Pycnogenol May Ease Asthma Symptoms

Pycnogenol® is made from French Maritime bark extract. Researchers have found that supplementation with Pycnogenol® may help people who suffer from asthma reduce their symptoms, lower the number of times they have to go to the doctor, and help them sleep through the night.

Participants in the study included 76 individuals with mild to moderate asthma due to dust mite allergies. Over the course of six months, half of the group took 100 mg of Pycnogenol® in addition to their asthma medicine (inhalation corticosteriod) while the other half kept to their normal regimen of asthma medication without an additional supplement.

At the conclusion of the trial, the researchers observed that 55% of all of the participants who took the Pycnogenol® supplement were able to lower their daily asthma medicine dosage. In the control group, only 6% were able to take less medicine and 19% had to actually increase their dosage.

Additionally, the supplement group used their emergency inhalers every fifth day, while the control group had to reach for them every second day. The supplement group also woke up in the night half as often as they had prior to taking the pycnogenol and reported fewer doctor visits. The control group showed no change in either area.

The study was conducted at the University of Pescara in Italy. It was published in the September 2012 issue of Panminerva Medica.

Pycnogenol® has been shown to help with high blood pressure, muscle soreness, osteoarthritis, diabetes, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, endometriosis, menopausal symptoms, ringing in the ears, erectile dysfunction and retinopathy.

Pycnogenol® is water soluble, meaning it can be added to the production of many common foods. It is currently included in dietary supplements, cosmetic products, and a variety of foods and drinks.