Pycnogenol: multi-farious health benefits

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Pycnogenol: multi-farious health benefits

 

07/10/2004 - The best way to lower high blood pressure is to eat a

balanced diet, take regular exercise and supplement with the pine bark

extract Pycnogenol, according to one scientist, who is currently

looking at the effect of this product on diabetics.

 

Dr Ronald Watson from the College of Public Health and School of

Medicine at the University of Arizona, based this decision on the

number of clinical trials that have been carried out using this

supplement showing its benefits for improved cardiovascular health.

 

Indeed, various studies from a variety of countries have concluded

that Pycnogenol helps lower blood pressure, reduce LDL cholesterol,

improve microcirculation and prevent platelet aggregation, though

nobody, as far as Watson knew, had actually put his theory to the test

that diet and exercise would improve the supplements' results.

 

However, one theory he is testing is the effect of Pycnogenol in

diabetics. As he pointed out, cardiovascular risk factors are greatly

elevated in people with diabetes and heart disease is a major cause of

mortality in this population.

 

Moreover, previous studies have indicated that type 2 diabetes

patients had lower blood sugar and healthier blood vessels after

supplementing with Pycnogenol.

 

Hence, Watson is at present looking at blood pressure, vasodilatroy

and vasoconstrictory mediators and lipid profile in serum in response

to supplementation with Pycnogenal.

 

He also said that researchers are looking into the the potential

anti-inflammatory role of the supplement to see if it could be used in

the future against the increasing prevelance of osteoporosis.

 

Frank Assumma, director of marketing for Natural Health Science (NHS)

- a supplier of Pycnogenol - told NutraIngredientsUSA that one of the

advantages of Pycnogenol is that it is already recognized as having

many health benefits. He named its three main areas of use as: an

antioxidant; its ability to boost the immune system and strengthens

blood vessel walls and capillaries; its capacity to increase

circulation and act against cramps.

 

This means that in different countries it is marketed to counter

different problems. For example, Assuma said that in Japan Pycnogenol

is used in beauty products for the skin and against PMT and cramps.

However, he added that the fact it has so many applications has

reduced its impact among consumers.

 

" The supplement is well known within the industry, but has a lower

profile among consumers, " he said. " We have therefore tried to focus

on its potential to prevent strokes. " To this end, NHS joined up with

General Nutrition Centers (GNC) in June to bring a cardiovascular

health supplement called PycnoQ10 - a blend of Pycnogenol and coenzyme

Q10 – to the market.

 

Joint research conducted at Showa Medical University, Tokyo and the

State University of New York suggested that a combination of

Pycnogenol and CoQ10 protected 53 percent of blood lipids from

oxidation; this was reduced to 30 percent when the ingredients were

used separately.

 

The research demonstrated that the two antioxidant ingredients in

PycnoQ10 work to protect and enhance the vascular system including

blood vessel integrity, blood lipid values, circulation, blood

pressure and platelet function.

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