What are they: While these two herbal products are made from different plant-Pycnogenol (pik-NAH-jeh-nal) is a registered brand made from French Maritime pine bark; the other comes from grapes-each is a rich source of flavonoids, antioxidants protecting against free radicals that damage cells and tissue.

What they do: Flavonoids, which occur naturally in fruits and vegetables, work to keep cells healthy. Some doctors say that Pycnogenol and grape-seed extracts seem to ease the symptoms of inflammatory diseases and relieve allergies. Grape-seed extracts may also offer the cardio-protective benefits associated with red wine-but without the alcohol. And in a yet-to-be published study of the effects of Pycnogenol on young smokers, the extracts reduced blood-platelet clumping, a dangerous artery-clogging effect of smoking.

Who should take them? If you don't always eat the recommended five servings a day of fruits and vegetables, you might consider one of these extracts.

Readers Digest
December 1997