Pycnogenol - A Powerful Antioxidant

Pine forest where pycnogenol comes from

My husband and I first began using pycnogenol ten years ago and we, and all others we introduced to it, were amazed at the energy we derived from it.

My mother suffered an excruciating pain for many years from spinal stenosis. This is a condition in which arthritic changes in the spine cause a narrowing in the outlet between the vertebrae or joints of the spinal column, putting pressure on the nerves and blood vessels. She got much pain relief using this amazingly powerful antioxidant.

A friend who had a crippling auto immune disease and was on heavy doses of prednisone and other steroids also received wonderful relief using it.

Maritime Pine Bark And Scurvy

While on an expedition in the New World a hundred crew on a vessel captioned by a French explorer contracted scurvy and a local showed the explorer how to brew the needle and bark of the maritime pine and give the brew to his sailors. They all recovered. Intrigued he took this knowledge back with him. In the 1980's renewed interest in the medicinal properties of the maritime pine gave rise to the name pycnogenol, for the extract of the maritime pine bark.

Exceptional Antioxidant

The extract has been found to have exceptional antioxidant properties that more than rival grape seed extract in potency. The antioxidant properties of this remarkable antioxidant are attributed to a class of nutrients called bioflavonoid responsible for the colour in fruits and vegetables.

Antioxidants protect the body from the damage of excessive oxidation caused by free radicals. A free radical damages the body in the same way that oxygen rusts metal.

Lemon juice which prevents the browning of cut apple exposed to air is a prime example of antioxidants in action. Lemon juice is of course high in the antioxidant Vitamin C. Maritime Pine Bark extract has been shown to be an antioxidant with many times the free radical quenching capacity of vitamin C or vitamin E.

Pycnogenol's Multiple Health Benefits:

• Has marked effects on circulation, with great prospects for preventing and bringing relief for sufferers of cardiovascular disease.
• Extremely potent anti-oxidant (50-100 times more powerful than vitamin E) that protects against cell damage
• Recycles Vitamin C and E, which prolongs their effectiveness
• It can lower blood pressure by increasing nitric oxide production
• Reduces the risks of blood clots
• Protects and strengthens blood vessels and capillaries
• Can lower cholesterol and control blood sugar levels
• May increase fat breakdown whilst decreasing fat storage
• May improve lung function
• Reduces inflammatory diseases like psoriasis
• May protect skin against sunburn and reduce risk of some cancers
• May reduce menstrual cramps
• Improves sperm quality and function
• May enhance exercise performance
• May increase human growth hormone levels
• Appears to be safe and non toxic

Deciphering what to add and what to delete from a supplementation program can be tricky. This powerful antioxidant appears to have the ability to vastly improve health and prevent disease. Supplementation with it could be a formidable addition to your health promotion arsenal.