As if the medical uses of vinpocetine were not amazing enough, in one double-blind crossover study normal, healthy volunteers showed incredible short-term memory improvement an hour after taking 40mg of vinpocetine. The volunteers took a computer-administered short-term memory test called a Sternberg Memory Scanning Test. The volunteers (all women between the ages of 25 and 40) were shown one to three digits on a computer screen, then a moment later were shown a long string of digits. The volunteers then indicated whether any of the first digits appeared in the second long string. The time the volunteer took to remember was then assessed. On a placebo the women took an average of 700 milliseconds to respond when the first set contained 3 digits. With vinpocetine they averaged under 450 milliseconds!. 6
Vinpocetine is a derivative of vincamine, which is an extract of the periwinkle. Although they have many similar effects vinpocetine has more benefits and fewer adverse effects than vincamine.
| Symptoms | Improved, % |
|---|---|
| Dizziness | 77.1 |
| Headache | 77.7 |
| Numbness | 70.8 |
| Depressed mood | 73.6 |
| Irritability | 73.4 |
| Mood instability | 66.4 |
| Insomnia | 70.3 |
| Unstable blood pressure | 86.9 |
| Ataxia | 64.6 |
| Paretic symptoms | 57.8 |
| Aphasia | 60.0 |
| Speech disturbances | 55.7 |
| Attention, concentration disorders | 65.3 |
| Memory disturbances | 62.3 |
| Slow thinking | 56.1 |
| Nervousness | 82.7 |
Percentage of patients taking vinpocetine whose symptoms of cerebrovascular disorders improved. (Redrawn from Gedeon Richter, Ltd. product literature.)
Precautions: Adverse effects are rare, but include hypotension, dry mouth, weakness, and tachycardia. Vinpocetine has no known drug interactions, no toxicity, and is generally very safe.
Dosage: One or two, 5mg tablets per day. [Editors note: Since publication of the book, we have found dosages up to 40mg per day are desirable for some people.]
Excerpted from Smart Drugs & Nutrients by Ward Dean, MD and John Morgenthaler
References
- DeNoble, V.J., Repetti, S.J., Gelpke, L.W., Wood, L.M., Keim, K.L. “Vinpocetine: Nootropic Effects on Scopolamine-Induced and Hypoxia-Induced Retrieval Deficits of a Step-Through Passive Avoidance Response in Rats.” Pharmacology Biochemistry & Behavior. 1986, Vol. 24, pp. 1123-8.
- Gedeon Richter product literature, Cavinton.
- Hadjiev, D., Yancheva, S. “Rheoencephalographic and Psychologic Studies with Ethyl Apovincaminate in Cerebral Vascular Insufficiency.” Arzneimittelforschung. 1976, Vol. 26, pp. 1947-50.
- Otomo, E., Atarashi, J., Araki, G., Ito, E., Omae, T., Kuzuya, F., Nukada, T., Ebi, O. “Comparison of Vinpocetine with Ifenprodil Tartrate and Dihydroergotoxine Mesylate Treatment and Results of Long-Term Treatment with Vinpocetine.” Current Therapeutic Research. 1985, Vol. 37, No. 5, pp. 811-21.
- Pelton, R., Pelton, T.C. Mind Food & Smart Pills. New York: Doubleday, 1989.
- Subhan, Z., Hindmarch, I. “Psychopharmacological Effects of Vinpocetine in Normal Healthy Volunteers.” European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. 1985, Vol. 28, pp. 567-71.