Your Brain on Periwinkle?

By Einav Keet

There seems to be a never-ending wealth of information regarding plants and their medicinal properties. Keeping track of all that nature has to offer poses a challenge even for the most knowledgeable consumers. Take, for example, vinpocetine. “Vinpoce-what?” you might ask. It’s a lesser-known compound obtained from the periwinkle plant (Vinca minor) and one that seems to have wide-ranging health benefits. In Europe, Japan, and Mexico, where the supplement is far less obscure, people have been using vinpocetine for years to improve and maintain healthy blood flow and optimize oxygen use in the brain. For older adults especially, good cerebral circulation is a key to preventing ischemic strokes and dementia. Although studies have yet to back up claims of the extract’s ability to help prevent or treat Alzheimer’s disease, a few small trials report patients with various forms of dementia experienced improvements in their cognitive performance and daily activity after taking 30 to 60 mg of the supplement per day, for six months. Vinpocetine may also benefit several other conditions, such as tinnitus and hearing loss coming from inner ear damage from acoustic trauma. Did you hear that Boomers?