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Herbs & Supplements
Lesser Periwinkle
Scientific Name: Vinca Minor
Other Names: Common Periwinkle, Creeping Myrtle, Myrtle, Periwinkle
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Uses
Note: The use of Vinca minor as a dietary supplement is not recommended because it contains chemicals called alkaloids that can cause serious liver and kidney damage.
Vinca minor is best known as the source of several prescription anticancer drugs, which were developed in the 1960s and 1970s. While these drugs are still used, they can cause serious side effects. Newer anticancer drugs may be more effective and less dangerous. Even though Vinca minor is also sold as an herbal supplement, its use is not recommended because it contains alkaloids (bitter-tasting natural compounds that contain nitrogen), which can damage non-cancerous cells in blood vessels, kidneys, liver, and nerves.
To support its traditional use to preserve or improve cognition (the ability to think, learn, understand, imagine, reason, and remember), a few small studies have tested the usefulness of Vinca minor for treating stroke and dementia patients. Dementia is an increasing deficiency in thought processes caused by stroke, Alzheimer's disease, substance abuse, brain infection, or injury to the brain or spinal cord. Various vinca alkaloids are believed to increase both the blood flow to the brain and the brain's ability to use glucose. These effects may have some potential to delay or prevent memory loss, increase the ability to concentrate, and relieve some types of headaches. Although some of the patients who took alkaloids from Vinca minor after having a stroke did show some improvement in functioning, the overall results of the studies were generally negative. Most Alzheimer's disease patients showed similar progressive deterioration whether or not they took vinca derivatives. Little further research is being conducted to prove or disprove Vinca minor's effectiveness for any cognitive disorder.
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Note: The above information is not intended to replace the advice of your physician, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional. It is not meant to indicate that the use of the product is safe, appropriate, or effective for you.
In general, herbal products are not subject to review or approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They are not required to be standardized, meaning that the amounts of active ingredients or contaminants they contain may vary between brands or between different batches of the same brand. Not all of the risks, side effects, or interactions associated with the use of herbal products are known because few reliable studies of their use in humans have been done.
This information is provided for your education only. Please share this information with your healthcare provider and be sure that you talk to your doctor and pharmacist about all the prescription and non-prescription medicines you take before you begin to use any herbal product.
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Who is this for? 
