| Pycnogenol is a natural products for ADHD. The | | | | We are only now figuring out the complex |
| supplement is extracted from the bark of the French | | | | interactions and functions of the brain's hormones, |
| maritime pine tree. This pine grows in the coastal | | | | neurotransmitters, etc. You need to be careful to |
| areas in southwest France and is touted to be the | | | | buy the extract of the French maritime pine. There is |
| most powerful scavenger of free radicals available. | | | | another supplement called pycnogenol that is not |
| Pycnogenol may help the inattention and | | | | made of French maritime bark but is sold under the |
| hyperactivity of ADHD. | | | | same name. The true French maritime pine product |
| I love the story of how Pycnogenol was discovered. | | | | also sometime comes with grape seed oil and other |
| Supposedly King Francis of France commissioned | | | | combinations. The combinations have not been |
| Jacques Cartier to explore the New World in 1535. | | | | proven to add any benefit as far as I could tell from |
| Cartier's ship became trapped near what is now | | | | reading the scientific literature. |
| Quebec. His crew became very ill with scurvy and | | | | The product should state that it contains French |
| about one fourth of them died. The local natives | | | | maritime pine extract not just pine bark. The correct |
| came to their rescue brewing them this tea made of | | | | dose is 1 mg per Kg of body weight which translates |
| needles and bark of the Canadian pine trees. All the | | | | to roughly 1/2 mg per pound. If you weigh 150 lbs, |
| sailors were well within days. It is reported that the | | | | you take 75 mg of Pyconogenol. It is considered |
| Cree, the Anishinabeg, the Ojibwe, the Pottawatomie | | | | safe. If you get it in capsule form it will not hurt you |
| and the Ottawa all used this tea for its healing | | | | to take 100 mg instead of 75 mg. |
| purposes. | | | | Medline Plus, the National Institutes of Health Medical |
| The studies that I came across that looked at | | | | Library gives Pycnogenol a 'C' rating and reports that |
| Pycnogenol and ADHD were all positive studies. That | | | | more studies are necessary. Regarding side effects |
| is, they all yielded improved results. The results, | | | | they report; "Pycnogenol® is generally reported as |
| however, were in the order of 10 to 20 percent | | | | being well tolerated. Because of its astringent taste |
| improvement in hyperactivity and inattention. If you | | | | and occasional minor stomach discomfort, it may be |
| compare this to the 80 percent improvement that | | | | best to take Pycnogenol® with or after meals. To |
| you get with a stimulant, Pycnogenol is hardly worth | | | | date, no serious adverse effects have been |
| the effort. | | | | reported". |
| If you are going the natural route then Pycnogenol | | | | The supplement is not terribly cheap but if you are |
| may be worth getting. No one is exactly sure how it | | | | dealing with ADHD symptoms, it may be worth a try. |
| helps cognitive function but that is not too surprising. | | | | |