Pine Bark Extract

Pine Bark Extract is an ingredient commonly found in Cardiovascular Health supplements. It has been shown to increase blood flow and is a known antioxidant.

Uses of Pine Bark Extract

Pine Bark is something that is quite underutilized in the sports nutrition industry, while it has been popular for quite some time now on the health side of the industry.

Pine Bark Extract is mostly marketed as a cardiovascular health supplement. In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study done on 23 patients with CAD (Coronary Artery Disease), subjects supplementing with 200mg of Pycnogenol a day experienced better blood flow.

Another study done on patients with mild hypertension showed that 200mg of Pine Bark Extract may be beneficial for reducing systolic blood pressure (no significant drop in diastolic). This was another randomized double-blind, placebo controlled study.

We have yet another study showing that 180mg of Pine Bark Extract appeared to increase endothelial relaxation by increasing nitric oxide. This was a double-blind study done on 16 subjects over 2 weeks.

Pine Bark Extract may also be good for focus. While more studies need to be performed, there is a study done in Italy showing that students undergoing rigorous testing at a university had a lower failure rate than the control group.

Pine Bark Extract is a known antioxidant, and maybe associated with better blood lipid levels. The mentioned study also showed a decrease in LDL cholesterol (the bad one). This is another reason as to why you will find Pine Bark Extract in cardiovascular health supplements.

It’s not just cardiovascular health that Pine Bark Extract is good for. It may also be good for skin elasticity. A study done on postmenapausal women supplementing with 75mg of Pine Bark Extract for 12 weeks had increased skin elasticity and hydration. This was done on 20 female subjects.

Interactions with Pine Bark Extract

While you’ll mostly find Pine Bark Extract as a standalone, you will find it in Pump products, as well as Cardiovascular Health products as well.

In Pump products you’ll see it paired with ingredients such as L-Citrulline, Agmatine, Nitrosigine, and S7.

In Cardiovascular Health products, you’ll see it paired with ingredients such as Grape Seed Extract, Hawthorn Berry Extract, and Citrus Bergamot.

Side Effects with Pine Bark Extract

Some side effects associated with Pine Bark include headache, dizziness, and upset stomach. Always talk to your doctor before supplementing with Pine Bark Extract.

Recommended Dose of Pine Bark Extract

Doses around 100mg, up to 200mg per day seem to be the most beneficial. Doses can actually be lower to exhibit some benefits as well, however for the purpose of lowering blood pressure and increasing blood flow, we suggest using 200mg per day.