GENEVA, Switzerland – A clinical trial published in this month’s The
Journal of Reproductive Medicine found that natural supplement Pycnogenol®
(pic-noj-en-all), an antioxidant plant extract from the bark of the French
maritime pine tree, minimizes climacteric symptoms of menopausal women.
Perimenopause, the transition that women experience leading into menopause,
lasts an average of four years and is marked by a number of uncomfortable
symptoms including hot flashes, insomnia, night-time sweating, palpitations,
depression, anxiety and memory problems.
“Since climacteric symptoms vary from woman to woman and can manifest as
any number of discomforts, it is often a difficult condition to effectively
treat. We found that Pycnogenol® can aid in relief of a number
of these symptoms, which helps improve the quality of women’s life during this
transitional period,” said Takafumi Kohama, lead researcher from Keiju Medical
Center.
The study was
conducted at Keiju Medical Center in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan and examined
170 perimenopausal women. A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind,
parallel-group clinical trial was conducted and participants were given either
placebo capsules or 30 mg of Pycnogenol® twice per day, over a
period of 12 weeks.
The rationale of the study was to
identify menopausal symptoms which respond particularly well to supplementation
with a low dosage of Pycnogenol®. Dr. Kohama and his group
discovered that Pycnogenol® is most effective for lowering hot
flashes and nighttime sweating. Kohama
explains that thermal dysregulation may relate to the inability of menopausal
women to radiate off excess heat because peripheral blood vessels
insufficiently expand. Pycnogenol® supports vascular
relaxation, which allows the body to rid of excess body heat, subsiding the
sensation of hot flashes and nighttime sweating. Dr. Kohama also emphasizes the
increased general risk for cardiovascular health problems of menopausal women,
which may benefit from the improved vascular function with Pycnogenol®.
The discovery of lowered
heart palpitations in women taking Pycnogenol® in this study
provides further support to this point.
This study
systematically investigated and compared hormonal changes of women taking
Pycnogenol® or placebo. Kohama and his co-workers did not find
any significant changes between groups as for estradiol (E2), follicle
stimulating hormone (FSH), insulin-like growth factor (IGF), IGF binding
protein 3 (IGFBP-3) and dehydroepiandrosterone. The evidence for non-hormonal
effects of Pycnogenol® may be welcomed by women who wish to
soothe menopausal symptoms without using supplements containing soy, kudzu, red
clover and other herbals to exert hormonal activity.Though some women dropped out of the study, none of them left the study
because of unwanted effects related to treatment.
An additional
questionnaire, the Kupperman index, was given to participants to describe and
score the level of discomfort related to climacteric symptoms, using values
ranging from one (heavy discomfort) to four (no discomfort). Differences in
baseline performance between the placebo group and Pycnogenol® group were
tested as well as a comparison of perimenopausal symptom scores obtained during
treatment. According to the study, the total symptom improvement using the Kupperman
index, which represents the most commonly utilized questionnaire in Japan, was
statistically significant versus the placebo group. The study identified a
number of further menopausal symptom improvements such as decreased heart
palpitations which reached borderline statistical significance.
“These findings leave little doubt about the benefit of Pycnogenol® for
women interested in controlling climacteric symptoms with a more natural
approach. Our study is the first to provide evidence for the safety and
efficacy of Pycnogenol® in perimenopausal women,” said Kohama.
This
study confirms findings from two previous studies, one of which investigated
200 menopausal women in double-blind, placebo-controlled fashion for half a
year, that Pycnogenol®
effectively improves menopausal signs and symptoms. Furthermore, Pycnogenol®’s
ability to support heart health is of particular significance as menopausal
women live at elevated risk for cardiovascular disease.
About Pycnogenol®
Pycnogenol® is a natural
plant extract originating from the bark of the maritime pine that grows along
the coast of southwest France and is found to contain a unique combination of
procyanidins, bioflavonoids and organic acids, which offer extensive natural
health benefits. The extract has been widely studied for the past 40
years and has more than 280 published studies and review articles ensuring
safety and efficacy as an ingredient. Today, Pycnogenol® is available in more than 700 dietary
supplements, multi-vitamins and health products worldwide. For more
information, visit www.pycnogenol.com.
About Horphag ResearchHorphag Research Ltd. is the
exclusive worldwide supplier of Pycnogenol® (pic-noj-en-all) French maritime
pine bark extract. Pycnogenol® is a registered trademark of Horphag Research
Ltd.; Guernsey and the company is the recipient of the 2008 Frost &
Sullivan North American Health Ingredients Excellence in Research Award. For
more information about Pycnogenol® visit our Web site at www.pycnogenol.com
