"V" is for VINPOCETINE...and VICTORY in combating mental deterioration

Vinpocetine, an extract from the periwinkle plant that is native to central and southern Europe (and is also found in Portugal, France, the Netherlands, the Baltic States, and Turkey), has been used to improve and maintain healthy blood flow and optimize oxygen use in the brain for years. These particular benefits help older adults for whom good cerebral circulation is necessary to prevent strokes, dementia and illnesses such as Alzheimer's disease. It is primarily believed to be effective in combatting cognitive impairments and the decline of mental faculties.
 
Claims of the extract’s ability to help prevent or treat Alzheimer’s disease have yet to be proven, but promising research reported that patients suffering from different degrees of dementia had experienced improvement in their daily routines after taking vinpocetine supplements every day for six months. It is believed that the herb may also benefit auditory conditions such as Tinnitus, hearing loss that results from inner ear damage caused by acoustic trauma.
 
Because of its alleged neuroprotective effects and ability to improve cerebral blood-flow, it is administered primarily for the treatment of cerebrovascular disorders and age-related memory impairment in Eastern Europe. There, it is widely marketed as a supplement for vasodilation and as a nootropic (“smart drug”) for the improvement of memory. It is promoted as being able to help support brain functions such as concentration and memory by simply activating the cerebral metabolism.
 
Confirmed to be of potent anti-inflammatory nature, the herb might very well have a potential role in the treatment of Parkinson's, as well as Alzheimer’s disease. Because the belief that vinpocetine might improve blood flow to the brain is so prevalent, it is always used for enhancing memory and suppressing other conditions that harm learning, memory, and information processing skills, particularly as people age. It is not known exactly how vinpocetine works, but even if it just simply increases blood flow to the brain and protect brain cells against injury, who can complain?