TL;DR
Turn quiet afternoons into listening time
- Thousands of audiobooks, podcasts and originals
- Listen on your phone, tablet or Echo — also offline
- Cancel anytime
A randomized trial of 67 women with osteopenia or stable osteoporosis found that participants assigned to French maritime pine bark extract reported better bodily pain scores than those assigned to placebo after three months. The finding concerns self-reported quality of life, not proof that the supplement improves bone density or prevents fractures; after three months, all participants received the extract.
A six-month clinical trial involving 67 women with osteopenia or stable osteoporosis found that those assigned to French maritime pine bark extract reported better bodily pain scores after three months than women assigned to placebo. The result, published in Frontiers in Nutrition, is a quality-of-life finding and does not establish that the supplement strengthens bones or prevents fractures.
According to the trial report in Frontiers in Nutrition, researchers randomized participants to take Pycnogenol® at 100 milligrams twice daily or a matching placebo for the first three months. Thirty-three women entered the extract group and 34 the placebo group. The researchers assessed health-related quality of life using questionnaires, including the bodily pain domain of the SF-36v2, where higher scores indicate better health status and less reported pain.
The trial report states that, at three months, the extract group’s bodily pain scores improved significantly compared with the placebo group, including after the analysis adjusted for baseline scores. The researchers also found higher vitality scores in the extract group at that point, but that difference was not maintained at six months. Other measured quality-of-life domains did not change over time.
As described in the report, the trial then entered a three-month extension in which all participants received the extract. At six months, scores in the group taking the supplement throughout remained higher than in the group that had initially received placebo. Because there was no placebo group during this period, that later comparison cannot establish an additional treatment effect. Four participants initially assigned to the extract and three assigned to placebo withdrew during the six months.
Pain Scores, Not Bone Strength
Pain and day-to-day functioning can affect quality of life for people living with low bone density, so a reported difference in bodily pain may be relevant to patients and clinicians. But the result should be read as an early signal about self-reported symptoms, not evidence that pine bark extract treats osteoporosis or reduces fracture risk.
The trial report identifies bone turnover markers as the primary focus, with quality-of-life measures as secondary or exploratory outcomes. The study was small, ran at a single center, and used a design that stopped comparing the supplement with placebo after three months. Those limits make the pain result less definitive than evidence from larger trials designed specifically to test symptom relief.
French maritime pine bark extract supplement
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
A Short Placebo-Controlled Phase
Osteopenia and osteoporosis involve reduced bone mass and changes in bone structure that can raise fracture susceptibility. Standard osteoporosis care includes medications that reduce bone breakdown or promote bone formation when indicated. The study authors describe interest in supplements as possible adjuncts, but this trial did not test the extract as a replacement for established care.
The study report describes Pycnogenol® as a standardized French maritime pine bark extract containing polyphenols, including oligomeric procyanidins. The authors cite antioxidant and anti-inflammatory findings in preclinical research, while noting that there had been no clinical studies directly assessing its effects on bone health, quality of life, or long-term safety in people with osteopenia or osteoporosis. The trial enrolled participants between October 2021 and January 2024; according to the report, eligibility excluded people taking ongoing anti-osteoporosis medication and those with recent osteoporotic fractures, among other criteria.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Limits and Safety Questions
The trial report does not establish why pain scores changed or whether the difference would be meaningful to patients in everyday life. It also does not show whether the supplement alters bone density, prevents fractures, or provides lasting relief. Since everyone received the extract in the final three months, the six-month results lack a continuing placebo comparison.
According to the report, two mild events considered possibly related to treatment were reported: dizziness in one participant in the extract group and vomiting in one participant in the placebo group; both led to discontinuation. Researchers reported no moderate or serious adverse events and no clinically relevant laboratory abnormalities during the study. That finding is reassuring for the trial period but cannot answer questions about uncommon effects or longer-term use. The supplied report does not provide enough detail to assess the size of the pain-score difference or its clinical importance.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Further Trials Needed
The study authors say quality-of-life and safety findings complement a separate report on bone turnover markers. Further research would need larger groups, longer follow-up, and a placebo comparison maintained throughout to test whether the pain finding is reproducible and whether it matters clinically. Studies would also need to examine bone-density and fracture outcomes directly before the extract could be considered an established option for bone health.
For now, the result is limited to the participants and measures in this trial. People considering supplements for low bone density should discuss them with a qualified health professional, particularly because the study excluded many patients receiving standard osteoporosis medication and did not test the extract as a substitute for that care.
natural pain relief supplements for women
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
What did the trial find about pine bark extract and pain?
The trial report says women assigned to 100 milligrams twice daily of the extract had significantly better bodily pain scores than women assigned to placebo after three months. The measure came from a health questionnaire and reflects reported health status, not a direct test of bone strength.
Did the study show that the extract prevents fractures?
No. The study reported quality-of-life and safety findings. It did not establish that Pycnogenol® improves bone density or prevents fractures.
How many women took part?
Sixty-seven women with osteopenia or stable osteoporosis were randomized: 33 to the extract group and 34 to placebo.
What happened during the final three months?
As described in the trial report, after the initial three-month comparison, participants in both groups received the extract. Because there was no placebo group during that extension, the six-month results cannot show what would have happened without the supplement.
Were adverse events reported?
The trial report records one case of dizziness in the extract group and one case of vomiting in the placebo group; both participants stopped treatment. No moderate or serious adverse events or clinically relevant laboratory abnormalities were reported in the trial.
Source: rss
Cold & flu season Picks
humidifiers
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
