Pycnogenol®) Helps Mental Health in Children

By Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS, March 3, 2008, abstracted from “Urinary catecholamines in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): Modulation by a polyphenolic extract from pine bark (Pycnogenol®)” in the June-August 2007 issue of Nutritional Neuroscience

First described as a medical condition in 1845, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is characterized by impulsiveness, hyperactivity and inattention.  It is now estimated to affect 3-5% (2 million) of American children (1) and costs our healthcare system $77 billion each year (2).
 
Because the side effects of ADHD medications include decreased appetite, insomnia, increased anxiety, irritability, mild stomach aches and headaches (1), more natural alternatives such as magnesium and vitamin B6 (3) are being implemented.  Now a new study (4) has found that Pycnogenol®), a extract from French maritime pine bark, may help mental health in children.

A 2006 study showed that one mg per kg of bodyweight helps with mental health in children (5).  Building on these findings, 41 patients with an average age between 9 and 10 received one milligram of Pycnogenol®) per kg of bodyweight or placebo for one month. During this time, the researchers obtained urine samples and measured stress hormones (e.g. adrenaline) and the nerve stimulant dopamine.

The researchers found that Pycnogenol®) lowered stress hormones, specifically adrenaline, by 26.2% and decreased dopamine by 10.8%.  The also found that the levels of adrenaline correlated with the levels of oxidized glutathione, a natural antioxidant found in every cell.  These results led the researchers to conclude that “Treatment of ADHD children with Pycnogenol®) normalized catecholamine concentrations, leading to less hyperactivity, and, consequently, to reduced oxidative stress.”

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Danville, CA.  You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at mailto:PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.CompleteChiropracticHealthcare.com.

Reference:
1. “Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder” posted on the NIH  Website www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/adhd.cfm
2. Posted on www.news-medical.net/?id=10338
3. Mousain-Bosc M.  Improvement of neurobehavioral disorders in children supplemented with magnesium-vitamin B6. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorders.  Magnesium Research 2006; 19 (1): 46-52
4. Dvorakova M.  Urinary catecholamines in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): Modulation by a polyphenolic extract from pine bark (Pycnogenol®).Nutritional Neuroscience 2007; 10; 3/4: 151-157
5. Trebaticka J.  Treatment of ADHD with French maritime pine bark extract, Pycnogenol((R)).  Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2006 May 13; [Epub ahead of print]