The pine bark extract Pycnogenol could combat each of the important cardiovascular risk factors simultaneously, concludes the author of a new review examining evidence on the supplement. Ronald Watson, from the University of Arizona, writes that different research from different countries concludes that Pycnogenol helps lower blood pressure, reduce LDL cholesterol, improve microcirculation and prevent platelet aggregation. British scientists recently proposed to tackle all of these factors with a combination of drugs in a single pill (or ‘polypill’) but Watson suggests that a nutritional approach could also tackle heart disease, currently the leading cause of death in the US. Stroke is the third biggest cause. Pycnogenol is a standardised extract of French maritime pine bark (Pinus pinaster) that has been marketed for several years in Europe by its manufacturer Horphag Research. It has recently gained GRAS status in the US.
