Volume IV, Issue 5 - Protein-Hype Or Hope - Drug-Nutrient Interactions - PMS-Something New - Guide To Designing Your Supplement Regimen - Why Can't I Sleep? - Infant Corner: Developmental Support Archives - Hints for a Clearer Complexion - Dental Tips - Infant Corner - Breast Cancer - Healthy Aging - Infant health corner - Immune Support - Secrets of Healthy Fats Revealed - 4 Steps to Building a Healthy You–Step 4 - Chia seeds part II - Healthy fats revisited - Prostate health - Infant health corner - Fish oil & coq10 - 4 Steps to Building a Healthy You–Step 3 - Quick Tips for Women - Bone Health - Skin Health - Quick Tips for Men - Quick Fix For Allergy Sufferers - 4 Steps to Building a Healthy You–Step 2 - Beauty Sleep - Eye Health - Weight Loss - 4 Steps to Building a Healthy You - Holiday Digestion - Winter Dry Skin Tips - Alzheimer's Disease - TMJ Syndrome - Breast Cancer Facts - Bone Health - Healthy Aging - Children's Supplements - Chia Seed the new superfood - Understanding Chromium - Water perhaps the most critical nutrient - Stress! Tips to relax - Allergy Tips - There's A New CoQ10 In Town - Tired? Quick tips for getting your energy level up - Fats: Good For You? - Flu Season - Go Away Aches & Pains - Oh!!My Aching Back - Ear Infections - How Sporty Are You - No Bones About It - Nattokinase - Diabetic Retinopathy - IBS - Fiber - Skin Cancer - Sleep Problems - Specific Herbs For Men - Cleansing - Nails - PMS - Probiotics - Specific Herbs for Women - Urinary Tract Infections - Your Breath Stinks - Blood Pressure - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome(CFS) - Colorectal Cancer - Uterine Fibroid - The Eyes Have It - Carpal Tunnel Syndrome -Putting Out the Fire - Solving America's Energy Crisis - Natural Gum Care - Jazz Up Your Life with Juice - Natural Relief for SAD - Immunity Know-How - Stop Smoking!! - Let's Talk About Irregularity - Free Radicals - Asthma - Memory Problems - L-Carnitine - Men's Health - Women's Health - The Four Pillars of Great Health - Blood Sugar Control - Probiotics - Supplement Interactions - Are You Consumer Smart? - Digestive Blues - Taking Control of Stress - Heart Health - Pycnogenol® - Seasonal Affective Disorder - Greens - Is Beauty Only Skin Deep? - Happy (and Healthy) Trails to You! Dave Foreman, RPh, ND is a pharmacist, Naturopathic Doctor, author, television commentator, radio host and practitioner of natural living and holistic approaches to better health. His weekly radio program is broadcast throughout North America. Dave is currently a contributing columnist for Pharmacy Today magazine and several other natural health publications.

Pycnogenol® is the US registered trademark for an extract derived from French Maritime Pine Bark (Pinus pinaster), which contains procyanidins, a group of bioflavonoids. Originally, the term "pycnogenol" was used as a generic term for procyanidins. Orally, Pycnogenol® has been used by natural health enthusiasts for conditions such as chronic venous insufficiency, allergies, asthma, hypertension,muscle soreness, pain, osteoarthritis, diabetes, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), endometriosis, dysmenorrhea, erectile dysfunction and retinopathy. It is also used orally to help avoid vascular conditions such as heart disease and varicose veins and also to slow the aging process, maintain skin health, and improve athletic endurance.This is a long list, but science is where I hang my hat - and when it comes to the science behind this supplement, the strong evidence is for two basic conditions: Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI) and Retinopathy. I am not saying Pycnogenol® doesn’t help those other conditions. It may have some benefits for those issues; it just hasn’t been proven in the laboratory.

Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI) is poor return of blood from feet and legs back to the heart. CVI may occur following excessive clotting and inflammation of the leg veins. It is also known as deep vein thrombosis. CVI can also happen because of the failure of the valves in leg veins to hold blood against gravity.The end result of this is swollen legs. Taking Pycnogenol® seems to significantly reduce symptoms of leg pain and heaviness, and edema in people with this condition. The dose used in a study published in Phytomedicine (2000 Oct;7(5):383-8) utilized 100 mg three times daily for two months.

The term retinopathy indicates damage to the retina at the back of the eye. Several conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure (hypertension), are common health issues that may lead to the development of retinopathy. According to an article published in Phytotherapy Research (2001 Vol 15 issue 3 p219-123), taking 50mg of Pycnogenol® three times daily for two months seems to slow or prevent the deterioration of retinal function in patients with retinopathy caused by either diabetes, atherosclerosis, or other vascular diseases.

My final comment on Pycnogenol® is that it is an excellent antioxidant. Due to our environment, lifestyles and general health issues, it is always advisable to consider supplementing the diet with antioxidants. If you are seeking to supplement with a potent antioxidant that has no known side effects, then Pycnogenol® might be the right one for you.