Lost a step or two? Can't read the morning paper as well? Forget your best friend's phone number? Joint’s' Stiff and aching? Any new wrinkles? What could be thee solution to these problems? Pycnogenol (pronounced pik-nah'-je-nol) might be the answer.
Today, Pycnogenol is being used against heart disease, circulatory disorders, skin problems, brain dysfunction’s, stress, inflammation, sports injuries, hay fever, diabetic retinopathy, cancer, arthritis, and aging to name a few.
These conditions are caused, at least in part, by free radicals. But what are free radicals?
Free radicals destroy cells by damaging their membranes. The cells can't function properly or reproduce. Nutrients can't get in or out. The cells steadily decrease in number causing the tissue to lose their function. This damage accelerates with aging.
Free radicals can fuse molecules together, making the molecules unable to function properly. In the skin, this causes a loss of elasticity and smoothness, leading to wrinkles. Free radical damage is what we recog-nize as aging, and according to Dr. Jeffrey Bland, is implicated in a number of diseases.
By eliminating (breaking down) these free radicals, we can assist our bodies in returning us to a healthy state, to live longer, happier, and pain-free lives. We all have free radicals in our bodies and we can eliminate them by taking antioxidants.
The accumulation of cholesterol (due to the modification or oxidation of low density lipoproteins - LDLs) can be prevented or slowed down by antioxidants.
Pycnogenol is a powerful scavenger of free radicals and an antioxidant. It can counteract the effects of aging and acts as a protector against today's environmental toxins (such as radiation, pesticides, pollution, heavy metals, etc.). Made from the bark of pinnus maritimus French maritime pine), Pycnogenol is pure and natural, having no solvent residues or additives. Taken orally, it works with vitamin C to enhance vitamin C’s activity.
Pycnogenal is not new. In 1935, Jacques Cartier (exploring what is now Canada) saw many os his crew members die of scurvy. The local Indians taught him to prepare a brew from the bark and needles of the Ameda pine, which returned the men to health.
Pycnogenol inhibits formation of the enzymes that cause allergies and inflammations, thereby reducing histamine production. For this reason, many people use Pycnogenol in the treatment of allergies. In fact ,in Finland, it is popular for use against hay fever. Pycnogenol is also helpful in improving circulation. When you are injured or have muscle cramps, the dam-aged area needs more oxygen. This demand must be met by your capillaries (tiny blood vessels which bring in fresh oxygenated red corpuscles and carry away used blood). To do this rapidly and efficiently, your capillaries must be healthy. In case of injury, your capillaries are damaged, resulting in swelling and bruising. The sooner your capillaries return to normal, the sooner bruises, swellings and, pain disappear, and the sooner you get back into action. Your best hope is to keep your circulatory system as healthy as possible and when injury occurs, to help it respond quickly.
Helping the lining of the arteries resist attachment by mutagens (which can cause cardiovascular disease), Pycnogenol restores the strength of the capillaries and improves circulation, making it easier for each cell to get the nutrients needed. Improved circulation is especially valuable to stroke victims, diabetics, arthritics, smokers, women taking oral contraceptives, and people with swollen edematous legs.
Pycnogenol also has a unique ability to bond collagen fibers. All cells in the human body are glued together with collagen. Pycnogenol helps these collagen fibers rebuild their cross-links and reverse some of the damage done over the years by injury and free radical attack. Further, Pycnogenol inhibits the body's enzymes that break down collagen. Pycnogenol helps return flexibility to skin, arteries, capillaries, joints, and other tissues by restoring collagen.
The human body cannot survive without vitamin C. Pycnogenol actually activates vitamin C and helps put it to work fast, continuing to work on its own long after vitamin C passes out of the body. Pycnogenol works to maintain the integrity of blood ves-sels, particularly the capillaries, and exerts a powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-infective, anti-aging effect.
Vitamins C and E have long been regarded as antioxidants. According to Richard Passwater, Ph.D., in standard in vitro studies (test tube, not in the human body), Pycnogenol proved to be 60 times more powerful than vitamin E and 20 times more powerful than vitamin C in the ability to scavenge (neutralize) free radicals. In addition, Pycnogenol remains in the blood stream 72 hours (unlike vitamins E and C which pass quickly through the system), thus giving extended free radical protection.
The benefits of Pycnogenol are many. Pycnogenol has been shown to:
In addition, according to Passwater, Pycnogenol is a nonantigenic, nonmutagenic, noncarcinogenic, and nonteratogenic substance.
Unlike other dietary products, Pycnogenol crosses the blood brain barrier to protect blood vessels in the brain from oxidation, thus having possibilities in fighting senility.
Pycnogenol has long been used in France, Finland, Holland, Germany, Italy, Singapore, Korea, Argentina, and Switzerland, and has just recently been marketed in the United States.
In many countries, women take Pycnogenol as an oral cosmetic to fight wrinkles before they begin. It is reported to help keep their skin elastic, smooth, and more wrinkle-free by restoring the skin's collagen and protecting it from free radical attack and enzymatic degradation.
In today's fast paced, highly stressful, polluted environment, diseases from free radical damage are a fact of life. For good health, antioxidants such as Pycnogenol, and vitamins C and E are recommended for daily usage. After all, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
Dr. Cichoke is a chiropractic physician in Portland, Oregon, and author of over 100 scientific articles. He is a well-known writer, lecturer, and researcher on health and nutrition.
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