Pine bark reduces perimenopausal symptoms.

A study in the Scandinavian Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology reveals that Pycnogenol, a pine bark extract from the French maritime pine tree distributed by Natural Health Science Inc. (NHS), reduces "climacteric symptoms" such as hot flashes, depression, panic attacks, cholesterol and other common symptoms associated with women entering menopause transition. The results suggest Pycnogenol may serve as an alternative treatment to estrogen replacement therapy, which is the most common remedy of pre-menopause ("perimenopausal") symptoms.

The randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study was conducted at Ham-Ming Hospital in Taiwan with 155 perimenopausal women. Each day, patients either received 200 mg Pycnogenol or placebo, and recorded their symptoms using the Women's Health Questionnaire (WHQ). The WHQ consisted of the following: somatic symptoms, depressed mood, vasomotoric symptoms, memory/concentration, attractiveness, anxiety, sexual behavior, sleep problems and menstrual symptoms.

Additionally, patients visited the clinic at 1, 3 and 6 months following start of treatment. At each visit, BMI, blood pressure, lipid profile and total antioxidant status were recorded.

After 6 months, LDL (bad) cholesterol dropped by 10% with Pycnogenol treatment compared to placebo. Patients who supplemented with Pycnogenol also had increased antioxidant levels compared to the placebo group. During treatment, rapid improvement of symptoms was reported from the Pycnogenol group after one month. All symptoms of the WHQ improved significantly compared to the start of treatment, and patients did not report unwanted side effects. In the placebo group, no significant changes of symptoms were recorded.

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