In a study of gerbils, pine bark extract was administered at 100 milligrams (mg) per kilogram (kg) once a day for seven days before the brain was submitted to a brain ischemic injury.
The PE treatment markedly inhibited the death of neurons in the brain, significantly decreased the pro-inflammatory cytokines — interleukin 1? and tumor necrosis factor ? — and showed a strong activation effect on anti-inflammatory cytokines of interleukin 4 (IL-4) and interleukin 13 (IL-13). Pine bark protected the brain and decreased inflammation.
2. Improves Attention, Memory, Executive Functions and Mood in Healthy People
In a study over eight weeks, Pycnogenol supplementation improved sustained attention, memory, executive functions and mood ratings in 53 healthy students compared to an equivalent control group.
In a trial of 60 healthy professionals from 35 to 55 years old, half of the participants supplemented with Pycnogenol of 50 mg three times a day for 12 weeks in combination with a controlled health plan — regular sleep, balanced meals and daily exercise — and the other half followed only the health plan as the control group.
PE significantly improved mood by 16%, mental performance by 9%, attention by 13% and memory by 4%, and reduced oxidative stress by 30%, outperforming all results of the control group.
3. Prevents Brain Aging and Cognitive Decline
Brain aging is a complex process involving changes in the brain’s structure, neuron activity and biochemical profile that has been linked to age-associated variations in cognitive function. Increased oxidative stress may also be an important factor related to reduced cognition in older people.
In a systematic review of over 100 research trials and animal studies, the antioxidant Pycnogenol significantly improved cognitive function after chronic administration.
4. Improves Cognition and Stress in the Mildly Impaired or Highly Oxidative Stressed
Eighty-seven healthy subjects with mild cognitive impairment scores were included in a trial with one group given standard management (SM) and the other half given Pycnogenol supplements for two months. The median increase in mild impairment scores was 18% with Pycnogenol compared to 2.48% in the SM group, largely due to its effects on oxidative stress levels.
In a study of 88 healthy patients ages 55 to 70 who had high oxidative stress, half were supplemented with 100 mg per day of Pycnogenol for 12 months and the other half were the control group followed as a reference point for a year. Those in the pine bark group had significantly improved cognitive function scores, attention and mental performance and lowered oxidative stress levels compared to those in the reference group.
5. Increases Cognitive Function and Helps Symptoms in Parkinson’s Disease
Researchers studied 43 Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients who had been diagnosed at least one year before the trial. The condition was considered “mild,” with minimal progression.
The standard management (SM) for PD — carbidopa/levodopa — was used in a similar-sized reference group of PD subjects for comparison purposes. The trial subjects were supplemented with Pycnogenol of 150 mg per day along with SM for a period of four weeks.
Cognitive function was significantly higher with the Pycnogenol group. Target symptoms including tremors, rigidity, bradykinesia — slow or impaired movements in limbs — and speech were improved in the PE group compared to the control group. Oxidative stress was also significantly lower in the pine bark group at four weeks.
6. Enhances Memory and Prevents Harmful Plaque and Tau Buildup in Alzheimer’s Disease
In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the release of amyloid-beta (A?) is a marker. A? aggregates into oligomers, then plaques, which induce inflammatory responses, synapse loss and misfolding of tau, a second hallmark of AD. Accumulation of tau misfolding leads to tangles in the brain and neuron cell death impacting brain synapses in a pattern of progression closely related to cognitive decline, which can happen years before memory loss symptoms even appear.
Pycnogenol significantly decreased the number of plaques in both pre-onset and post-onset treatment paradigms and improved spatial memory in the pre-onset treatment only in an AD-induced mouse model.
In an in vitro study of AD-induced animals, pine bark — Oligopin — prevented and halted the progression of AD preclinically by inhibiting oligomer formation of not only A?1-40 and A?1-42, but also tau in vitro.
7. Reduces Inflammation and Improves Outcomes for Traumatic Brain Injuries
In a scientific trial of 67 traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU), the intervention group received 150 mg of the PE supplement Oligopin with enteral nutrition — tube feeding through stomach or intestine — for 10 days while the control group received a placebo.
Pine bark supplementation significantly decreased inflammatory biomarkers of IL-6, IL-1? and CRP compared to the control group after 10 days. In addition, pine bark reduced clinical scores for acute physiology and chronic health evaluation as well as sequential organ failure. The Nutric score — a way to measure if a patient is under-nourished and at critical risk of dying[xiii] — was reduced compared to the control group as well.
Overall, the survival rate was 15% higher in the pine bark group compared to the placebo group. PE supplementation for TBI patients in ICUs reduced inflammation, improved their clinical status and malnutrition score and, thereby, reduced their mortality rate.
8. Improves Attention, Focus, Thinking, Behavior and Antioxidant Levels in ADHD
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impulsivity, distractibility and hyperactivity. One of the factors associated with ADHD is oxidative stress. Pycnogenol consists of bioflavonoids, catechins, procyanidins and phenolic acids.[xiv]
Pycnogenol acts as a powerful antioxidant stimulating certain enzymes, like superoxide dismutase (SOD) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), which can defend against oxidative stress. In the pathophysiology of ADHD, damage to adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine metabolism occurs in the brain. These changes can modify attention, thinking and acting.[xv]
Researchers often analyze levels of glutathione (GSH) as it is the most abundant antioxidant in aerobic cells, present in bodily fluids and tissues. GSH is critical for protecting the brain from oxidative stress, acting as a free radical scavenger and inhibitor of lipid peroxidation. The ratio of reduced GSH to oxidized GSH (GSSG) is an indicator of cellular health, with reduced GSH making up to 98% of cellular GSH under normal conditions. However, the reduced GSH to GSSG ratio is lower in neurological conditions such as ADHD, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
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