According to lead author Jana Trebaticka, the results of the month-long study point to Pycnogenol as an option to " ... relieve ADHD symptoms of children." According to National Attention Deficit Disorder Information and Support Service (ADDISS), the disorder may affect between 3 and 7 percent of children in the U.K. alone, and up to 60 percent of sufferers may continue to deal with it into adulthood.
The randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study of 57 children found that inattention scores for the group using the pine extract supplement decreased by about 10 percent, and hyperactivity scores decreased by about 15 percent. The placebo group showed no changes.
In the study, the researchers said, �Our findings seem to present an alternative to existing drugs for parents fearing the adverse effects of established drugs, however, results of our study have to be further confirmed by studies involving a greater number of patients.�
The researchers said they had not found the specific mechanism in the bark that benefits ADHD sufferers, but they theorize that the extract may be promoting the synthesis of nitric oxide (NO) in the brain. Although studies of Pycnogenol have shown that NO synthesis is promoted when the pill is taken, they have not confirmed that the French maritime pine bark is responsible.
Prior to the study published in European Child, Horphag Research's (the makers of Pycnogenol, and the cosponsors of the study) pill had been reputed to help improve many ailments, including diabetes, asthma, male infertility, and it also was reported improve memory in mice. ###
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