Pine Bark Extract
Herb ·Exploratory record · not publication-reviewed ·Updated July 13, 2026
French maritime pine bark extract with potent antioxidant and blood flow benefits.
Exploratory record, not a reviewed medical publication.
See the editorial and medical-review policies for the publication gate.
This generated database record has not completed a claim-level review by a qualified human medical reviewer. Bibliography links and evidence labels are not approval. The page remains available for reference and is excluded from search indexing.
What the research says.
A quick, data-only summary. The full evidence, dosing, and sources are below.
Pine Bark Extract is a herb most often used for blood flow, skin health, cognitive function. NutriStack rates the overall evidence as moderate. A typical adult dose is 50-200 mg daily, commonly taken as pycnogenol (patented french maritime pine bark extract). This profile indexes 19 sources.
The bottom line
Evidence rating moderate. Most-documented uses: blood flow, skin health, cognitive function. 19 sources indexed (2002–2024), with 0 interaction records on file.
How it works, mechanistically.
Core mechanism
Procyanidins stimulate eNOS for nitric oxide production, inhibit COX-1/COX-2, and potently scavenge superoxide and hydroxyl radicals. Regenerates vitamins C and E.13
Dosing & protocol.
What it actually costs.
Real-world pricing across three quality tiers. Assumes Pycnogenol / Pine Bark Extract.
Assumes 50-200 mg/day. Vendor basis: Life Extension, NOW/iHerb, Vitacost, and Amazon marketplace; Pycnogenol-branded products set premium pricing. Updated 2026-05-28.
The same dose, as food.
How much you'd eat to match a supplemental dose.
French maritime pine bark extract is a standardized bark polyphenol product, not a normal edible food.
Full safety detail.
Sources, by evidence tier.
Numbered references. Citations throughout the page link here.
Meta-analyses & systematic reviews
10- 1Effect of Pycnogenol (pine bark extract) on cardiovascular risk factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.PMIDGulec G, Cicek OA et al. · Phytotherapy Research · 2024
Meta-analysis showed Pycnogenol supplementation significantly improved endothelial function, reduced blood pressure, and improved lipid profiles in patients with cardiovascular risk factors.
- 2Pycnogenol for osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.PMIDBelcaro G, Feragalli B et al. · Journal of Medicinal Food · 2024
Meta-analysis found Pycnogenol supplementation significantly reduced WOMAC pain and stiffness scores and improved physical function in osteoarthritis patients.
- 3Effect of Pycnogenol on cognitive function: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PMIDParzanini I, Pazzaglia M et al. · Nutrients · 2024
Meta-analysis showed Pycnogenol supplementation was associated with improvements in attention, memory, and executive function in healthy adults and those with cognitive decline.
- 4Effect of Pycnogenol on Blood Pressure: Findings From a PRISMA Compliant Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Clinical StudiesPMIDFogacci F, Tocci G, Sahebkar A et al. · Angiology · 2020
Fogacci F, Tocci G, Sahebkar A et al.. Effect of Pycnogenol on Blood Pressure: Findings From a PRISMA Compliant Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Clinical Studies. Angiology. 2020
- 5Effects of pycnogenol on cardiometabolic health: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsPMIDMalekahmadi M, Moradi Moghaddam O, Firouzi S et al. · Pharmacological research · 2019
Malekahmadi M, Moradi Moghaddam O, Firouzi S et al.. Effects of pycnogenol on cardiometabolic health: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Pharmacological research. 2019
- 6The impact of pycnogenol supplementation on plasma lipids in humans: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trialsPMIDHadi A, Pourmasoumi M, Mohammadi H et al. · Phytotherapy research : PTR · 2019
Hadi A, Pourmasoumi M, Mohammadi H et al.. The impact of pycnogenol supplementation on plasma lipids in humans: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Phytotherapy research : PTR. 2019
- 7Effect of Pycnogenol Supplementation on Blood Pressure: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysisPMIDZhang Z, Tong X, Wei YL et al. · Iranian journal of public health · 2018
Zhang Z, Tong X, Wei YL et al.. Effect of Pycnogenol Supplementation on Blood Pressure: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Iranian journal of public health. 2018
- 8Pycnogenol supplementation reduces blood pressure and improves endothelial function: a meta-analysisRahimi R, Ghiasi S, Azimi H et al. · Phytomedicine · 2015
- 9A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of pycnogenol on plasma lipidsPMIDSahebkar A · Journal of cardiovascular pharmacology and therapeutics · 2014
Sahebkar A. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of pycnogenol on plasma lipids. Journal of cardiovascular pharmacology and therapeutics. 2014
- 10Pycnogenol supplementation reduces pain and stiffness and improves physical function in adults with knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysisSource linkedPMIDFarid R, Mirfeizi Z, Mirheidari M et al. · Phytomedicine · 2007
Randomized controlled trials
3- 11Pycnogenol supplementation in minimal cognitive dysfunctionPMIDBelcaro G et al. · Journal of Neurosurgical Sciences · 2018
150 mg Pycnogenol/day for 3 months improved spatial working memory by 10.9% and quality of working memory by 8.5% vs placebo in moderate cognitive decline patients.
- 12Pycnogenol improves cognitive function, attention, mental performance and specific professional skills in healthy professionals aged 35-55PMIDBelcaro G et al. · Journal of Neurosurgical Sciences · 2014
Pycnogenol supplementation for 12 weeks improved cognitive function and oxidative stress markers in healthy professionals.
- 13Pycnogenol, French maritime pine bark extract, augments endothelium-dependent vasodilation in humansPMIDNishioka K et al. · Hypertension Research · 2007
Pycnogenol augmented endothelium-dependent vasodilation by increasing nitric oxide production in humans.
Reviews & position papers
4- 14Pycnogenol French maritime pine bark extract in randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled human clinical studiesPMIDRohdewald P et al. · International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics · 2024
In 39 RDP trials (2,009 subjects), Pycnogenol beneficially affected cardiovascular health, cognition, joint health, skin health, and eye health over 2 weeks to 6 months.
- 15Pycnogenol: French maritime pine bark extract as a supplement in cardiovascular diseaseSource linkedPMIDRohdewald P · Drug Dev Res · 2019
- 16French Maritime Pine Bark Extract (Pycnogenol) Effects on Human Skin: Clinical and Molecular EvidencePMIDGrether-Beck S et al. · Skin Pharmacology and Physiology · 2016
Compelling evidence that Pycnogenol intake reduces hyperpigmentation and improves skin barrier function and extracellular matrix homeostasis.
- 17A review of the French maritime pine bark extract (Pycnogenol), a herbal medication with a diverse clinical pharmacologyPMIDPacker L et al. · Free Radical Biology and Medicine · 2002
Pycnogenol exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and vasodilatory properties with effects on endothelial NOS and collagen/elastin stabilization.
Reference material
2- 18Tian Y, Zhou Q, Li W et al.. Efficacy of L-arginine and Pycnogenol ® in the treatment of male erectile dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in endocrinology. 2023Source linkedPMID
- 19Pourmasoumi M, Hadi A, Mohammadi H et al.. Effect of pycnogenol supplementation on blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Phytotherapy research : PTR. 2020Source linkedPMID
Common questions.
Quick answers about Pine Bark Extract, drawn from the data on this page.
What is Pine Bark Extract?
French maritime pine bark extract with potent antioxidant and blood flow benefits.
What is Pine Bark Extract used for?
Commonly cited benefits of Pine Bark Extract include: Blood flow; Skin health; Cognitive function; Antioxidant. NutriStack rates the overall evidence as moderate.
What is a typical dose of Pine Bark Extract?
A typical adult dose of Pine Bark Extract is 50-200 mg daily. The commonly recommended form is Pycnogenol (patented French maritime pine bark extract). These are general ranges, not personalized advice; confirm the right dose with a clinician.
What are the side effects of Pine Bark Extract?
Reported side effects include gi upset, headache, dizziness. This is educational information; check with a healthcare professional before use.
How strong is the evidence for Pine Bark Extract?
NutriStack rates this as Moderate, meaning several aligned RCTs or one large RCT plus supporting reviews. Full tier criteria are at https://nutristackapp.com/methodology/evidence-tiers.
Use this with your stack
Pine Bark Extract in NutriStack.
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