12.12.11
Pycnogenol French maritime pine bark extract, from Natural Health Science/Horphag Research, significantly enhanceed mental performance in healthy college students in a recent clinical trial published in Panminerva Medica.
The study was conducted at Pescara University and examined 53 Italian university students, aged 18-27. Students were assigned to a control or test group. The test group was given 100 mg of Pycnogenol per day, over a period of eight weeks. Students’ mental performance was evaluated using cognitive function tests that were carried out by computer-assisted methods. Students’ final exam scores were also evaluated. Verbal IQ tests ensured that students recruited for the study demonstrated highly comparable intelligence.
The study found that: Pycnogenol effectively enhanced mental performance, including improved sustained attention, memory and mood in students within an eight week period. Students taking Pycnogenol had higher test scores on university exams than the control group. Alertness and contentedness improved significantly within the Pycnogenol group and levels of anxiety decreased by 17%.
Researchers suggest that several physiologic contributions of Pycnogenol may have contributed to the improved cognitive function of investigated students, namely antioxidant potency and blood circulation improvement. While the results are promising they need to be further investigated in a larger population group. For further information: www.pycnogenol.com
The study was conducted at Pescara University and examined 53 Italian university students, aged 18-27. Students were assigned to a control or test group. The test group was given 100 mg of Pycnogenol per day, over a period of eight weeks. Students’ mental performance was evaluated using cognitive function tests that were carried out by computer-assisted methods. Students’ final exam scores were also evaluated. Verbal IQ tests ensured that students recruited for the study demonstrated highly comparable intelligence.
The study found that: Pycnogenol effectively enhanced mental performance, including improved sustained attention, memory and mood in students within an eight week period. Students taking Pycnogenol had higher test scores on university exams than the control group. Alertness and contentedness improved significantly within the Pycnogenol group and levels of anxiety decreased by 17%.
Researchers suggest that several physiologic contributions of Pycnogenol may have contributed to the improved cognitive function of investigated students, namely antioxidant potency and blood circulation improvement. While the results are promising they need to be further investigated in a larger population group. For further information: www.pycnogenol.com
