New Study Shows Pine Bark Can Improve Cognitive Function and Mood

21 Jan 2015 --- A new study published in the Journal of Neurosurgical Sciences shows that a daily use of Pycnogenol, a natural extract from French maritime pine bark, may help improve attention span, memory, decision making and overall cognitive function.

According to research, the average attention span has fallen to five minutes, down from 12 minutes 10 years ago[i]. This decline is blamed on the pressures of modern life, with stress cited as the biggest distraction.

“What is unique about this study is that it observes how Pycnogenol can positively impact mood as participants reported feeling less anxiety and a stronger sense of content. That may be connected back to the mental performance boost and demonstrates the effects of dramatic reduction of oxidative stress,” said doctor and nutritional medicine expert Dr. Fred Pescatore. “Participants who supplemented daily with Pycnogenol demonstrated stronger performance in daily mental tasks such as dealing with money, managing people, and coping with stress. Those are mental performance benefits that can be felt from the home to the office and even in the classroom,” said Dr. Pescatore.

The peer-reviewed study conducted at Chieti-Pescara University in Italy and published in the December 2014 Journal of Neurosurgical Sciences, included 59 participants between ages 35 – 55.

In the study, 30 participants supplemented Pycnogenol 50mg/three times daily in combination with a controlled health plan; 29 participants in the control group followed the controlled health plan alone. The health plan involved regular sleep, balanced meals and daily exercise.

In the study, after 12 weeks of daily supplementation with Pycnogenol, results were also shown to:
• Significantly improve mood (16% increase Pycnogenol / -2.1% control)
• Measurably boost mental performance (8.9% increase Pycnogenol / 3.1% control)
• Advance sustained attention (13.4% increase) and memory (3.6% increase)
• Dramatically reduce oxidative stress (30% decrease Pycnogenol)

“This study completes a number of research observations indicating that Pycnogenol can naturally help improve some aspects of cognitive functions throughout life. Multiple studies have been conducted using Pycnogenol and showing its positive effects in managing and improving some attention parameters in children with ADHD, in improving results of specific cognitive test in students and in improving several aspects of cognitive functions in adults over 60,” said Dr. Gianni Belcaro, lead researcher of the study. 

“These latest findings are supported by decades of research on Pycnogenol’s ability to naturally regulate oxidative stress levels (that may significantly affect some cognitive functions) and confirm the positive impact on overall cognitive function.”

[i] Study by Lloyds TSB insurance, 2008