June 3, 2019: U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning advising pregnant women and women who could become pregnant to not take dietary supplements containing vinpocetine due to possible reproductive safety risks. According to data reviewed by the FDA, including a recent report by the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) National Toxicology Program (NTP), consumption of vinpocetine is associated with adverse reproductive effects – in other words, vinpocetine may cause a miscarriage or harm fetal development.
Vinpocetine is a synthetically produced compound marketed in Nigeria under the brand names Cognitol® and Innovitol®. It may also be contained in certain products marketed as dietary supplements, either by itself or combined with other ingredients. Vinpocetine may be referred to on product labels as
- Vinca minor extract,
- Lesser periwinkle extract, or
- Common periwinkle extract.
Dietary supplements containing vinpocetine are often marketed for uses that include enhanced memory, focus, or mental acuity; increased energy; and weight loss.
Scientists who have studied the effects of vinpocetine on pregnant animals concluded that vinpocetine decreased fetal weight and increased the chances of a miscarriage. The blood levels of vinpocetine measured in the pregnant animals were similar to those reported in people after taking a single dose of vinpocetine, indicating that pregnant women may experience adverse effects from vinpocetine similar to those seen in the pregnant animals.
FDA is advising firms marketing dietary supplements containing vinpocetine to evaluate their product labeling to ensure that it provides safety warnings against use by pregnant women and women who could become pregnant.