Vinpocetine

Silver· human data

A cerebral blood-flow nootropic with mixed evidence and pregnancy warnings.

Vinpocetine, derived from the periwinkle plant, is used (as a drug in some countries) to improve cerebral blood flow and is sold elsewhere as a cognitive supplement.

Evidence for cognition is mixed and mostly older, and it is regulated as a medicine in several places. Importantly, safety authorities have warned it should not be used in pregnancy or by those who may become pregnant, owing to potential harm to a developing fetus.

Sources

Written and reviewed by Mathew Beale, MSc Biotechnology, University of Reading.

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