therapy.
More studies are needed before
wholeheartedly recommending
vinpocetine for stroke prevention or
treatment. However, the results are intriguing enough that doctors who
treat stroke patients should review this literature and decide whether
some of their patients could benefit from vinpocetine. As to the dosage,
it is difficult to know the long term amounts that are helpful. Perhaps 2 to 5 mg once or twice a day should be fine for most people.
Vinpocetine Research
There have been quite a few studies with
vinpocetine. Researchers at the
University of Surrey in Guildford, England administered vinpocetine to patients suffering
from mild to moderate dementia (Hindmarch 1991). Two hundred and three patients included
in a placebo-controlled, randomized double-blind trial received every day for sixteen
weeks either 10 mg doses of vinpocetine three times a day, 20 mg doses of vinpocetine
three times a day, or placebo three times a day. There were no clinically relevant side
effects reported. Statistically significant cognitive improvements were found in favor of
active treatment groups compared to placebo. The patients on 10 mg performed slightly
better than those on 20 mg.
In a double blind clinical trial, vinpocetine was shown to offer significant
improvement in elderly patients with chronic cerebral dysfunction.
Forty-two patients received 10 mg vinpocetine three times a day for thirty days, then 5 mg
three times a day for sixty days. Matching placebo tablets were given to another forty
patients for the ninety-day trial period. Patients on vinpocetine scored
consistently better in all cognitive evaluations. No serious
Twelve healthy female volunteers received pre-treatments with vinpocetine 40 mg
three times a day or placebo for two days according to a randomized, double-blind
crossover design. On the third day of treatment and one hour following
morning dosage, subjects completed a battery of psychological tests. Memory was
significantly improved following treatment with vinpocetine when compared to placebo.
Recommendations
Vinpocetine appears to be beneficial in cognitive disorders that are due to poor
blood flow to the brain. Therefore, individuals with atherosclerotic vascular disease are
probably the most likely to benefit. Until long-term studies are available, regular
intake for prolonged periods should be limited to 5 mg once daily. There are
several other mind enhancers including
Bacopa Monniera, and the herbal extract
Mucuna-Pruriens.
Additional
herbs for optimal brain function
Dozens of new memory herbs have been
promoted over the past few years that promise to enhance or sharpen memory,
intelligence, mood, vision, and
mental performance. For more info on
memory herbs.
Certain memory herbs work by increasing
Acetylcholine
levels. Some of these memory improvement herbs or herbal extract include
Huperzine from club moss,
Bacopa Monniera
and the herb
Ginkgo biloba.
Vinpocetine Research Update
Acute and chronic effects of vinpocetine on cerebral
hemodynamics and neuropsychological performance in multi-infarct patients.
J Clin Pharmacol. 2005 Sep;45(9):1048-54. Department of Neurology,
PM Flor Ferenc County Hospital, H-2143 Kistarcsa, and Department of Neurology,
University of Debrecen, Hungary.
A double-blind, prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial was
carried out to test the acute and long-term hemodynamical and beneficial
cognitive effects of the vasoactive agent vinpocetine on patients suffering from
multiple cerebral infarcts by means of functional transcranial Doppler
examinations and by neuropsychological tests. Twenty-six patients (17 men, 9
women) with multiple cerebral infarctions, aged between 50 and 83 years (mean
age+/-SD=63.4+/-9.39 years) were examined, 14 of whom received vinpocetine and
12 placebo. The functional transcranial Doppler included breath-holding tests,
finger movement, word fluency, and picture-discrimination tasks. No serious side
effect was found in the vinpocetine group. The flow velocities were
significantly lower in the acute phase after breath holding in the vinpocetine
group than in the placebo group. Three months later, the vinpocetine patients
did not show any significant worsening in digit span backward test, while the
placebo group did. No other significant differences in the neuropsychological
test could be detected between the treatment and the placebo groups. Longer
lasting and higher dosage of vinpocetine therapy is suggested to prove its
potential effect.
Human positron emission tomography with oral 11C-vinpocetine
Vas A, Christer H,
Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Psychiatry Section, Karolinska Institute,
Stockholm.
Orv Hetil. 2003 Nov 16;144(46):2271-6.
Positron emission tomography (PET) is a useful tool for the
investigation of certain physiological changes and for the evaluation of the
distribution, and receptor binding of drugs labelled with positron emitting
isotopes. Vinpocetine (ethyl-apovincaminate) is a neuroprotective drug widely
used in the prevention and treatment of cerebrovascular diseases. In the
clinical practice vinpocetine is usually administered to the patients in
intravenous infusion followed by long-term oral treatment. Until presently human
data describing vinpocetine's kinetics and brain distribution came from ex vivo
(blood, plasma, liquor) and post mortem (brain autoradiography) measurements.
The authors wished to investigate the kinetics and distribution of vinpocetine in the brain and body after oral administration with PET in order to
prove, that PET is useful in the non-invasive in vivo determination of these
parameters. Vinpocetine was labelled with carbon-11 and the
radioactivity was measured by PET in the stomach, liver, brain, colon and
kidneys in healthy male volunteers. The radioactivity in the blood and urine was
also determined. After oral administration, [11C] vinpocetine appeared
immediately in the stomach and within minutes in the liver and the blood. In the
blood the level of radioactivity continuously increased until the end of the
measurement period, whereas the fraction of the unchanged mother compound
decreased. Radioactivity uptake and distribution in the brain were demonstrable
from the tenth minute after the oral administration of the labelled drug
(average maximum uptake: 0.7% of the administered total dose). Brain
distribution was heterogeneous (with preferences in the thalamus, basal ganglia
and occipital cortex), similar to the distribution previously reported by the
authors after intravenous administration. Vinpocetine, administered
orally to human volunteers, readily entered the bloodstream from the stomach and
the gastrointestinal tract and thereafter passed the blood-brain barrier and
entered the brain. Radioactivity from [11C]vinpocetine was also demonstrated in
the kidneys and in urine. The study demonstrates that PET might be a useful,
direct and non-invasive tool to study the distribution and pharmacokinetics of
orally administered labelled drugs active in the central nervous system in the
living human body.
Vinpocetine supplements emails
Q. Is 50 years of age too early to start taking vinpocetine pill as an
anti-aging supplement?
A. There is no human research that proves taking vinpocetine pill or supplements
will lead to longer lifespan. My personal belief is that we will eventually find
certain natural pills will have antiaging benefit, but we are not there yet in
terms of certainty. It is possible that high doses of certain supplements could
actually be harmful. Therefore, for the time being, supplements should be mostly
taken for the benefit they provide in terms of mood, energy, wellbeing, mental
enhancement, sexual enhancement or the treatment of certain medical conditions
as opposed to primarily focusing on the hope that they may have anti-aging
potential.
Q. I get occasional migraines and they have prodromal signs with visual
manifestations. Do you know of any contraindications of vinpocetine for
migrainers. I wondered if the vasoactive effects of the supplement might cause
migraines in susceptible individuals or increase the severity of the pain which
is a result of vasodilation and other factors. Also, are there any studies
showing vinpocetine to help cognitive functioning of individuals with no known
risk factors like high cholesterol or high Blood Pressure. I am 60 years old and
in good health.
A. We searched for studies regarding vinpocetine and migraine but
could not find any. Vinpocetine can help dilate blood vessels in the brain, but
we don't know how this would influence those with a predisposition to migraine
headaches. Vinpocetine does help some people improve cognition but there are
many other herbs and nutrients that work better.
Q. Does taking a vinpocetine pill help with
erectile
dysfunction?
A. We are not sure. We don't think vinpocetine has a direct sexual
enhancing effect, at least not with short term use.
Q. Would taking a vinpocetine pill at the same time as a
yohimbe bark pills cause any additional
side effects?
A. Yes, vinpocetine mind booster has side effects of dizziness and
we don't suggest taking it with herbs that have a stimulant nature.
Dr. Perlmutter in his publication "The Better Brain
Book" recommends the use of vinpocetine to reduce homocysteine, but I cannot
find such recommendation on either of your websites. I would appreciate your
advice regarding this matter.
We have not seen convincing evidence of this, there are many
other better studied vitamins and supplements that lower homocysteine levels.