Influence of Vinpocetine Essay Example

supported its usage in the past.

Secondly, vinpocetine’s value in the treatment of brain diseases has been proved. According to research that was conducted by Ley (2000), Vinpocetine was found to have better impacts on the brain blood vessels, the flow of the blood in the brain, and the brain cells themselves. A similar research that was carried by Huntington College of Health Sciences indicated that Vinpocetine prevents and also reverses ischemic damages that occur to the brain and muscles, and thus diminish the senile cerebral dysfunction. In my opinion, vinpocetine has been proved to be an important medicine and reliever of brain disorders and its side effects do not outweigh the advantages. FDA should reconsider its move to ban vinpocetine. Some studies have also suggested that vinpocetine can prevent the neurotoxic effects that are implicated in Alzheimer’s disease.

Thirdly, the removal of vinpocetine ingredient from the supplements register would increase the costs for patients who want a substitute to prescription medicines and would jeopardize the public health. There are more than 500 scientific studies in the National Library of Medicine that explain the health benefits of the vinpocetine ingredient. A letter that was published on Vinpocetine website that was created and registered by supplement brand life indicated that many Americans have been using vinpocetine ingredients since the 1980s. Besides, the letter stated that Food and Drug Administration attempt to eliminate Vinpocetine is an obvious desecration of the Administrative Procedures Act that regulates the sale of products and the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act that regulate supplements consumption in the United States (Swann, 2016). Removal of vinpocetine from FDA register will jeopardize the health status

of many Americans who consume this supplement on a daily basis to protect against neurodegeneration. If the Americans are not allowed to use vinpocetine, the healthcare burden will skyrocket as the aging Americans continue to suffer from vascular and Alzheimer's diseases due to degenerating brains.

Although I advocate for the usage of vinpocetine, it is important to note that the component has bad effects just like any other addition components. Research has proved that vinpocetine may slow down the blood clotting process, potentially increasing the danger of excessive bleeding, especially during surgery. Apart from the above, the component has also been associated with other negative effects such as stomach ache, biliousness, sleep deprivation, headaches, vertigo, anxiety, and reddening of the face. However, these effects are mainly associated with over dosage (Jones, 2016). Instead of prohibiting it, research needs to be conducted to determine how the component can be improved to enhance its usability.

In summary, the usage of vinpocetine has been placed under scrutiny for a long period to determine its benefits and harmful effects. There are three major reasons that have made me believe that the ban by FDA was unwarranted. Unlike what many people believe, Vinpocetine is a synthetic compound that has been serving an important purpose in the field of medicine. Vinpocetine has been found to be an important component that increases blood flow to the brain and can be used in the treatment of brain disorders. Food and Drug Administration also conducted research to determine the efficacy of the component and allowed it to be used as a drug in the 1980s. In fact, the agency has been responding positively to the issue

of vinpocetine and banning it at this moment is unnecessary. The banning of the ingredient will also have a negative effect on the economy and public health sector. To address the effect of vinpocetine, FDA should invest more on research and determine the measures that can be embraced to address the effects.

References

1. Jones, K. (2016). The Harmful Effects of Vinpocetine: A critical review. Detroit: Omnigraphics.
2. Ley, B. M. (2000). Vinpocetine: Revitalize your brain with periwinkle extract! Detroit Lakes: BL Publications.
3. Riley, T. H. (2010). Dietary supplements: Primer and FDA oversight. New York: Nova Science.
4. Swann, J. P. (2016). The history of efforts to regulate dietary supplements in the USA. Drug Testing and Analysis, 8 (12), 271-282.