Pycnogenol: An Amazing Supplement
Sometimes a product flashes onto the radar screen
and causes a great uproar only to disappear among
seemingly more interesting blips. These early
shining stars often return, and sometimes, as with
Pycnogenol, pique our interest even further. Such
is the case with Pycnogenol, which is a derivative
of the French maritime pine, and weak veins. Veins
carry blood from tissues back to our heart to be
recirculated. Unfortunately, especially as we age,
the walls of the veins can become weak and allow
fluid to leak out into the tissues, a condition called
edema. Edema can lead to swollen feet, ankles, and
legs. If not corrected, ulcers can form, which results
in legs that appear purplish-red and feel heavy and
painful. The name of this condition is chronic venous
insufficiency. Several products have been developed
to make veins stronger and to prevent them from
leaking. One such product is Daflon, a mixture of
the plant extracts hesperidin and diosmin and it
has had some success. A number of recent studies
have shown that a daily dose of 150 milligrams to
200 milligrams of Pycnogenol can dramatically
reduce the symptoms of venous insufficiency as well
as promote healing of the leg ulcers. In one study
involving 86 patients with severe chronic venous
insufficiency, Pycnogenol was superior to Daflon in
reducing leg and ankle swelling, preventing vessel
leakage, and relieving all the symptoms associated
with this incapacitating condition.
the improvements occurred rapidly, usually by four
weeks. In another study, researchers found that 200
milligrams of Pycnogenol a day dramatically reduced
muscle cramps and muscle pains, not only in athletes
but also in ordinary people. Going further, they
found the pine-bark extract significantly improved
symptoms in people whose leg arteries had severe
blockages, known as intermittent claudication.
1 Most remarkable,2Pycnogenol helps diabetics.
develop severe atherosclerosis of arteries throughout
the body, especially of the smaller arteries (called
arterioles). Disease of these smaller vessels is called
microangiopathy. It can result in leg ulcerations and
organ failure (kidneys), and may eventually lead to
amputations of limbs and even death. Several studies
have shown that Pycnogenol produced dramatic
improvements in this condition at a dose of 150
milligrams a day for four weeks.
which compared the effectiveness of Pycnogenol in
healing diabetic leg ulcers, found that if Pycnogenol
is applied directly to the ulcers and also taken by
mouth, the ulcers heal completely in 89 percent of
patients.
only by mouth, had slightly less success (84 percent
and 85 percent, respectively). Traditional medical
treatments were successful only 61 percent of the
time and those treatments were more involved and
more expensive. Despite the success of Pycnogenol
in healing these expensive and debilitating disorders,
traditional medical doctors rarely use it. Yet the
solution is so simple.
Diabetics are prone to3 Another study,4 Using Pycnogenol, either only topically orPycnogenol’s effect on erectile dysfunction & sterility.
Men will love this next Pycnogenol discovery. In
a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled
study using 50 men with mild to moderate erectile
dysfunction, researchers found that using a
combination of the amino acid L-arginine and
Pycnogenol for one month restored normal erectile
function in all men. The frequency of intercourse
doubled and testosterone levels in the blood also
increased. Both of these supplements increase nitric
oxide in the walls of blood vessels, which is the
mechanism for an erection. It is a poor man’s Viagra
without the terrifying side effects of blindness and
heart attack. The next study will interest women.
In a nonrandomized clinical study using 19 men
with sperm counts too low to induce pregnancy,
researchers found that 200 milligrams of Pycnogenol
a day for 90 days dramatically improved the health
www.blaylockreport.com
Pyc_Report_R02_DVD.indd 1 11/21/08 10:38:38 AM
of the sperm of all participants. They noted that this
simple treatment may negate the need for artificial
insemination with donor sperm.
5Pycnogenol and vascular diseases of the retina.
growing number of people are losing their sight to
diseases of the eye that affect mostly the retina. The
main cause is progressive blockage of the tiny blood
vessel within the retina. Like the microangiopathy we
saw with diabetics, the blood vessels slowly become
blocked off, depriving the retina of its blood supply.
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized
study using 40 patients with vascular retinopathies,
researchers found that those given 150 milligrams
per day of Pycnogenol had no deterioration of their
condition and a significant improvement in visual
acuity. Those getting the placebo experienced
progressive deterioration of their condition. Special
studies of the vessels showed dramatic improvement
in those taking Pycnogenol when tested by
sophisticated testing methods (fluorangiography and
electroretinogram).
APycnogenol and brain protection.
been shown to be a very powerful antioxidant,
helping protect the brain against injury, stroke
damage, and neurodegenerative diseases. A recent
study found that it significantly reduced the free
radical damage caused by beta amyloid, the toxic
crud found in Alzheimer’s brains. Pycnogenol also
protected the DNA, which reduces cancer risk as
well.
neurons against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity,
mainly by increasing glutathione levels in these brain
cells. When used in combination with ginkgo bilboa
and vitamin E, the results were even better.
double-blind, placebo-controlled matched study of
elderly people aged 60 to 85, scientists found that
supplementing with 150 milligrams of Pycnogenol
a day significantly improved everyday memory and
reduced lipid peroxidation products.
Pycnogenol has6 Another study found that Pycnogenol protected7 In a8Pycnogenol and travel blood clots.
dangers of long trips, especially flying, is blood clots
(thrombosis) in the leg veins, which increases the risk
of pulmonary embolism and of sudden death. Several
studies examined the legs of passengers of prolonged
flights. They found that those who took 150
milligrams to 200 milligrams of Pycnogenol before
the flight had significantly less swelling of the legs
and improved vein function. In short, it dramatically
reduced the risk of a fatal embolism.
also reduces platelet clumping (blood-clot formation),
especially in those at greatest risk of blood clots, such
as smokers. If that is not enough, Pycnogenol has also
been shown to reduce fat accumulation in cells, lower
histamine release (good news for allergy sufferers),
and lower elevated blood pressure.
One of the real9 PycnogenolReferences:
1. Clin Appl Throm Hemost 2006; 12: 205-212.
2. Angiology 2006; 57: 331-339.
3. Angiology 2006; 57: 431-436.
4. Clin Appl Thromb Hemost 2006; 12: 318-323.
5. J Reprod Med 2002; 47: 821-824.
6. Brain Res Mol Brain Res 2002; 104: 55-65.
7. Free Rad Res 2000; 32: 115-124.
8. J Psychopharmacol 2008; 22: 553-562.
9. Clin Appl Thromb Hemost 2005; 11: 289-2894 2004;
10: 373-377.
About Dr. Blaylock
Dr. Russell Blaylock edits Newsmax.com’s Blaylock Wellness
Report. He is a nationally recognized board-certified
neurosurgeon, health practitioner, author, and lecturer. He
attended the Louisiana State University School of Medicine in
New Orleans and completed his internship and neurosurgical
residency at the Medical University of South Carolina in
Charleston, S.C. For the past 26 years, he has practiced
neurosurgery in addition to having a nutritional practice. He
recently retired from his neurosurgical duties to devote his
full attention to nutritional studies and research. Dr. Blaylock
has authored three books on nutrition and wellness, including
“Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills,” “Health and Nutrition
Secrets That Can Save Your Life,” and his most recent work,
“Natural Strategies for The Cancer Patient.” An in-demand
guest for radio and television programs, he lectures extensively
to both lay and professional medical audiences on a variety
of nutrition related subjects. Also, Dr. Blaylock has been
appointed to serve on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Life
Extension Foundation. He is the 2004 recipient of the Integrity
in Science Award granted by the Weston A. Price Foundation.
Dr. Blaylock serves on the editorial staff of the Journal of the
American Nutraceutical Association and on the editorial staff
of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, official
publication of the Association of American Physicians and
Surgeons. He previously served as clinical assistant professor of
neurosurgery at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in
Jackson, Miss., and is currently a visiting professor of biology
at the Belhaven College, also in Jackson.
PLEASE NOTE: All information presented in The Blaylock Wellness Report
is for informational purposes only. It is not specific medical advice for any
individual. All answers to reader questions are provided for informational
purposes only. All information presented in The Blaylock Wellness Report
should not be construed as medical consultation or instruction. You should
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