Pycnogenol eased symptoms in fibromyalgia
People with fibromyalgia report having generalized pain, tender muscles and tendons, reduced movement, and poor sleep. Doctors don’t know its cause—describing the condition as “idiopathic.”
In this study, 50 otherwise healthy women with fibromyalgia, and body-mass index scores below 26, took a placebo or 150 mg of Pycnogenol® per day along with standard medical care of pain relievers and corticosteroids. At the start of the study, all participants had high levels of oxidative stress, an inflammatory condition.
After four weeks, doctors found significantly less oxidative stress in those taking Pycnogenol, while levels did not change for placebo. Three in the Pycnogenol group needed pain relievers, and one needed corticosteroids, while nine in the placebo group took pain relievers and six needed corticosteroids.
Those in the Pycnogenol group reported less stiffness, pain, fatigue, cognitive disturbances, and mental cloudiness. Also, symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, migraine, and perceived stress were lower for Pycnogenol.
Reference: Panminerva Medica; 2021, Vol. 63, No. 1, 46-50
Help for Chronic Fatigue
Doctors believe chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also called myalgic encephalomyelitis, emerges after a viral infection and causes severe fatigue and cloudy thinking. In this study, 207 people with CFS took a placebo or 200 mg of CoQ10 plus 20 mg of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-hydrogen (NADH) per day. After 12 weeks, while the placebo group did not improve, those taking CoQ10 and NADH reported less cognitive and overall fatigue, better sleep quality, and health-related quality of life.
Doctors chose CoQ10 and NADH because they boost mitochondrial function—the energy generators in each cell—and are powerful free-radical scavengers that reduce damage to DNA caused by oxidative stress.
Reference: Nutrients; 2021, Vol. 13, No. 8, nu13082658
