A single supplement for better thinking, mental energy, productivity, and mood Vinpocetine has only recently become available in the US. It is very popular in Europe and Japan where it’s available only by prescription. Doctors in Europe believe it is far more effective than ginkgo biloba, which is widely promoted as one of the best brain supplements. Vinpocetine is a man-made chemical resembling a substance found in the periwinkle plant Vinca minor. People use it as medicine.