From The Spring 2002 Issue of Nutrition Science News

Pycnogenol Helps Hypertension

A new study conducted at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center in Tucson shows that pycnogenol, an extract of French maritime pine bark (Pinus maritima) may lower blood pressure in mildly hypertensive patients.

In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, researchers gave 200 mg pycnogenol to 11 mildly hypertensive patients (average age 50 years) for eight weeks. Patients were in Stage 1 hypertension—a systolic blood pressure range of 140-159 mmHg, and/or diastolic blood pressure range of 90 to 99 mmHg.

Pycnogenol reduced the systolic blood pressure to 134 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure to 94 mmHg in study participants.

"Our research demonstrates pycnogenol's ability to elevate the production of nitric oxide in the vessel walls to reduce blood pressure and help decrease hypertensive morbidity and mortality," said lead investigator Ronald Watson, Ph.D., of the university's College of Public Health.

Natural Health Sciences of Hillside, N.J., is the North American distributor of pycnogenol; Horphag Research in Geneva, Switzerland supplied by the pycnogenol for this study.

—Nutrition Research 2001;21:1251-60.