Pycnogenol May Reverse Vision Loss

Pycnogenol May Reverse Vision Loss

L'AQUILA, Italy--In a study published in the May Phytotherapy Research (15: 219-23, 2001) (www3.interscience.wiley.com), it was found that French maritime pine bark extract(Pycnogenol^®) may stymie disease-related vision deterioration.

In double-blind research, 20 patients experiencing vision loss due to diabetes, atherosclerosis and other vascular diseases received either 50 mg of the extract three times a day for two months or a placebo. Additionally, the researchers conducted an open phase where another 20 patients with the same disease profile were treated with the extract on the same dose schedule.

Researchers, led by Leopoldo Spadea, M.D., concluded that the antioxidant properties in the extract (oligomeric procyanidins) cleaned up the overproduction of oxygen that is usually involved in many age-related eye diseases.