ModerateCaution
Ginkgo Biloba
Ginkgo is used for cognition and may increase bleeding risk, complicating neurologic and procedural care.
Recommendation: Avoid around stroke, anticoagulants, or procedures unless clinician-approved.
Cerebrolysin
Peptide ·Emerging evidence ·Reviewed May 2026
Cerebrolysin is a porcine-derived peptide mixture with neurotrophic-like activity, used in some countries for stroke, dementia, and traumatic brain injury. It is not FDA-approved in the United States. Meta-analyses and Cochrane reviews show mixed or uncertain clinical benefit, so import or wellness use should be avoided.
What it's good for
What to watch for
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Agitation
- Severe renal impairment unless specialist-approved
- Epilepsy or uncontrolled seizures without neurologist review
The bottom line
Evidence rating emerging. Most-documented uses: studied for acute ischemic stroke recovery, studied for vascular dementia and alzheimer disease, neurotrophic-like preclinical activity. 3 sources indexed (2017–2023), with 3 interaction records on file.
The science
How it works, mechanistically.
Core mechanism
Cerebrolysin contains low-molecular-weight peptides and amino acids proposed to mimic neurotrophic effects, reduce excitotoxicity, support synaptic plasticity, and modulate apoptosis in neural injury models. Clinical effects vary by indication and trial design. Because it is an injectable animal-derived biologic mixture, quality, hypersensitivity, and infection-control standards matter.1,2
Class
Porcine-derived neuropeptide mixture
Found in food
None as a dietary supplement
Low-status signs
No recognized dietary deficiency state exists for this peptide
Dosing
Dosing & protocol.
Common range
No FDA-approved US dose; international trials often used 10-50 mL IV daily for 10-21 days depending indication
Recommended form
Regulated injectable product only where approved; avoid import or research use
Peptides are generally not reliably orally bioavailable unless a specific studied oral formulation is used. Human use of research-grade products is not appropriate.
Forms
Forms & what to buy.
Ranked by evidence and value.
Regulated Injectable Cerebrolysin Recommended
IV or IM use where legally approved. Animal-derived injectable product requiring medical controls.
Imported or Online Injectable Product
Quality, storage, and authenticity may be uncertain. Injection can cause serious harm if contaminated or mislabeled.
Cost
What it actually costs.
Real-world pricing across three quality tiers. Assumes Regulated Injectable Cerebrolysin.
BudgetBest value
$60 /mo
$2.00 per dose
Mid
$180 /mo
$6.00 per dose
Premium
$450 /mo
$15.00 per dose
Research-market pricing is not a dosing recommendation; human use is not FDA-approved unless specifically stated. Updated 2026-06-04.
Goals
Goal-based dosing.
Stroke Recovery Research
Dose: International trial protocols only1,3
Timing: Hospital or rehab protocol
Do not delay emergency stroke care.
Cognitive Decline
Dose: No FDA-approved US dose2
Timing: Specialist protocol
Evidence is mixed and diagnosis-specific.
Nootropic Wellness
Dose: No approved dose
Timing: Not applicable
Healthy-adult cognitive enhancement is not established.
Why people use it
Symptoms it's matched to.
Where this appears in the symptom-to-supplement map, ranked by relevance.
Stroke recovery
18% relevance
Stroke trials and reviews exist but benefits are uncertain.3,1
NeurologicEmerging evidenceHospital or rehab protocol
Do not delay emergency treatment.
Cognitive decline
16% relevance
Dementia trials exist but evidence is limited and diagnosis-specific.2,3
NeurologicEmerging evidenceNeurology-supervised product
Seek formal cognitive evaluation.
Brain injury recovery
9% relevance
Neurotrophic rationale exists but evidence varies.
NeurologicInsufficient evidenceSpecialist-directed only
Use standard rehabilitation care.
Safety
Full safety detail.
Side effects
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Agitation
- Sweating
- Nausea
- Injection or infusion reactions
- Hypersensitivity reaction
Contraindications
- Severe renal impairment unless specialist-approved
- Epilepsy or uncontrolled seizures without neurologist review
- Allergy to porcine-derived products
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding unless specialist-directed
- Use of unregulated imported injectable products
Interactions
Interaction records.
ModerateCaution
Fish Oil
Fish oil may modestly increase bruising risk around injections or acute neurologic events.
Recommendation: Disclose use to clinicians before infusion or procedures.
ModerateCaution
St. John's Wort
St. John's Wort can affect mood and drug metabolism, complicating neurologic care.
Recommendation: Avoid combining with injectable neuroactive therapies without clinician review.
Sources
Sources, by evidence tier.
Numbered references. Citations throughout the page link here.
Meta-analyses & systematic reviews
3- 1Cerebrolysin for acute ischaemic strokeNeeds sourceNo linkZiganshina LE et al. · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · 2023
No clear all-cause mortality benefit
- 2Cerebrolysin for vascular dementiaNeeds sourceNo linkCui S et al. · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · 2019
Small trials suggested possible cognitive effects
- 3Efficacy and Safety of Cerebrolysin for Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled TrialsNeeds sourceNo linkZhang L et al. · BioMed Research International · 2017
Efficacy outcomes were not consistently superior
Keep exploring
Deep dives & adjacent profiles.
This page is educational. Do not start, stop, or change a supplement or medication based on it without checking with a qualified healthcare professional.
Use this with your stack
Cerebrolysin in NutriStack.
Add it to your stack, see how it interacts with everything else you take, and get a Stack Score that updates the moment it does.