PYCNOGENOL BOOSTS EYE HEALTH
A new study suggests that Pycnogenol (pine bark extract) could improve the eyesight of people with early stage diabetic retinopathy. Researchers from G D'Annunzio University in Italy and Horphag Research (the company behind the pine bark extract), conducted a randomised controlled study with forty-six diabetics. They randomly assigned 24 subjects to receive a daily dose of 150 mg of Pycnogenol and 22 subjects to receive placebo for two months. All subjects had been diabetic for at least four years and showed early signs of retinopathy characterised by capillaries in the eye leaking fluid into the retina causing swellings. At the end of the study, 75 per cent of participants in the Pycnogenol group subjectively perceived improvements in their visual acuity. Tests showed a significant improvement in visual acuity from 14/20 to 17/20 after two months of Pycnogenol supplementations. No improvements were recorded in the placebo group. The researchers noted that the pine bark extract may improve endothelial function by stimulating nitric oxide synthase, which leads to the production of the potent vasodilator nitric oxide. This would improve blood flow by dilating the blood vessels. The researchers also noted that Pycnogenol may inhibit matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) that are involved in causing changes to the permeability of blood vessels. These findings were published in the Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics.