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7 Health Benefits from a Little Known Pine Tree
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If you think you’ve tried everything on the market to relives your menopause symptoms, inflammation, or low energy levels, then this might just be what you are looking for. An extract from the French Maritime pine tree shows great promise in helping relieve many of the symptoms of menopause, and a great deal of other health issues, such as asthma and impotence.
The extract from these pine trees is called pycnogenol, and it contains several helpful compounds such as proanthocyanidins and phenolic acid. It also reduces collagen degeneration and oxidative stress, while addressing a wide variety of health problems.
Check out the top 7 health benefits we can reap from one little tree.
1. Arthritis
This common condition affects the joints and bones of the body. There are several different forms of arthritis, with rheumatoid and osteoarthritis the most common types. Arthritis is generally treated by sing anti-inflammatory drugs. Doing weight bearing exercises and losing weight if you are overweight can help reduce the load on the joints but taking pycnogenol can also reduce inflammation levels. In a study published in 2008, a study using 100 patients showed that this extract improved symptoms for those suffering from mild to moderate osteoarthritis, so much so that these subjects were able to reduce their intake of anti-inflammatory drugs. Results of this study were published in the August issue of Phytotherapy Research.
2. Fights Cardiovascular Disease
In recent studies, subjects taking pycnogenol and centella asiatica, otherwise known as gotu kola, it was noted that it helped to reduce arterial lesions as well as the progression of plaque. This pine bark extract was also noted in another study, published in the journal of Clinical and Applied Thrombosis and Hemostasis, which helped to improve overall blood circulation as well as minimize edema.
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