You might ask, "Where the hell would people get the idea
to start munching pine bark?" Well, apparently some people
in France a long time ago noticed that deer ate the bark
off trees. And have you ever seen a wrinkled deer? Of course not. Pine bark tea has been brewed for many years
in some forest regions of Europe. Like many folk
remedies, this pine bark tea was investigated by modern
science, and found to have potential health benefits.
Pycnogenol is a trademarked name for the extract of the bark of certain French maritime pine trees.
The pycnogenol extract is a concentrated mixture of flavonoids: water-soluble antioxidants. Research
on the effects and possible health benefits of pycnogenol has been going on for over 30 years, and
so far the results are promising.
Like other antioxidants (such as vitamins C and E), Pycnogenol has exceptional free radical
scavenging abilities. It also contains oligomeric proanthocyanidnins, the same component of
grapes that has been shown to support cardiovascular health. In clinical studies, Pycnogenol
has been shown to have both anti-inflammatory and immune enhancing properties in humans.
If you read some of the web sites touting Pycnogenol, you might think it sounds too good to be true.
Nutritional supplement companies claim that this humble pine bark extract can reduce cancer risk,
reduce wrinking and other signs of skin aging, treat ADHD, Alzheimer's, and Chronic Fatigue,
and improve visual acuity.
Perhaps there has been some exaggeration and / or anecdotal evidence that
has resulted in Pycnogenol's representation as a "Miracle Cure for Everything", but the bare fact
remains that antioxidants are good for you. Pycnogenol has been chemically analyzed and its
status as a source of antioxidant has been thereby confirmed. It won't give you superhuman powers
or grow you a giant penis, but it certainly can't hurt you! There have been no documented side
effects from Pycnogenol in any studies.
I recently started taking Pycnogenol as part of my daily antioxidant / vitamin regimen.
Even at high doses (over 100 mg. per day) I have suffered no ill effects. Unlike vitamin C, Pycnogenol
does not cause gastrointestinal irritation. I'm attempting to put myself through something of an
anti-aging regimen, but the results of this self-study will not be available for another forty years
or so!
There are a fair number of web sites that claim Pycnogenol can "drastically improve ADHD / ADD
symptoms". I am afflicted (blessed?) with extreme hyperactivity and impulsivity, and initially
I started taking Pycnogenol to see if it would improve my concentration and ability to sit still
and shut up. When I found out it was an antioxidant and not just some weird new herbal concoction,
I decided that it would be worthwhile to take Pycnogenol even if it didn't have the anti-ADHD effects
I was after.
I do feel decidedly more "balanced" than before I started the Pycnogenol.
I wouldn't say I'm any less hyper, though.
References: http://www.pycnogenol.com, http://www.nutritionfocus.com, and my own
personal experience.
| 
