Articles on Pycnogenol

A diabetic patient was coming to me for lower back pain. I prescribed that he walk as part of his therapy, and he told me he couldn�t walk because he had a circulatory problem in his legs. I told him that he should think about Pycnogenol as a possible solution, which he did.

I was new at using Pycnogenol. I hadn�t used it clinically with anyone and wasn�t sure what would happen, but I saw very dramatic results with the diabetic patient. He was taking medication for his circulatory problems but saw no improvement whatsoever. He couldn�t walk from his car to my clinic without pain.

After three days of taking Pycnogenol, he said the pain was completely gone. Those results impressed me because I have been using nutritional therapies for about ten years and haven�t seen anything this dramatic. I began studying and researching more about Pycnogenol.

When do you suggest the use of Pycnogenol for your patients? What types of conditions?

After studying the research, I have found Pycnogenol can be very helpful for any type of circulatory pathology: there are literally hundreds of them. It�s also helpful for inflammatory conditions- any of your �- itises,� like arthritis, tendinitis, or myofascitis. It is also helpful for allergy problems, or suppressed immune systems that would cause allergic-type problems.

Usually, I tell patients about Pycnogenol and provide them with some literature so they can review it for themselves. After they�ve read some books and listened to some educational tapes about Pycnogenol. they decide whether to take it or not. I�ve seen some very good results with various conditions

How long does it usually take for someone to notice the benefits when they take Pycnogenol?

The benefits are similar to any other type of herbal or medicinal compound, whether it�s prescription or non- prescription. Everyone�s different, and whether you take an aspirin or whether you take a pill of Pycnogenol, each person�s reaction would be different.

I�ve seen positive results with my patients within a matter of days to weeks: however, I have also had a number of cases that take months to show any changes. It depends on how chronic the problem is and how degenerative it is. Pycnogenol has a dose dependency relationship, meaning that there isn�t a set answer for how much to take for what condition. It must be personally studied, and individuals must learn how to modulate their own dosages for various conditions.

It�s very safe. My supplier of Pycnogenol performs annual tests to see if they are mutagenic, toxic, carcinogenic, teratogenic, or if they create toxicity problems. The tests show that an individual can take 35,000 milligrams of Pycnogenol a day for six months before seeing toxicity problems. It has a safety equivalent similar to vitamin C.

I tell most of my patients that Pycnogenol is an important food supplement for daily use since we are all affected by free radical oxidation to our bodies. Pycnogenol provides an essential shield and protection for us, and that makes it a good daily supplement to take for disease prevention.

My practice emphasizes preventative medicine with nutrition and exercise. In my opinion, is one of the most important daily supplements to take.

I have seven children, and my entire family and I have taken it every day since we were introduced to it in mid 1993. During the spring, I am normally plagued with allergies, but I don�t have any allergy symptoms this spring because I take Pycnogenol everyday.

Dr. Michael K. Hobson, a graduate of Texas Chiropractic College, is the founder and director of the National Detoxification Institute where he currently directs operations. He has appeared on both radio and television talk shows. His articles have been published nationally and internationally in various professional journals and health magazines.

Dr. Rosquist discusses Pine Bark and Grape Seed.

The following is an excerpt of an interview with Dr. Bryon Rosquist.

There is no difference between proanthocyanidin from pine bark and proanthocyanidin from grape seeds. Proanthocyanidin is one particular chemical compound.

Asking if Proanthocyanidins are different depending upon the source is like asking, � What is the difference between vitamin C in oranges and the vitamin C in lemons?� There is no difference. The appropriate questions are: �Which source is the most bioavailable?�

Proanthocyanidins has certain effects on the body; the effects that proanthocyanidin alone produces will be the same whether the source is grape seed or pine bark. The most potent effect I have seen has been with the pine bark extract, but I have not really used the grape seed extract at this point.

There are other components in each source (pine bark extract and grape seed extract) that have physiological effects. In other words, when you extract and purify proanthocyanidins, both sources contain the same proanthocyanidins. However, there are different co-factors. There are different acids and other substances along with the pine bark that give it unique properties, just as different elements in grape seed extract give it unique properties.

However, because the inherent elements in pine bark and grape seed differ they may not work the same in all conditions, although they may work on some similar conditions.

My father Lamar Rosquist, has been combining grape seed and pine bark by taking supplements containing each kind. He says that the combination of the two products better results than just using one or the other. I�m also going to start using both.

ANTIOXIDANTS BENEFIT YOUR HEALTH

Stress. Cancer. Aging. In our health-conscious society, these words are a part of household conversation.The word free radicals, antioxidants and Pycnogenol are not as common, but should go hand in hand with current health concerns. What do these words mean and how are they related to our health?

We all have free radicals in our bodies. These are unstable compounds that destroy healthy cells. Free radicals damage cell membranes causing our cells to die prematurely. This acceleration of cell destruction speeds up the aging process. The damage to the membrane also prevents a cell from recognizing its neighboring cells. What results is a frenzied cell production that causes the growth of either benign or cancerous tumors. The stabilization of free radicals is a means of protecting against cancer, aging, and other health risks.

Many antioxidants are free- radical scavengers which do not regenerate free radicals during a reaction. This is accomplished by the combination of antioxidant compounds and oxygen which break free radical chains to stop the damage.

Our body acquires natural antioxidants in the form of vitamins A, C, and E, beta carotene, selenium. Antioxidant supplements can be taken to help stop free radical damage.

On the market today is a powerful antioxidant supplement known as Pycnogenol. It can provide protection against the disease and aging associated with free radicals. Stress, cancer, and aging can be combated with the destruction of free radicals by the use of Pycnogenol.

By lowering histamine levels, Pycnogenol has been shown to reduce stress ulcers in the stomach by 82 per cent. This was confirmed by Dr. Duncan Bell, a gastroenterologist at the 1990 International Symposium on Pycnogenol.

Dr. Stewart Brown of the University of Nottingham found that the stabilizing of free radicals causes cells to live longer and aging to decelerate.

Our bodies need antioxidants to destroy free radicals that will cause harmful damage. Using supplements to increase the intake of antioxidants can build the body�s defenses and slow down the aging process.

Pycnogenol is one of the most powerful free radical stabilizers on the market today.