Pycnogenol May Lessen Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors

Having already shown kidney function benefit in subjects with established metabolic syndrome, the standardized pine bark extract Pycnogenol now appears useful for lessening key risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome, as the American Heart Association sees it, occurs when a person has three or more cardiovascular risks, including obesity, low HDL cholesterol, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and high fat.

In a study of 130 adults with metabolic syndrome, researchers assigned half to Pycnogenol (150 mg daily) for six months. All subjects received dietary counseling and a moderate exercise program, but a majority of those supplementing with Pycnogenol saw a laundry list of benefits over the control group: lower waist circumference, lower triglycerides, lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar, and higher HDL cholesterol levels. Blood levels of free radicals also dropped with Pycnogenol, an ingredient known as a potent antioxidant. Numerous improvements over control occurred in just three months.

The positive findings, published in Phytotherapy Research, complement several other trials on Pycnogenol in subjects with metabolic syndrome and other heart issues.

Pycnogenol is supplied exclusively by Horphag Research (Hoboken, NJ).