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Home » Pine bark extract reduces period pain
The facts:
- The effects of French maritime pine bark extract (Pycnogenol) were investigated in a double-blind study of women with period pain.
- Compared with placebo, pycnogenol 60 mg/day soothed menstrual pain and decreased the need for painkillers.
- The effects of pycnogenol on period pain persisted even after the treatment was stopped.
Dr Shaun Holt:
Pycnogenol is probably running a close third behind omega-3 fish oil and probiotics as the natural supplement with the most active clinical research programmes at the moment. This large, very well-designed study showed that the pine bark extract helped reduce the amount of painkillers needed for menstrual pain. The tree is a serious pest in parts of South Africa but is one of the most important trees for forestry in some European countries. Pycnogenol is a patented extract, and the protection conferred by this patent will have given the owners of the patent the confidence to invest in clinical research.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18567279
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