Promising Natural Diabetes Treatment In May 2002, William Campbell Douglass, II, M.D., told Daily Dose readers that Pycnogenol might compete with aspirin as the wonder drug of the 21st Century.
Many of you are already familiar with this natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory from reports we've sent you in HSI Members Alerts and e-Alerts. For several centuries, Pycnogenol has been extracted from the bark of trees in a maritime forest in southwest France. And one of the "wonders" of this non-drug is that it may provide a variety of benefits for diabetics.
Healthy blood
In the e-Alert "Bark with Bite" (11/9/04), I told you about two Pycnogenol studies conducted at the Chinese Medical Science Research Institute in Beijing.
In one of those studies - reported in the journal Diabetes Care - researchers recruited 30 subjects with type 2 diabetes. Subjects were divided into four groups to receive daily Pycnogenol doses of 50, 100, 200, and 300 mg for three weeks. When researchers compared fasting glucose levels before and after the study, those who had received doses 100 mg or greater significantly lowered their levels.
Similar results were reported in the second study. Eighty type 2 diabetics were divided into two groups. Half received 100 mg of Pycnogenol daily, while half received a placebo. After 12 weeks, plasma glucose levels were much improved in the Pycnogenol group compared to the placebo group.
In addition, Pycnogenol subjects experienced improved endothelial function, which prevents hardening of the arteries by keeping the inner diameter of blood vessels open and flexible. In a new study that specifically examined endothelial function, Pycnogenol produced some very promising results.
Back from the brink
One of the most worrisome conditions for diabetics is microangiopathy, in which smaller blood vessels become weakened and blood circulation is impaired. This commonly causes the death of skin tissue and leads to ulcers on the lower legs and feet. Infection may occur when ulcers progress, and in the most advanced cases amputation is required.
In the new study, researchers at Italy's Chieti-Pescara University divided 30 patients with severe microangiopathy into four groups for a six-week intervention.
STUDY ABSTRACT - One group received a daily dose of 150 mg of Pycnogenol orally, and 100 mg of powdered Pycnogenol was applied topically to the ulcers
- The second group received 150 mg orally, but no topical treatment
- Group three received the topical treatment only
- The fourth group received no treatment other than a local disinfectant
- Leg ulcer size decreased by nearly 75 percent in the combined therapy group, more than 40 percent in the oral only group, 33 percent in the topical only group, and just over 20 percent in the disinfectant group
- Almost 90 percent of those in the first group experienced complete healing of leg ulcers
You can find more information - including links to additional research - at pycnogenol.com. You can't purchase Pycnogenol through that site, but links to several vendors are provided. If you have type 2 diabetes, talk to your doctor or health care professional before you try Pycnogenol. Sources:
"Diabetic Ulcers: Microcirculatory Improvement and Faster Healing With Pycnogenol" Clinical and Applied Thrombosis/Hemostasis, Vol. 12, No. 3, July 2006, cat.sagepub.com
"Pine Bark Reduces Leg Ulcers in Diabetics" Natural Products Insider, 9/8/06, naturalproductsinsider.com |
