* Please Note: This information is based partly on Traditional Medicine which uses natural materials to support health. This information has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor.
Description
Periwinkle Vinca minor L.
Family: Apocyanaceae.
Other Names: Common periwinkle; lesser periwinkle; petite pervenche (French); Kleines Immergrün (German); pervinca minore (Italian); vincapervinca menor (Spanish).
Description: The common periwinkle is a small herbaceous perennial that spreads with trailing branches. It has shiny, opposite leaves and attractive blue flowers. Greater periwinkle (V. major) is very similar but has larger flowers.
Origin: Europe (often in the vicinity of castles and old human settlements); commonly cultivated as an ornamental plant.
Parts Used: Leaves or aboveground parts (Vincae minoris folium); today mainly the isolated vincamine.
Uses and Properties: Periwinkle is no longer used to any extent as a traditional remedy, but is of more interest as a source material to extract pure alkaloids. The main alkaloid, vincamine, can be used to treat cerebral senility (dizziness, memory loss and other symptoms of old age) and several other cerebrovascular disorders.
Preparation and Dosage: Due to potential side effects (leukocytopaenia, lymphocytopenia), the herb itself is rarely used. Vincamine is given orally (as a prescription medicine) at a level of 40 - 60 mg per day.
Active Ingredients: The plant contains about thirty monoterpene indole alkaloids at a level of up to 1% of dry weight (wild plants), or up to 4% (in cultivation). Vincamine is the major constituent and represents about 10% of the total alkaloids. A bitter principal vincine, is also present, together with phenolic compounds.
Pharmacological Effects: Extracts showed hypotensive, spasmolytic, hypoglycaemic, immune-stimulant, cytotoxic, and analgesic properties. Animal and human studies have shown that vincamine reduces the blood pressure, and increases blood flow to the brain and thus the oxygen and glucose supply.
Notes: Vincamine has a low bioavailability, so that slow-release formulations have been developed. The alkaloid is nowadays largely produced through semisynthesis from tabersonine, an alkaloid extracted from the seeds of the tropical African Voacanga africana and V. thouarsii. The term "vinca alkaloids" usually refers to the alkaloids obtained from Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus previously known as Vinca rosea).
Status: Traditional and modern medicine: vincamine.
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Directions
Take 1 capsule, 3 times daily, with meals.
Cautions
Side effects from oral use of Periwinkle have been slight and usually disappear after taking the supplement for awhile or after discontinuing use.
Some people noted a brief drop in blood pressure or faster heart rate after starting this supplement.
Periwinkle has not been found to interact with other drugs.
Safety in young children, pregnant or nursing women, or those with severe liver or kidney disease is not known.
Additional Information
TerraVita is an exclusive line of premium-quality, natural source products that use only the finest, purest and most potent ingredients found around the world. TerraVita is hallmarked by the highest possible standards of purity, potency, stability and freshness. All of our products are prepared with the highest elements of quality control, from raw materials through the entire manufacturing process, up to and including the moment that the bottles or bags are sealed for freshness and shipped out to you. Our highest possible standards are certified by independent laboratories and backed by our personal guarantee.
TerraVita exists to meet and ensure your family's health and wellness without the harmful effects or chemicals and prescription medications. We strive to make all of our products affordable and reliable and are constantly searching the market to maintain our affordability and to look for new ways to serve you and the ones you love. TerraVita has become a trusted household name for many families and can bring you and yours the very best herbal supplements, blends, teas and spices that are on the market today.
TerraVita is packed in childproof, tamper-proof pharmaceutical-grade recyclable containers.
ZooScape is proud to be the exclusive distributor of TerraVita teas, herbs and supplements in the United States, Canada and around the world. Please direct all wholesale and bulk inquiries to Simona Heather at 905-494-1785.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor. The essence of the current American rule on Traditional Uses is, as stated by FTC, "Claims based on historical or traditional use should be substantiated by confirming scientific evidence, or should be presented in such a way that consumers understand that the sole basis for the claim is a history of use of the product for a particular purpose."
